Children's home in Medway

Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 1 SC029078 Registered provider:

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home aims to support children to move on to live with long-term foster families or adoptive parents. The registered manager has been in post since 2017 and she is suitably experienced and qualified. She has been registered with Ofsted since March 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 December 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/06/2016 Full Outstanding 09/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children living at this home benefit from the high-quality care that they receive from dedicated, attentive staff. A well-balanced staff team is highly committed to consistently delivering excellent care. The staff willingly go the extra mile to ensure that the children’s needs are prioritised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children name staff who they trust. The staff are interested in the children and take time to learn the children’s individual likes and dislikes. Their unmistakable dedication to the children is evident in all that they do. Children feel loved. They learn that the adults will keep them safe and are committed to delivering safe, predictable and consistent care. As a result of this, relationships based on trust and mutual respect underpin the core of the home’s culture.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Education is highly valued. Children initially attend the home’s school to assess their needs and prepare them for larger education settings. The school is specifically designed to meet the complex individual learning needs of the children. Meticulous planning around needs drives the adaptable timetable to ensure that children can learn. Many children have made successful transitions to local schools.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Admissions to the home are purposefully planned. The children are engaged in the planning, and their needs are central to the process. Staff regularly seek the children’s opinions on the day-to-day running of the home. Staff creatively personalise children’s wishes and feelings books. These are used to support them to share their views in more formal meetings. Consequently, the children’s voices are heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A therapeutic approach is the core of practice. Well-trained staff deliver care in line with children’s care plans. An adaptable approach enables the children to make progress. They learn to manage ‘big thinks’ and grow skills in navigating difficult emotions. Children enjoy a wide range of enriching activities. The staff are skilled at incorporating therapeutic games and opportunities into day-to-day life. They understand the therapeutic parenting model, using their extensive skills to build resilience in the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The safeguarding culture at this home is well embedded and implemented effectively. Staff have received in-depth safeguarding training and are aware of their own responsibilities for reporting concerns. The staff have the skills and knowledge to understand what to report, to whom and when. All of the children feel safe living at the home and could name multiple staff members to talk to if they had any concerns.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Risk assessments are detailed. They reliably inform staff of the signs of risk, and strategies to reduce them. Staff have an excellent understanding of the complex needs Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 4 of the children. Group supervision is frequent and used to reflect on and adapt risk management plans. Comprehensive planning is effective in reducing risky behaviour. For example, some children are known to target others during busy times so staff engage the children at key times to reduce this risk. The quality of planning results in staff delivering focused, proactive care that reduces risk and ensures the children’s safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Forensic investigation of any concerns that arise leaves no stone unturned. Where potential gaps in safeguarding have been identified, the team works tirelessly to close them. The registered manager produced a detailed report into safeguarding, ‘Towards a safer organisation’, to underpin the home’s safeguarding culture and ensure that safeguarding practice is progressive and thorough. She has also challenged safeguarding professionals in the wider community regarding their decision-making. An example of this is her tenacity in reporting all allegations when the designated officer suggested she investigate them in-house.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Care plans for the children enable them to make progress through making positive choices. Whenever possible, children are encouraged to make decisions and reflect and learn from their experiences. Purposeful activities support learning through therapeutic play. Adults are creative and adaptable in their approach. As a result, the children are making progress towards their goals.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff are skilled in understanding the children’s behavioural needs. Physical restraint is used as a last resort. Debriefs with children and staff ensure that any learning is captured from the incident. Records sampled demonstrated that the use of restraint is proportionate, recorded clearly and well overseen by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are passionate about their work. They share high aspirations and ensure that the staff and children are their focus. They worked effectively to support the staff through the retirement of the previous long-serving registered manager. Changes in the senior management team have been sensitively managed. As a result, the service has continued to improve despite the significant changes in leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A team of dedicated staff are enthusiastic about their work and have welcomed learning from the skills of the new registered manager. One staff member said, ‘I have learnt so much from [the registered manager] this year. My safeguarding knowledge has massively improved. I am confident in keeping the children and myself safe.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Induction for new staff is thorough. Staff feel well prepared for their work and understand key areas for focus. A staff member said, ‘I’ve never had such a good induction. The training made me feel really well prepared, and I have excellent support and guidance through regular supervision.’ A programme of training and development for staff provides them with opportunities to develop their skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Detailed monitoring ensures that leaders and managers understand the home’s strengths Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 5 and weaknesses. They have worked with the developers of the bespoke recording system to ensure that they can track and monitor the service. They use the data effectively to enhance the plans for the children. A commentary on the data provides further insight into trends. As a result, the service provided continues to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The physical environment of the home is well maintained. Routine servicing of equipment further ensures that the premises are safe. Fire precautions are well understood by the children and staff. The children’s rooms are all decorated to their individual taste and are clean and well-furnished. Talented staff paint murals on the walls and decorate the home for cultural celebrations such as Christmas. Consequently, this home provides a safe haven for the children, in which they can relax.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 6

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 7 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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