Children's home run by Kent County Council

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536967 1

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Kent County Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home was registered in December 2019. According to its statement of purpose, it is a specialist service that delivers support for up to three young people, male or female, aged 13 to 18 years who demonstrate complex and challenging behaviour. The aim is to provide a period of intervention and support to young people for up to 10 weeks before they return home to their families.

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This monitoring visit

Following the home being registered in December 2019, its first scheduled inspection was deferred, in accordance with Ofsted’s response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s performance since registration, in terms of children’s safety, well-being and experiences. No judgement is made from this visit. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this monitoring inspection was conducted using off-site activities.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no young people living in this home since it was registered in December 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Significant leadership changes have occurred since the home was first registered. The registered manager is not currently in day-to-day charge. Suitable interim management arrangements are in place, and the interim manager has given an undertaking to make an application to register with Ofsted. Staff say they feel well- supported by senior staff. They have received regular supervision throughout the lockdown period. Senior leaders have used this time, without having young people to care for, to focus on staff training.

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This monitoring visit

Core training has focused on keeping children safe. Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of safeguarding procedures and whom to report a safeguarding concern. Senior leaders described some challenges in providing all of the necessary training for staff, in particular, in respect to courses that are usually delivered face- Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536967 2 to-face. Although this issue is easing, there is no workforce development plan. Consequently, it is difficult to establish that there is a clear strategy and plan to ensure that every member of staff is on an appropriate learning and development journey. In addition, not all staff possess the required Level 3 Diploma and the absence of a workforce development plan makes it difficult to establish that leaders have sufficient plans in place for this.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose and children’s guide lacks sufficient details in how the staff will directly work with the young people. For example, there is a lack of description in how the staff will communicate with non-verbal young people, including the level of physical interventions staff are trained in to keep young people safe. Other policy and procedural guidance, such as behaviour management guidance, also lacks prescriptive detail, in particular, how to promote a positive environment for the young people. This has the potential to result in inconsistent practice by the staff, which could be confusing and unsettling for the young people.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders demonstrated a transparent and open approach during this inspection. This included an assurance that the shortfalls identified will be prioritised prior to the acceptance of referrals for a place in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536967 3

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536967 4

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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 registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)) 21/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

(b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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

The relevant date is— 17/01/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536967 5 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; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (1)(3)(b)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 21/08/2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the homes Statement of Purpose; detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations including the quality standards’, page 53,

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Recommendations

 The children’s guide should help children to understand: Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536967 6 what the day to day routines of the home are (‘what happens in the home’); the Statement of Purpose of the home (the care they can expect to receive while living there); how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure; how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible; and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

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Recommendations

As part of reviewing and revising where appropriate the Statement of Purpose (regulation 16(3)(a)), the registered person should review and update the children’s guide as necessary, and make sure children are given an explanation of any changes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22, 4.23)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the arrangements for the safety of any young people who have been accommodated since the home first registered and to seek evidence to demonstrate that the setting remains ready to accept referrals for placements.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kent County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kent County Council, Sessions House, County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ

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Inspector:

Kelly Monniot, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536967 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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

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