Children's Home run by Kites Children Services Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 1 Registered provider: Kites Children Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of two children’s homes and a school operated by a private provider. The home provides specialist therapeutic care and treatment for up to six children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since 2016.

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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.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2019 Full Good 14/08/2018 Full Good 28/11/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have positive relationships with the children. They know the children well and understand their individual needs. Staff understand the therapeutic model of care that is embedded in practice. Staff are nurturing and provide good care for children, who feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from regular therapy sessions. They also have access to an outreach team that is independent from the staff. Regular therapy helps the children to process difficult experiences and emotions safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage the children to participate in clubs and leisure activities that the children enjoy. Children attend a weekly activity club and enjoy orienteering and team-building experiences with other children. The children have been on a summer holiday. One child is being supported to join a youth club, to help him make friends. Children benefit greatly from these new experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are good role models and have helped children to build essential independent living skills. Children, who are old enough, manage a weekly budget for food and essential items. Children cook for themselves regularly and can make a range of meals. Staff have helped the children to use public transport and one child is preparing to learn to drive. Building practical life skills helps to ensure that children are prepared for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is spacious and welcoming and feels like a family home. There are photos of the children, children’s artwork and awards that the children have achieved displayed around the home. The children have use of a separate building for family visits and key-worker sessions with the staff. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their own tastes. The children are relaxed at the home and benefit from a well- kept and homely environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to engage with their education. Three of the children attend the school linked to the home and one child attends college. The children have high levels of attendance and are progressing well in education. One child who was about to be permanently excluded is now engaging with school well. However, the manager has not ensured that there is an up-to-date education, health and care plan for one child. This child’s education review has been significantly delayed. Consequently, the staff do not have all the relevant details to ensure that they are supporting children towards their individual education goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has ensured that the children’s health needs are met. Children attend regular routine health appointments. However, the manager has not ensured that a medical practitioner has agreed which non-prescribed medicine is appropriate for the children. This could result in children being administered unsuitable medication. Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 4

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

Children are safeguarded by the staff and they feel safe at the home. The manager has ensured that the staff have the appropriate training and that they understand the safeguarding procedures. The staff are confident and equipped to manage safeguarding incidents, which helps to keep the children safe.

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

The manager ensures that regular case reviews are held about the children’s care. The managers, therapists, teachers and key workers involved with the child attend reviews. The staff use case reviews to monitor children’s progress in therapy and review their risks. This oversight provides a holistic approach and ensures that risks are evaluated to ensure that they keep children safe.

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

There has been one incident of a child going missing from the home. The staff managed this incident very well. They warmly welcomed the child back to the home. The child felt listened to and there have been no further incidents.

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

The manager has a location risk assessment. However, the manager has not considered the risks associated with a local train station or asked relevant professionals for their views. This fails to consider all the local risks and could leave children vulnerable.

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

The manager has not ensured that children have individualised behaviour support plans. Therefore, staff are not clearly guided to consistently manage behaviour. This does not support the children to manage complex behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified for the role, with a relevant diploma in management. The manager has high aspirations for children. He acts as a good role model for the staff, who benefit from the manager’s guidance and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that the manager is supportive and approachable. They have regular and effective supervision meetings. Staff are qualified to a level 3 and have opportunities to work towards the level 4 or level 5 diploma. Staff feel confident to meet children’s needs and benefit from ongoing professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff access specific training to enable them to meet the children’s individual needs. This has included bespoke training workshops that are delivered by managers. The staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and use this to support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a range of monitoring tools to review the effectiveness of the home. He uses information from reviews to develop and implement an action plan. The manager continually makes improvements to the home and the quality of care for the children. Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 5 The manager has not ensured that the children’s records are always accurate. One incident report did not have all the relevant information. On one occasion, staff had a debrief, after an incident, that was not recorded. Records are not always accurate and this can make them difficult to understand. Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s education, health and care plans are accessible, in date and that all education targets are integrated into the home’s education support plans. 24 November

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)) 24 November Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 7 In particular, ensure that the children have individualised behaviour support plans, and that the staff implement the plans.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all non-prescribed medicines are administered in line with an approved protocol. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording and that all relevant information is recorded in children’s records. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should review the risk of a nearby train station and include the views of relevant professionals in the home’s location risk assessment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: 1230268 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kites Children Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, Langham, Colchester CO4 5PX

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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