Children's Home run by Pilgrims Corner Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 1 SC390156 Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. At the time of this inspection, only one child was living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager in post since November 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 28 and 29 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on our website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 10 December 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2019 Full Good 07/08/2018 Full Good 31/07/2017 Full Good 15/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a good level of care and support to the young person. Because of this, he has made progress in all areas of his life. Staff have supported him to create a stable and settled period in his life.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Through dedicated key-work sessions and their day-to-day care, staff help the young person to understand the impact of his behaviours and to make better choices. Staff have been resilient and supportive in the context of some recent challenges. The young person is engaging with their support and he continues to make progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show a commitment to children’s education and effectively support the young person to prepare for his future. For example, he now has options for the coming academic year. He has a college place and has been supported to apply for an apprenticeship as well as applying for employment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of positive relationships. The young person has developed a trusting relationship with staff and consequently feels able to express himself clearly and openly. There is a strong relationship between those who support the young person. Professionals are complimentary of staff commitment to providing good care to the young person. Staff support the young person to maintain relationships with people who are important to him. Staff use one-to-one sessions with him to help him to reflect on any disappointments he may have because of changes in plans for contact with family.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are effective in helping the young person to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This has resulted in his involvement in a range of activities including regular attendance at the gym, walking and cycling. Staff are helping him to prepare for moving on and they encourage him to have a healthy diet, shop and cook for himself.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff welcome the views, wishes and feelings of the young person. These are well known, and he has several ways of expressing them including through one-to-one sessions and house meetings. With the support of staff, the young person has made it known where he wishes to live when he moves on from the home and professionals responsible for his plan have responded to this.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming in terms of staff and the young person. Staff create a friendly and welcoming environment. However, the communal spaces are markedly different from the high standard of decor in children’s rooms and this does not create a homely environment. There are plans in place to address this but these are not yet fully implemented. Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 4

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people’s safety and well-being are at the centre of care practice in this home. Clear and detailed risk assessments mean that staff understand areas of vulnerability for the young person and they know how to respond to keep him safe. Risk assessments and safety plans are updated in response to any new areas of concern. One-to-one sessions provide a space for the young person to understand dangers and how to make safer choices. This has led to the young person feeling increasingly safe, secure and well cared for.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

If children go missing from the home, staff respond quickly and efficiently. They maintain close communication with relevant professionals, including the local missing person liaison officer. The positive relationship with staff has led to the young person having a good understanding of bullying and how to report it. Staff have received a range of training relating to keeping children safe; this includes training on how to support and care for children who may be at risk of self-harm.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Clear and consistent boundaries are in place in this home. The young person is aware of the expectations around behaviour. This contributes to a feeling of well- being and security for the young person. He said that he feels safe.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Good safeguarding processes are in place and these help the young person to become increasingly safe. Staff know the home’s safeguarding procedures well and are able to put them into practice. Care plans and records are clear, detailed and well recorded. Staff ensure that any agreed actions from incidents are incorporated into these plans and that children get the support that they need to make progress.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are subject to a range of checks to make sure that they are suitable to work with vulnerable young people. However, in one example the recruitment process lacked rigour with regard to checking references and exploring any previous gaps in employment prior to them starting work in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted. However, he is committed to his role and has high expectations for the achievement of young people. For example, he has promoted post-16 education and the application for an apprenticeship to ensure that the young person has options for a career.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager took effective action to ensure that a plan was put in place to prepare the young person for independence. Staff are clear about what the young person needs to do and where he needs the most support. Good partnership working means that the young person knows the plans for his immediate future; he has been involved in this planning. This has led to him feeling valued and respected.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is effective in managing his staff. Regular supervision is in place which is detailed and reflective. Staff speak positively about the supervision that they receive and they value this. Managers are approachable and create a learning Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 5 culture that places emphasis on learning and development for staff. A structured induction is in place and staff speak positively about this. The higher frequency of supervision during this time provides new staff with the extra support that they need in order to learn and develop.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They have recognized that recent changes to the staff team mean that a number of staff are relatively inexperienced. They have put in place a rigorous induction and training package. This is having a positive impact and staff are working well together to provide good care to children. Regular team meetings allow space for staff to give their views and learn from each other.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers advocate well for children and work effectively in partnership with the professional network around the young person. This ensures the best possible all-round support to the young person. Because of this, some barriers to progress in relation to meeting the young person’s health needs and accessing education have been overcome and he is getting the resources and support that he needs in these areas.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers show a commitment to promoting equality and celebrating diversity. They have worked with staff to create information boards that promote difference, many of which have encouraged meaningful conversation that promotes openness and understanding. Staff and young people have benefited from this.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is achieving its stated aims and objectives to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people. However, the statement of purpose was last reviewed in October 2020. Significant changes have occurred within the staffing of the home and this document has not been kept under review and provided to Ofsted as required. Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 6 .

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 30 September

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that suitable references are received prior to the start of employment and that verification includes exploration of reasons for leaving previous employment, particularly where this employment involved the care of children and young people. 30 September

p.6

Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes 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) In particular, bring the communal areas of the home in line with the high standards of décor in the children’s personal bedrooms. Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 7

p.6

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: SC390156 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 185 Sea Street, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 8JY

p.8

Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC390156 9 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.

p.8

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 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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9