Children's home run by Kent County Council

Information about this children’s home

This local authority owned 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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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since 29 September 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Judgement not given

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: 2536967 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

Young people have had variable experiences during their stays. The interim manager did not follow the admissions procedure that is described in the home’s statement of purpose. The admissions procedure describes careful planning, in-depth assessment and working in close partnership with families and professionals. However, the two young people who have stayed in this home have not fully experienced this joined- up way of working.

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The care of children

The interim manager and senior team leader have not produced plans and records that give a clear picture of the young people’s needs. Nor have they provided the staff with guidance on interventions to support these needs. In some instances, where the young people’s needs have been identified, there are no strategies in place for the staff to meet these needs. For example, the dietary needs of one young person are not being met due to a lack of a healthy eating plan. Consequently, the risk of the young people receiving inconsistent care is significantly increased.

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The care of children

Leaders have not considered what mechanisms they will use to record the young people’s progress during their stays. This is a missed opportunity for the staff team to work with the young people, parents, carers and other involved agencies, to agree on goals and targets that are meaningful and helpful to the young people’s growth and development. Anecdotal information is positive, however. The manager has noticed a reduction in the frequency and severity of challenging incidents for one young person, who is now starting to make positive choices. As a result, the young person is experiencing some outings with purpose. This has helped the staff to build trusting relationships with the young person and shows their commitment in responding to the young person’s immediate wants and desires.

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The safety of children

The current arrangements for one young person are contributing to the provision of a safe environment. The ongoing input from registered nurses, mental health support workers and high staffing/supervision ratios reduces the potential risks associated with the young person’s complex needs and vulnerabilities. However, the absence of clarity in the care planning guidance for this young person does create unnecessary and avoidable room for error. The interim manager and senior team leader do describe thoughtful and sensitive care practices, but they are unable to demonstrate how these are shared with the staff team and, therefore, monitored to ensure consistency and safety for the young person.

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The safety of children

The format used for positive behaviour support plans is messy and confusing because columns do not line up. This gives a misleading picture of what the staff are Assurance visit report: 2536967 3 expected to do to support a young person. Although the statement of purpose refers to the use of ‘functional analysis’, this has not been used to underpin one young person’s positive behaviour support plan. Consequently, the staff are not following informed assessments.

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The safety of children

Written records demonstrate that any use of physical intervention by the staff has been appropriate, and for the minimum time necessary. However, the management oversight and scrutiny of such records is inconsistent. This shortfall means that the provider cannot be fully convinced that physical intervention is always used in accordance with the prescribed guidance and the individual young person’s needs.

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Leaders and managers

Senior leaders have not ensured that the service has so far been delivered in accordance with the aims and objectives described in the statement of purpose. The model of care and the intended outcomes for the young people who have stayed at the home so far are not fully understood by the staff team. These shortfalls are exacerbated by a management structure that is not fully effective or embedded. There is an interim manager in place, but this does not provide the focus and permanence that is needed. Consequently, the lack of clarity and understanding about the intended purpose of the service means that senior leaders are unable to convincingly monitor this provision and be assured of its quality and success.

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Leaders and managers

Although the statement of purpose describes a well-thought-out admissions criteria and procedure, this has not always been used in practice. For example, a copy of one young person’s education, health and care plan was not obtained until this was prompted by the inspectors. The failure to obtain this document prior to the young person moving in was a missed opportunity to gain valuable and relevant information. This document included key methods, resources and strategies for supporting the young person, as well as a list of their likes and dislikes. Knowing this information early on could have improved the experience of moving in for the young person.

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Leaders and managers

Staff team members have a range of qualifications, and some staff are currently undertaking relevant training. However, the overall picture of the staff team’s qualifications and skills, when viewed against the statement of purpose, does show gaps. This starts with a lack of clarity from the workforce development plan which does not identify the training/skill needs of the team, nor how any gaps will be addressed. There is no obvious formula in place to map the staff’s current qualifications against the required diplomas, and it is not always clear if all staff are suitably trained for the specific needs of the young people, such as epilepsy and autism. Leaders and managers are, therefore, unable to demonstrate that the workforce has the necessary training, skills and competencies that are required to deliver against the statement of purpose, to meet the needs of the young people who may use the service.

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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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 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

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)) 17/01/2021 Assurance visit report: 2536967 5 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—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h)) 17/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i) 17/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; 17/01/2021 Assurance visit report: 2536967 6 seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(1)(a)(i)(ii)) 17/01/2021

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  Staff should have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. Staff should understand that they have a responsibility to observe, notice and

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Recommendations

respond to children who are expressing their views, acknowledging that it is not the sole responsibility of the child to ‘tell’. They should also understand how children might communicate their feelings through their behaviour, or non- verbally especially where the child has a disability which does not allow them to communicate as others might. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10) Assurance visit report: 2536967 7

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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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Inspectors:

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Lee Kirwin, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance visit report: 2536967 8 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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Inspectors:

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Inspectors:

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Inspectors:

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Inspectors:

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