Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 1 SC465579 Registered provider: Benecare 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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who are displaying behaviours that are symptomatic of a range of emotional difficulties linked to challenging childhood experiences. The home is operated by a private organisation. The home’s statement of purpose states that the age range of the children is between eight and 18 years old. There has been no registered manager at the home since 12 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home’s registration was suspended between 21 June and 22 July 2019. Compliance notices were issued under the protection of children and leadership and management standards. Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2019 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 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 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)) 06/03/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 06/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner— children’s case records (see regulation 36) other records (see regulation 37) (Regulation 38 (i)(j)) 06/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1)) 06/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. The adults know the children well and interpret their needs effectively. They encourage children to make informed choices and to fully participate in daily life at the home. As a result, a warm and nurturing ethos underpins the culture of care delivered by attentive adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is making good progress at college. Another receives home tutoring while an education placement is agreed. Both are encouraged to learn skills for life, such as shopping, cooking and making healthy choices. They benefit from experiential learning with the support of the adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The adults support the children to access specialist services. One child is learning to take more responsibility for his additional needs; for example, he lets the staff know when his equipment needs updating. Adults ensure that communication between specialist services is transparent and frequent. They are tenacious in their approach, resulting in the children accessing services when they are required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Emerging identity needs are sensitively managed. The adults enable the children to learn about new themes as they emerge, by ensuring that educative materials are available. As a result, the children can explore their identity in a safe and well-informed manner.

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

The adults really valued recent extensive safeguarding training. As a result, they feel empowered and are clear on what to report, to whom and when. They have tested their knowledge by talking through scenarios in team meetings and using lessons learned from past practice. Consequently, they have been able to demonstrate their understanding of contextual safeguarding in practice.

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

Multi-agency work is effective. Local safeguarding agencies and schools speak positively about the effective communication from the adults. Transparent and honest interactions with adults working at the home offer another layer of safeguarding. Joint working with the police to agree safer caring plans for one child, who has left the home unauthorised, is a good example of the effective multi-agency working.

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

One child has moved into the home. During unauthorised absence from the home, the child placed himself at risk and caused further risk to others. Despite this, the location assessment was not updated. This was a missed opportunity to update the location assessment with relevant information.

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

Risk is generally well managed. However, there has been a lack of clarity on the strategies that staff will use in the event that one particular child tries to leave the home. Some incidents have occurred that could have been avoided if the staff were clear on the Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 5 action that they could take to reduce the risk occurring. More recently, strategies have been more effective in reducing missing and risky episodes for this child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since July 2019. She is in the process of registering with Ofsted. The staff speak positively of the manager, and describe feeling well supported and empowered by her coaching and mentoring style.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Frequent supervision and annual appraisal give staff opportunities to reflect on their practice. They have confidence in the manager and describe a learning culture where practice is continually reviewed, and staff are encouraged to learn new skills. Some of the staff are in ‘acting as’ positions. Such opportunities demonstrate the organisation’s willingness to develop staff and improve retention through clearly defined career development pathways.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Development plans include streamlining the somewhat chaotic current recording systems. The inspection was, at times, hampered due to documents being archived and not easily retrieved. Some areas that require action were said to be ‘in progress’. It was difficult to ascertain the progress that was spoken about due to the lack of available evidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is a lovely environment in which the children can relax. Routine maintenance and servicing of equipment further ensure that the environment is well kept. Photos of the children on the wall give a sense of belonging and set the scene for the family-style atmosphere in this home.

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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: SC465579 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 113a St Johns Hill, Sevenoaks TN13 3PE

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Inspectors

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Pete Hylton, social care regulatory manager Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 7 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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