Children's home run by We Are Beams in Sevenoaks

Inspection report children's home: SC435152 1 SC435152 Registered provider: We Are Beams Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a charity. It provides overnight short breaks for children with learning disabilities and/or complex needs. Currently, 46 children are registered to use the short-breaks service, with six children able to use the service at any time.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 19 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC435152 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/12/2018 Full Inadequate 29/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC435152 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Warm and welcoming staff support the children’s short stays at this home and, as a result, children enjoy being here. The wide range of activities available to children means that their social and emotional development is continuous. Staff support children to grow vegetables in the large garden and to cook together, according to their abilities. Children and staff play games together and enjoy day trips out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the needs of the children. Detailed support plans mean that health, social and dietary needs are well known and met. For example, staff provide halal and lactose-free food. Staff use a variety of communication methods to ensure that all children are involved in their own care. This includes the use of symbols, pointing and gestures as well as speech, which allow children to make their preferences clear.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the education of the children. They work with the children’s schools and parents to ensure that children continue to make progress while on their short stay. Staff support children with homework-based activities and projects. Staff also respond to requests from parents for their child to continue specific activities while at the home that support their development, such as karate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a good process in place for the management and storage of medication. Stringent procedures on receiving medication into the home and later administration of this medication means that there are no errors. Staff are trained in the administration of medication and need to have demonstrated competence before being allowed to administer it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have created an environment where children feel relaxed and able to give their views about the care that they receive. House meetings are regular, helping to ensure that children have opportunities to express their wishes and feelings, for example, activities that they might wish to do during their short stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents are complimentary about the home. One parent said that they have always been extremely happy with the home and they are confident that staff care well for their child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good relationships between staff, parents and other professionals. Staff provide parents with reports on how their child has been while staying at the home and parents appreciate these updates. Information is passed between the home, parents and school to ensure that any developments about a child are known.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers attend meetings about children held by the local authority and this gives them the opportunity to provide information for, and be involved in, the development of children’s plans. Inspection report children's home: SC435152 4

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improvement to be good

A detailed safeguarding policy is in place and managers update this regularly. The policy covers all relevant areas of safeguarding, including how to report concerns about senior managers. Managers inform staff of any safeguarding updates by email and in team meetings. However, staff have not understood the most recent update about who to speak to when there are concerns about the responsible individual, and some confusion among staff remains.

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improvement to be good

Detailed risk assessments are in place and managers ensure that they are regularly updated. Staff review the risk assessments and support plans to ensure they are familiar with individual support needs, particularly if a child has not been there for a while. This ensures that children receive the best possible, and safe, care. A 1:2 staffing ratio enables staff to provide safe and effective care to children. When needed, in consultation with the local authority and parents, staff can provide 1:1 care.

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improvement to be good

Children who stay at the home do not go missing. When, on one occasion, a child absconded from the home, staff followed and returned with the child. Children who self-harm have an individual risk assessment with control measures to address this and meet their needs. Plans are clear on how to respond when children are anxious or upset.

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improvement to be good

Staff know how to manage difficult behaviour. Staff use time out as a sanction, or request that a child apologises to others where appropriate. The management of behaviour is consistent and this contributes to a feeling of well-being and security for children.

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improvement to be good

While managers and staff take pride in the presentation of the home, there is damage to a freezer, which could affect the quality of the food provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure high standards of individualised care to all children who use the home. They ensure that risk assessments and support plans are reviewed and updated as required, leading to focused care and support to the children. Leaders and managers work closely with parents, schools and local authorities to ensure that they all have high expectations around the achievement of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have reviewed the skills and abilities of staff and, as a result, they are used in several ways. For example, one member of staff leads on the garden and growing things, so that children learn where their food comes from, and another leads on health and fitness. However, all staff are involved in these areas to ensure that the children receive a consistent message. Inspection report children's home: SC435152 5 It is not clear whether safer recruitment processes are consistently followed. There is a lack of information on whether managers have verified staff references. Records do not evidence when interviews have been held with staff. This lack of clarity and oversight by managers and leaders regarding the implementation of safe recruitment practices means that children could potentially be placed at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers take effective action in respect of individual plans for children and their progress. They work with relevant partners to address concerns about children’s behaviours, to support their progress. When leaders and managers put a hold on a child’s stay at the home due to their behaviour, this is usually only temporary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported. They receive training that meets their individual development needs as well as training specific to working with children. Staff receive regular supervision and their annual appraisals are of a good standard. The appraisal cycle includes the manager, who has clearly identified development goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers recognise the impact of COVID-19 on the staff team and have ensured their access to well-being facilities. They also understand the impact on families who have not been able to access all the activities and schemes ordinarily available to them. Leaders and managers have clear plans in place to resume some of these schemes to re-engage children and families. Inspection report children's home: SC435152 6

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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 which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to a policy where staff are enabled to learn and understand the process in the event of an allegation against senior managers. 31 July 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home complies with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene, etc); however, in doing so, the home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report children's home: SC435152 7

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Allsworth Court, 38-40 St Davids Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 7RJ

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Tracey Riley, Robin Adams

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Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC435152 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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