Children's Home run by Channels and Choices Kent LLP in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 1 SC385631 Registered provider: Channels and Choices Kent LLP

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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 registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than four children who have complex behavioural difficulties. Therapeutic and educational services are available. A partnership company runs the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since May 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2017 Full Good 10/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Good 07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (2)(c)) 31/05/2019

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)) In particular, ensure that timely safeguarding measures are in place and that they include all known risks. 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19 (1)) 31/05/2019

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, a child’s room should be decorated prior to their moving in.  Any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions must be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 4 kept under regular review (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10) In particular, review the use of motion sensors outside children’s bedrooms in relation to each child.  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and

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Recommendations

staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs for each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) In particular, ensure that the antecedents to the use of physical intervention and its duration are accurately recorded.  The registered person should only accept placement for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, Paragraph 11.4)

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improvement to be good

Following a serious incident when children went missing and engaged in risky behaviours, two children spent the evening in their bedrooms, including eating their evening meal there. This control measure was not recorded as a sanction. It was, therefore, not subject to review and analysis by the manager or external regulators. Therefore, the formal steps that should have been taken to seek children’s views and to review whether the measure was appropriate and proportionate were not followed.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records are inconsistent. In one child’s positive handling plan, it was stated that the child’s bedroom was not to be used for ‘time out’. However, other records stated that he could choose to use his room to calm down.

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improvement to be good

Although the home is generally clean and well decorated, one child’s room had dirty marks on the wall and needed decorating. This was addressed by managers during the inspection but had not been done prior to the child moving in to the room.

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improvement to be good

Children’s suitability for the move into the home is well considered. Staff work in partnership with parents, carers and professionals to assess children’s needs prior to the child visiting the home. The manager ensures that children can benefit from the services offered and he was able to explain to the inspector how he considers the impact on the children living here. However, this is not recorded in sufficient depth to consider any Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 5 possible challenges and to guide staff to support children with the impact on them of the new admission.

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improvement to be good

The children’s guide has been reviewed, is now easier for children to read and includes the necessary external organisations children can contact. However, children were not consulted as part of this review. This was a missed opportunity to gain the children’s input.

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improvement to be good

Children are consulted during daily meetings. Key-time sessions are effective in covering areas that are important to children, as well as each child’s emotional and physical safety. Meetings after school help to develop positive relationships between staff and children. These meetings allow the children to reflect on their school day and prepare for the evening. They are also used to discuss important safety messages, such as responses to the fire alarm.

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improvement to be good

Staff prioritise the educational needs of the children. The children attend the organisation’s schools or nearby schools. Staff work closely with teaching staff to ensure that there is a consistent approach and to support the children to remain in education. All the children are engaging with learning and are making progress.

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improvement to be good

Therapy is available to all children who want this. Close professional working relationships with therapists mean that staff have regular, helpful consultations, which equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to best help each child. As a result, the children living here are calm and settled. They have developed trusting relationships with staff and interact positively with each other.

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improvement to be good

On the whole, children’s moves from the home are planned and successful. Children move on to family environments. One child recently had a period of short stays at potential carers prior to making the final decision to move in with them. This has contributed to the move being a success.

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improvement to be good

The inspector found shortfalls in the standard of practice relating to safeguarding and in the actions taken by leaders and managers to address these weaknesses.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers appropriately consulted with the designated officer about a serious safeguarding matter. They were advised about the safety measures to take to protect the children. However, managers did not undertake a comprehensive risk assessment in relation to the matter quickly enough, and this led to a delay in their expectations being shared with the member of staff. Leaders and managers struggled to recognise the associated risk of this failing.

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improvement to be good

Concerns relating to staff members have not consistently been formally reported to Ofsted. This reduces the ability of external professionals to fulfil their role in overseeing Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 6 and scrutinising the service.

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improvement to be good

Two children went missing from the organisation’s school. Staff responded by searching for them, locating them and returning them to the home. They demonstrated an awareness of the procedures to follow. However, in a review of the risks, the manager failed to recognise a serious risk relating to starting fires. Staff were not given the necessary guidance or strategies to prevent a reoccurrence.

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improvement to be good

The number of physical interventions used has significantly decreased. On the whole, de-escalation techniques are effective. Managers ensure that staff and children can add their views following the intervention. However, on some occasions, the duration of the physical intervention is not clear. In addition, the manager acknowledged that in one incident the record indicated that the use of a physical intervention could have been prevented, but this was not discussed with staff at the time.

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improvement to be good

The use of motion sensors outside children’s rooms is explained in the safeguarding policy. However, the use of these motion sensors has not been individually risk assessed or reviewed to ensure that it is proportionate for each child.

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improvement to be good

Health and safety checks are up to date. Fire safety measures are routinely applied, and fire drills are held regularly, including during early mornings. Staff and children are aware of what to do in the case of an evacuation.

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improvement to be good

Staff are well trained in internet safety and the risks relating to children’s misuse of social media. Children who use mobile phones and tablets are closely supervised and sign agreements to confirm that they agree to the rules and expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since May 2018, and there was a significant delay in the current manager making an application to register with Ofsted. During the inspection period, the team experienced a change in management and high turnover of staff. The current manager and deputy are a close, cohesive team and are working together to make improvements. They have recruited new staff and are working with them to develop their expertise. Staff spoke positively about the support that they receive. A new member of staff described having a positive induction, receiving relevant training and shadowing a mentor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervisions are now more regular and the quality of them has improved. Staff have a safe space in which to explore their feelings and to reflect on their work and the impact this may have on them. Staff are motivated to meet the children’s needs and spoke proudly about them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff morale has improved, and staff spoken to reported that the manager is knowledgeable and approachable. Staff were observed to communicating well with each other to plan activities and how the evening would be managed. Children are Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 7 encouraged to participate in a range of activities to improve their social opportunities, such as the youth club and pottery classes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home follows a therapeutic ethos as stated in the statement of purpose. Information about the new staff has been sent to Ofsted as a separate document. However, the statement of purpose has not been reviewed or sent to Ofsted since November 2017.

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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: SC385631 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels and Choices Kent LLP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Camburgh House, 27 New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3DN

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC385631 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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