Children's home in Medway

Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 1 SC029078

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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 children’s home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home aims to support children to move on to live with long-term foster families or adoptive parents. The registered manager has been in post since 2017 and she is suitably experienced and qualified. She has been registered with Ofsted since March 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 11 December 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 15/08/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/06/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 3

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outstanding

The children benefit from care delivered by adults who are extremely warm and nurturing. They have an exceptionally good understanding of therapeutic care and are highly skilled in building relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Consequently, the children are relaxed, safe and really trust the adults who care for them.

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outstanding

A therapeutic approach is taken from the point of referral. This offers the children the opportunity to build a secure emotional base as they receive well-planned and high-quality care from consistent adults. Children delight in their success and achievements are celebrated. One reviewing officer said, ‘[The child] is totally transformed, his progress has been absolutely astounding.’

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outstanding

Education is keenly promoted. Some children are initially home tutored, in line with agreed plans and expectations, to remove barriers to learning and to establish their stability at the home. This tailor-made approach enables them to reach their learning potential and most soon transfer to local schools.

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outstanding

Children’s participation is encouraged. They are involved in consultation about the day-to-day running of the home and are told of any changes, for example new children arriving at the home. Well-informed plans ensure that children’s needs are anticipated, and adults have the right information to welcome them when they arrive.

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outstanding

Plans for children leaving the home are highly effective. Consideration is given to a wide range of factors to support children to move at a time that is right for their therapeutic journey to conclude. Examples include thinking around the wider context of family dynamics. As a result, children receive well-planned care throughout their time at this home.

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outstanding

The staff demonstrate a wealth of safeguarding knowledge and skill. They understand contextual safeguarding and have been able to keep the children safe in some unpredictable and challenging circumstances in the community. Excellent communication with external safeguarding links further underpins the exemplary safeguarding practice at this home.

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outstanding

All the children describe feeling safe and know that they could go to any adult if they had a worry or concern. Clear risk-reduction plans contain all required information. Where risks are not fully shared with staff when children arrive, the staff team’s vigilance ensures that protective measures are quickly put into place. Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 4 Additional safeguards, such as electronic surveillance, are well thought out and regularly reviewed in agreement with placing authorities.

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outstanding

The adults’ knowledge of the children is substantial. Well-informed approaches to behaviour management result in the children learning to navigate big feelings and to gain a greater understanding of their emotions. A reflective approach is used to enable the children to participate in learning from their mistakes. ‘Mess up, miss outs’ are discussed between the children and the adults to agree ways forwards. As a result, the children are learning to negotiate and agree solutions to work through problems. This supportive and reflective culture encourages children to make progress and understand the impact of their own actions.

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outstanding

Partnership working between the staff team and other professionals is excellent. Staff are exceptionally keen to work with those who can help and support the progress that children make. This results in holistic working with families, too. A joined-up approach to life-story work means specially trained adults help the children to make sense of information about their lives. A social worker said, ‘Children are helped to make sense of their life stories. The adults have given them a secure base from which they can explore their life experiences.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager provides aspirational leadership with passion for child- focused outcomes. This is also modelled by the adults, including senior managers, who have embraced new ways of working and enjoyed seeing further improvements to the quality of care in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

New staff feel very well supported. They have found the induction and training thorough and informative and felt well prepared for working with the children. Regular supervision and annual appraisal ensure that adults are clear about the leaders and managers’ objectives. The ethos of striving for excellence is shared among the adults. Both long-serving and newer members of staff are clear about the home’s objectives and demonstrate a good understanding of delivering care in line with the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Comprehensive monitoring systems, and clear lines of accountability, provide an accurate overview of the service. The effectiveness of the service is rigorously scrutinised and reviewed. Feedback from the children, adults and key stakeholders is welcomed and used to further shape and guide development plans. Streamlining of the recording has resulted in clear records that provide another layer of safeguarding, as the children and adults’ movements around the home are clearly accounted for. Forensic exploration of records also seeks to identify trends that inform care plans and provide early opportunities to develop staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The physical environment of the home is unmistakably homely. The children’s rooms are personalised to their particular likes. Shared areas are clean and comfortable, and a wealth of games and toys are available throughout the home. Routine Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 5 servicing of equipment and regular emergency procedure checks further ensure that the premises are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have maintained high standards despite a challenging period. They work tirelessly to ensure that the children continue to receive optimum care and that the adults are well supported. Development plans include significant investment in training and home improvements. This is indicative of leaders and managers’ determination to exceed expectations through unmistakeably purposeful and focused practice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC029078 6

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC029078 7 to 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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