Children's Home run by Pilgrims Corner Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC473891 1 SC473891 Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited

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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 home is owned by a private company. Its statement of purpose states that it provides ongoing intensive individual attention, stability and support to children who have experienced disrupted development and multiple placement moves. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since August 2018 and is applying for registration with Ofsted. She also manages another of the organisation’s homes situated nearby.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC473891 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 3/11/2017 Full Good 22/06/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC473891 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 29/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 29/03/2019

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22) Inspection report children’s home: SC473891 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In a calm and stable home, staff provide the only child at the home with nurturing care, tailored to her specific needs. Through warmth and attentiveness from the staff, she is developing trust in the staff, is responding to their help and support and is learning to manage her emotions more appropriately. Staff are focused on maintaining clear and consistent boundaries which contribute to the child’s feelings of safety and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to supporting the child’s education. The child’s attendance at school is very good and she is progressing well in an educational placement appropriate to her current needs. Staff provide opportunities for the child to participate in a range of activities according to her particular interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff recognise the importance of supporting the child and her family to maintain positive family relationships. Managers are proactive in working with the child’s family and the local authority to make suitable arrangements for the child to keep in contact with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are important to staff. Staff listen to the child’s wishes and feelings, respond, and are strong advocates on her behalf. Managers respond appropriately when it is evident that staff cannot meet the child’s needs. They communicate with the child’s local authority to ensure that prompt action is taken in the best interests of the child.

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

Since her appointment, the new manager has successfully led the staff team to improve and strengthen provision for the support and protection of children living at the home. Staff have a clear understanding of the needs of the child currently living at the home. Through close supervision from an increasingly cohesive staff team, the child is developing a sense of safety, protection and trust in the adults who care for her.

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

Care plans and risk assessments are current and provide staff with detailed information about the child’s specific needs and guidance to support her safety. There are occasions when staff are working alone with the child at the home. There is no assessment of the risks involved in this practice in accordance with the home’s lone-working policy to ensure the safety of the child and the staff.

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

Managers have learned lessons from serious and significant incidents relating to previous children placed at the home. Appropriate risk assessments have been implemented to improve staff practice in safeguarding children. The manager, with effective support from senior management in the organisation, is establishing a strong safeguarding culture. Inspection report children’s home: SC473891 5 There have been incidents of children being reported missing. Staff are proactive in their response and follow agreed procedures. It is not evident from records that the responsible local authority has provided an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recently been appointed and is applying for registration with Ofsted. She also manages another of the organisation’s homes, which is nearby. She has a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children. She has inspired the staff team to learn, develop and have high aspirations for children. Team working has improved. Staff are now working more consistently in their approach to their support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides the staff team with constructive support. Supervision is reflective, focused on practice issues and the needs of the child. Staff meetings provide the team with opportunities to discuss the child’s progress and new strategies to strengthen the support to promote positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff undertake appropriate training to gain skills and experience that enable them to meet children’s needs and to actively support them to achieve their potential. However, specific training for the staff team to understand a child’s health needs was not provided in a timely manner when a child came to live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Currently, the staff team is all female and the child has limited opportunities in the home to establish and maintain relationships with males.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

With the support of a dedicated and experienced deputy manager, the manager is closely monitoring the day-to-day quality of care in the home. The manager recognises areas for development. She is prioritising developing the staff team to be confident in understanding the child’s needs and helping her make progress in all aspects of her life. Inspection report children’s home: SC473891 6

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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: SC473891 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 5, The Links, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7GQ

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC473891 8 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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