Children's Home run by Pilgrims Corner Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473891 1 SC473891

p.1

Pilgrims Corner Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. Its statement of purpose states that it provides ongoing intensive individual attention, stability and support to children who have experienced disrupted development and multiple placement moves. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is currently vacant.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken in response to a series of notifications to Ofsted of incidents including self-harm, injuries to staff and significant property damage. In addition, Ofsted had been contacted by anonymous callers concerned that the staff do not have the requisite skills to effectively support and manage the behaviours of all of the children now living in the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The home has made little progress against requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection. Senior leaders have not sent Ofsted a response plan outlining how the organisation intends to meet the requirements from the last inspection.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The physical environment of the home has deteriorated. One child’s window was broken during an incident and remained boarded up four days after the incident in which it was broken. From the outside of the home, black bin liners were visible that had been used to temporarily cover the broken glass. One child in the home said this made them feel embarrassed to enter the house because they feel they are being judged by neighbours. Managers said that the delay in repair is due to a custom order for toughened glass which takes time to make up. A child spoke about all fragile items that used to be in communal areas being locked in the office. This meant that they had to request crockery and cutlery from staff for mealtimes. They Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473891 2 also kept personal items in their own room for safekeeping, as they did not feel the office was a safe space at the moment.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Admissions processes have failed to ensure that sufficient staff are trained in understanding and managing the behaviours of a child admitted to the home. Only a small proportion of the staff have had autism awareness training or behaviour management training specific to children with autism spectrum disorder. This means that there were no coherent strategies in place for managing the individual behaviour of all of the children who live in the home. The organisation is trying to offset this by increasing the numbers of staff in the home with relevant experience. It is also seeking to contract in external autism training for staff to increase their understanding. The staff’s lack of skills in working with children with autism spectrum disorder has contributed to the severity and frequency of incidents in the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Managers have not updated risk management strategies following incidents at the home. Managers have not supported staff to engage in analysis or learning following incidents. Managers have not used learning from incidents to enhance the staff’s ability to manage the incidents of challenging behaviour.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Managers have not developed any risk assessment or management strategy to deal with inappropriate language, or to set boundaries and expectations about relationships between children and staff. This leaves staff to develop their own approaches, which are sometimes contradictory. Lone-working arrangements have not been carefully considered or implemented. Physical intervention is identified as a strategy to manage behaviour, however staff lack confidence in implementing this.

p.2

This monitoring visit

One social worker said she was concerned about her child in placement. She only gets feedback about incidents from her child. Staff at the home do not keep her informed of all relevant incidents that have had an impact on her child.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Most staff do not have the knowledge or experience necessary to safely support all children living in the home. Children are experiencing levels of disturbance and distress that are having a negative impact on their well-being. Staff are feeling unsafe and have experienced physical assault. Staff retention is suffering, which makes it difficult to provide consistency of care for children at the home.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/11/2019 Full Good 30/01/2019 Full Good 25/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473891 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 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)) 05/04/2020

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)) 05/04/2020

p.3

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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 05/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473891 4 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each

p.3

Requirement Due date

child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(g)(i)(ii)) 05/04/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

These requirements are subject to compliance notices.

p.4

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.4

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 5, The Links, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7GQ

p.4

Inspector

Peter Jackson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473891 5 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.

p.4

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.5