Children's home run by Moonreach LTD in Dover

Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 1 Registered provider: Moonreach Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two children. In its statement of purpose, the provider states that it provides care for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since June 2019.

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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: 11 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2019 Full Good 25/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 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–

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that good food management and storage principles are followed in the home. 14/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees–

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff in their probation period receive supervision in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. 31/12/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance, and supplement that provided by their school through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well- being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18) Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 4 Specifically, any discussions with children around healthcare, such as the dentist, should be recorded.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are treated with dignity and respect by a team of adults who have children’s best interests at heart. Children speak fondly about the adults in the home and are frequently consulted. Children’s views are listened to and acted upon.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a well-maintained, comfortable family-style home. It is welcoming and warm and a pleasant environment to be in. Children are encouraged and supported to personalise their bedrooms with colours and items of their choice. This helps children to feel settled and relaxed in their environment. There are many photographs around the house of children having fun and there are also many displays of art and craft masterpieces that the children have created.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to community-based activities, which are important in promoting their sense of confidence and self-esteem. Activities include swimming, going to the gym, bowling and cinema and theme park trips, as well as attending the local community youth club. One of the children has carried out some voluntary work in a local charity shop and is using this experience to find part-time work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family visits are supported by leaders and managers, who have advocated for an increased frequency of visits for the children currently living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Link-worker meetings are frequent on topics such as current behaviour, self-harm, keeping safe and sexual health. However, there are occasions when opportunities are missed to further explore specific themes. An example of this is where a child used derogatory remarks to a dentist and consequently missed their appointment. Although the child’s behaviour was challenged appropriately, the opportunity to record this piece of work was missed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from independent skills training. This has led to one of the children now travelling to college independently by train and bus. This is a real achievement and has been celebrated and well recognised by staff. Before coming to the home, one of the children did not consistently take their morning medication. This is now not a concern, as the medication is taken consistently.

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

Children told the inspector that they feel safe, and they speak highly of the care that they receive. Staff have acted in accordance with good safeguarding practice and procedures when concerns have materialised. The consultation with the appropriate agencies has been effective.

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

Staff actively look for children when they are missing. They have liaised well with the local police to create effective protocols and plans for when children go missing. Staff responses and the records of these incidents are closely monitored by managers. Other Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 6 risks, such as self-harm, are also well understood by the adults working in the home, and the response to incidents is strong. Other professionals speak highly of how the children in placement are kept as safe as possible.

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

Physical intervention is used only in extreme circumstances. The records of these interventions are clear and well monitored by managers. Sanctions are used appropriately and there is a strong, reflective process to understand whether or not it has been effective. If not, then different strategies are explored.

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

During the inspection, the food management within the fridge was not appropriate. There was a pack of raw meat stored on the same shelf as an uncovered cake. This appeared to be an isolated incident, and immediate and effective action was taken during the inspection to remedy this and clean the shelf.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have high expectations of the staff team and the quality of care provided for children. They also have high aspirations for the children and can talk at length about them. This means that they are well placed to ensure that the needs of the children are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are willing to challenge others when they feel that decisions have not been made in the best interests of the child. An example of this is when another professional stated that they were unable to arrange Christmas family visits for a child at short notice. This was effectively challenged, and the required assessments are being carried out as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Frequent staff meetings ensure that there is a forum for staff to get together and discuss any concerns that they may have and any developments within the home. They are targeted in their approach and produce actions that are reviewed at the next meeting. These are also attended by the responsible individual, who has a close involvement with the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions are of good quality. They contain clear actions, and safeguarding is a standing agenda item. This is supported by safeguarding scenarios to assist in building a safeguarding culture within the home. However, the frequency of supervisions for newer staff is not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that staff are given the right level of support and direction in the early stages of their work at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training offer for staff is strong. However, face-to-face training on children who are missing from care is available, yet has not been prioritised. During their induction, staff do complete basic awareness training regarding children being missing from care, however this is a current risk at the home and staff would benefit from gaining a more advanced understanding of this risk. Action has been taken to arrange this training, and it is planned to take place in January 2020. Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 7

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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: 1226977 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Dane John Works, Gordon Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3PP

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Inspector

Daniel Healy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1226977 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 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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