Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 1 SC438648 Registered provider: Benecare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children with EBD (social and emotional difficulties). The home is operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2020.

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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 4 November 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on Ofsted’s 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 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: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 2 No additional enforcement action was taken following the most recent inspection, which was a monitoring visit conducted on 4 November 2020. The two compliance notices previously served under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 16 (statement of purpose) were judged as met and the provider was continuing to comply with the restriction of accommodation notice. This has since been allowed to expire on 16 December 2020 and Ofsted has not had cause to reissue it. Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/02/2019 Full Good 13/02/2018 Full Outstanding 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This inspection takes into account the total number of children who have lived in the home since the last inspection, some of whom have moved on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children only come to live at the home because of a carefully considered assessment and admissions process. This includes matching a child’s presenting needs with the skill set of the staff team and the thorough consideration of possible risks to a new child and others currently living in the home. Consequently, children are supported effectively and make progress in terms of their care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During this inspection period, children have moved in for a variety of reasons. One example of an emergency, short-term placement provided the child with a stable and nurturing experience to allow for his domestic situation to be resolved. As a result, this child benefited from the provision of a safe environment that removed the potential risks of his previous location.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff demonstrate a strong commitment to offering the best opportunities and experiences for the children. The inspector’s observations of staff practice showed their respect, openness and honesty in their approach to childcare. This helps the children to experience positive and secure relationships which provide a safe base from which to begin to rebuild their trust in adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regular consultation and one-to-one sessions show that staff listen to children. As a result, children have experienced and enjoyed a variety of activities and events, including organised play dates over the summer with school friends. Leaders fully appreciate the value for children to have opportunities to seek additional independent support. Consequently, the registered manager ensures that independent advocacy services for the children are provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are attuned to the specific development needs of the children. For example, targeted support is currently being provided to increase one child’s opportunities to build and sustain his social network and friendship group. This practice extends into the staff’s understanding of the importance of family relationships for the children. For example, staff fully consider the wider needs of important family members and tailor their support to ensure that regular and appropriate family time is achieved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s education is valued and supported by the staff. The registered manager advocates effectively with external professionals to ensure that children have access to education placements that suit their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In the event that a child’s care plan is changed by the local authority, necessary changes are made by the staff, keeping the needs of the child at the centre of their practice. In one example, where referral information lacked sufficient content, the registered manager made appropriate challenge to the local authority. Subsequently, he reviewed his own admissions practice to reduce the risk of further Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 5 occurrences. Although this resulted in disruption for the child by way of an unplanned ending, leaders shared their safeguarding concerns with appropriate external agencies to support the child to move on.

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

An impressive and varied programme of safeguarding training provides staff with the guidance and knowledge they need to help them to keep the children safe. Staff are able to speak knowledgeably about what they have learned, for example with regards to self-harm, risk-taking behaviour and lone working. Consequently, the risks of potential harm for the children and staff are reduced.

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

Staff supervision and team meetings are always punctuated by discussions about safeguarding. This results in staff routinely having their own roles and responsibilities held at the centre of their practice.

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

Since the last inspection, some children have not had any experience of staff using physical intervention techniques. For those children that have, such incidents are very well recorded and scrutinised by the registered manager to ensure that such use is appropriate. For other incident records, the same good level of scrutiny and monitoring is consistently applied. This practice ensures that the team continually questions itself on how complex and challenging situations are managed in the best interests of the children.

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

Risk management guidance is comprehensive and captures the concerns for individual children. Staff routinely use this effectively in their day-to-day work. In one instance, however, an avoidable incident occurred that involved an allegation made about an agency staff member that was attributed to their failure to follow care planning guidance for the child. Although clear investigative process concluded that the allegation was unfounded, the length and volume of all of the documents that staff are required to read and understand risks being a contributory factor to incidents occurring, particularly for agency staff.

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

Staff recruitment practice is generally sound and usually includes all required safer recruitment checks. In two instances, however, this was let down by avoidable omissions that undermine the safer recruitment process. One instance included a failure to scrutinise and verify a staff member’s full employment history and, in another case, an omission in a reference verification.

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

Children benefit from a well-maintained and safe environment. The main living areas are colourful and child-centred in the decor. However, the garden and upstairs communal space do not mirror this and lack the same level of consideration. Routine maintenance is conducted to ensure that the premises are safe. Risk assessments and actions are usually well managed. However, the routine checks do not include the loft. Children’s bedrooms are decorated to each child’s individual tastes and are clean and well furnished. Consequently, this home provides a safe space for the children, in which they can relax. Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong leader and role model. His aspirations for the children are shared by the staff. The child-focused approach is a team effort, and this is demonstrated in the care of the children. Together, team members ensure that they are providing children with opportunities to grow and develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation provides a comprehensive range of training opportunities for the staff, which includes specific training related to the individual needs of the children. The registered manager considers the staff’s skills as part of the matching and impact process when considering new children. Consequently, the children are cared for by skilled and trained staff who can meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal. Supervision encompasses a balanced agenda, covering areas of childcare practice and responsibilities, and the staff’s development and progression. However, on one occasion, the registered manager did not use the supervision session to fully discuss a safeguarding incident. This was a missed opportunity to support the member of staff to reflect on their practice. Appraisals acknowledge staff’s achievements and progress, as well as identifying continual professional development. Staff say that they are well supported. Consequently, they are motivated to provide the best care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear vision about the continuing development of the home. This is seen in his clear and structured development and action plan that identifies areas for improvement. The registered manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses. His current focus includes increasing his professional network and working in partnership with external agencies. His aim is to provide the children with greater opportunities to develop their social interactions and support them to integrate within the wider community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers’ monitoring is generally effective. This is undermined, however, by some areas that lack a thorough process and cumbersome paperwork. For example, the registered manager failed to ensure that all relevant childcare employment was checked and verified prior to the employment of two members of staff. In another example, the recording and investigation of an allegation were hindered by lengthy and repetitive paperwork. External monitoring, by way of an independent regulation 44 visitor, has been poor but this was recognised by leaders and managers. A new independent person has recently been appointed. The impact of this monitoring is yet to be determined. Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 7

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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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

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

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the verification of all references and also wherever possible, to ensure that for all employment involving children, verification is obtained for the reason the position ended. 31 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person must review the monitoring arrangements in place (in respect of regulation 44 and regulation 45) to include all necessary areas, so as to Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 8 ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person must ensure that agency staff are provided with the guidance and instruction they need to ensure that children receive continuity of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)

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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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Thatch Vine Farm, Stockers Hill, Boughton- under-Blean, Faversham, Kent ME13 9AB

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Inspector

Rebecca Fisher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC438648 10 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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