Children's Home run by Kent County Council in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC403850 1 SC403850 Registered provider: Kent County Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority managed, short-break service for children and young people. The home caters for up to six children and young people who have complex needs and/or learning disabilities and/or associated difficulties. The home’s manager was registered with Ofsted on 26 November 2018.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The service had previously been without a registered manager since 2015. This has changed as a new manager was recruited in July 2018 and was registered with Ofsted in November 2018. She is very suitably experienced and qualified to fulfil this role and is having a very positive impact on the service. This can be seen in the many areas that she has identified as requiring improvement and development and in her ability to implement required changes. A clear development plan highlights numerous areas that she is committed to developing. The main areas are improving the participation of children, upgrading the environment, developing a stable and fully trained staff team and implementing better care recording methods. Overall, this service is now managed by a strong leader who can influence and has a timely and sensitive approach to change. The registered manager is supported by a strong team of staff that has seen some

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC403850 2 changes since the last inspection. They know the children very well and work in a very sensitive way. An active recruitment programme is beginning to ensure that a full staff team will soon be in place. In the meantime, permanent staff work additional shifts and agency staff who know the children and the service well are used. All children receive their allocated number of respite stays at the service. Areas such as children’s consultation and participation have improved considerably. Children are now much more involved in expressing their views, wishes and opinions in many areas that affect their stay at the service. This can be seen with the displays around the home of the consultation group, communication board, children’s information board, activity board, healthy eating board and the children’s meetings board. These provide young people with information and feedback from their suggestions. When

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

children end each respite stay, they can use coloured buttons to express how much they have enjoyed their stay or not. Overwhelmingly, children say that they have enjoyed their stay. These new initiatives mean that all children can voice their views and are supported to do so using their individual method of communication. This is supported by the implementation of individual communication files. Upgrading of the fabric and decoration of the home has taken place, with plans in place for further improvements. Children are fully involved in decision making and, for example, were involved in the recent lounge project. The lounge is currently being upgraded in line with suggestions made by the children. Further work is being undertaken to upgrade the garden, so that it provides a more sensory environment for the children. In addition, some internal rooms have also been upgraded to provide an improved sensory environment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home does not complete initial impact risk assessments as such. However, each child has a dependency rating completed prior to coming to the home which enables the manager to ensure that risk is reduced wherever possible and that staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of each of the young people. This works alongside the process in place for deciding who uses the service on particular days. This reduces the risk of incidents occurring and enables children to form friendships with their peers. The children have risk assessments in their individual files and areas considered include health, medication, personal care, activities and any other presenting risk. The plan then sets out how to implement safe systems of care. Some of the children require specialist beds to meet their particular needs. The use of such beds is recorded, with the reason why, in individual care plans and signed by

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

parents/carers. The use of such beds is overseen by the occupational therapist. The registered manager effectively monitors the quality of care and professional practices that the children receive. She has the ability to identify where improvements can be made, where to prioritise areas for development and to analyse their impact and effectiveness. A tour of the building during this visit highlighted no health and safety issues. Inspection report children’s home: SC403850 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/03/2017 Full Requires improvement

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC403850 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kent County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sessions House, County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ

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Inspectors

Liz Driver, social care inspector Jo Davys, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC403850 5 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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