Children's Home run by The Drive Care Homes Ltd in Kent

Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 1 SC063689 Registered provider: The Drive Care Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. Its statement of purpose specifies that it will provide care and accommodation for up to six young people, aged between eight and 18, who have mild to severe learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2018.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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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: SC063689 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/09/2017 Full Good 16/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on–

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff– help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‟s behaviour, in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child‟s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c), (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 18/10/2019

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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.

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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)) 18/10/2019

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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– 18/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 4 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–

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided at the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(f)(h)) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 18/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained–

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b), (5)(a)) 18/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are attentive and attuned to the needs of children. Observations showed that children were at ease with staff and that relationships between them were warm and nurturing. Children said that they felt that staff were helpful and approachable and that ‘anyone would help’ if they needed something.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s opinions are valued. Staff encourage children to participate in the forums where decisions are made. Frequent house meetings give children opportunities to make choices and to contribute to their plans. As a result, the children feel that their voices are heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s development is a priority for the staff. Some children are making exceptional progress with their personal care. Others have learned to keep their rooms clean and do their laundry. Staff break tasks down into small achievable goals to ensure success. Parents have positive views on the progress that their children are making. Comments include: ‘Our son has made great progress. He is learning more independence than we thought possible; we are really pleased with the progress he is making.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. The staff encourage the children to eat a balanced diet and introduce them to a wider range of foods. For some, this has led to positive health outcomes. Others, with specific dietary requirements, are making good progress with their eating plans. Children’s health is improving as a direct result of the care that staff deliver.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the children to engage in a wide range of meaningful activities. Some children are having new experiences that were not previously thought possible. However, staff are careful to go at the child’s pace. One child, who has limited social experience, is gradually being encouraged to explore. Consequently, the children enjoy pastimes that suit their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to learn about their culture. Both the sensitive approach to cultural needs and visits to places of worship enable children to maintain their customs and beliefs. As a result, the children can continue to develop their cultural identity within the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Admissions to the home are well planned. Children and staff are prepared for new arrivals and the departure of children moving on. Photo albums are kept, giving children a lasting record of their journey through the home and, when appropriate, leaving celebrations are held.

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

Children trust the staff and feel confident that they will help them to resolve any problems. There have been no serious safeguarding concerns since the last inspection. Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 6 One child attempted to go missing from the home. However, the staff’s response, including that of the responsible individual, ensured the child’s safe return. The child’s risk management plan was adapted to minimise the risk of this behaviour recurring.

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

Staff practice is adapting as a result of new behaviours that are occurring, albeit inconsistently. However, there have been two incidents where it is unclear if the staff have followed a child’s risk assessment or if the strategies were effective. In both incidents, a child’s behaviour affected others, although no serious harm occurred. Staff use social stories, but they have not developed specific stories to help this child to understand his behaviour or the impact on others. The use of physical intervention is rare. The emphasis on distraction and deescalating is effective, in most cases. When restraint is used, the records are appropriately and clearly made.

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

Positive links with the wider community keep children safe. Staff are in regular communication with the schools and networks around the children. Social workers spoke positively, stating that communication was regular, transparent and clear. Collaborative working with families and clear plans for family time ensure that children see important people in their lives.

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

Children live in a safe physical environment. Routine checks and maintenance further ensure their safety. Emergency procedures are understood, and regular practice drills demonstrate that the children and staff can exit safely, should an emergency arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has yet to develop effective monitoring systems. Her monitoring did not reveal two incidents when a child’s behaviour impacted on members of the public. Despite the incidents being only days apart, she failed to link them. This is a missed opportunity to reflect and to develop staff’s practice. Internal monitoring and checks also failed to reveal that liquid medication was stored in the staff office. The temperature of the office is not monitored. Therefore, it is unclear if the medication was spoiled due to the summer heat.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team has had some changes. The manager used staff departures as an opportunity to recruit new staff. The new staff spoke positively of their induction. They felt that it had equipped them for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A staff development plan is in place. However, it is basic and fails to consider staff’s existing skills or the areas that require development. Training has fallen short of providing staff with knowledge regarding some of the specialist needs of the children placed at the home. Furthermore, not all staff have obtained the level 3 diploma in the required timescale. The monitoring of this is weak and does not consistently include progress reports. As a result, some staff’s s certification has drifted significantly beyond their planned end dates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Regular team meetings take place. However, these meetings lack reflection on learning. So do supervisions. Consequently, the registered manager does not have a system in Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 7 place to assess the impact of staff training on the quality of care being delivered to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been a relatively high number of complaints. The manager has a system to record her investigations and actions. However, not all the information relating to complaints was collated. Furthermore, the manager had not sought to sample all the sources of evidence available to her. As a result, it is not clear how effectively these complaints have been investigated. Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 8

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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 difference 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: SC063689 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Drive Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 18 Hatherley Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 4BG

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC063689 10 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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