Children's home run by Medway Council

Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 1 Registered provider: Medway County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home’s statement of purpose states that the home provides short breaks for up to five children, aged from five to 18, with a diagnosed learning disability or a learning disability with physical disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 31 July 2020.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 3

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improvement to be good

The staff do not always have access to the children’s individual communication aids or devices as recorded in their relevant plans. Furthermore, they do not have access to electronic programs or systems to assist them in creating communication tools such as social stories or Picture Exchange Communication System symbols. There is also little evidence of the staff or the manager directly liaising with educational providers to discuss sharing communication aids when children stay at the home and still go to school. This significant shortfall restricts the children’s ability to communicate in their preferred way and is not acceptable.

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improvement to be good

The staff have beautifully and creatively designed themed bedrooms for the children to stay in when they visit. They encourage the children to choose a bedroom they like when they arrive and support them to unpack their belongings. The children’s bedroom furniture is appropriately safe and feels homely and comfortable. This helps the children to settle into their environment, make choices and be ready for an enjoyable stay.

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improvement to be good

The staff have a good knowledge of the children’s interests, likes and dislikes. There is a large and well-organised toy cupboard with plenty of games and sensory toys. The home also has a well-equipped soft play and sensory room. One child was seen using these facilities and engaging with the staff through this play. The children have a fun time when they visit and have lots to keep them busy and stimulated.

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improvement to be good

The staff help the children to make steady progress. They understand how best to support the children with their targets and sensitively do so. In one example, the staff used a doll to model gentle hair washing. This was to encourage one child in practising their hair-washing skills. The child is now enjoying bath time, and this has also promoted their positive relationships with the staff.

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improvement to be good

The staff support the children’s families well. When families need more support, the staff and manager are there to listen and offer practical solutions. One child has received more overnight stays, and staff have supported one parent to attend a healthcare appointment with their child. The staff work closely with families and professionals for children on child protection plans. This way of working helps the children and families in need receive protective and child-centred care.

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improvement to be good

The staff have created personalised food profiles for the children. This helps the cook to prepare suitable and nutritious meals while being aware of the children’s known allergies and cultural needs. This means the children have a safe stay and receive a home-from-home experience. On the first night of the inspection, the children and staff enjoyed a halal chicken curry together. Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 4 The manager and staff work collaboratively with social care professionals. There is clear communication and partnership working to help support local authority placement plans for the children. However, the shortfall with regards to communication aids is a barrier. Overall, the children progress with much of their plans and agreed targets. Actions are consistently reviewed and, in time, evidently met. One social worker said, ‘The staff support the children, providing tailored care

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improvement to be good

to meet the individual needs of the child.’

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improvement to be good

The staff endeavour to ensure that each child is introduced to the home at a speed that they can cope with. The staff are sensitive to the need to carefully plan admissions, particularly when bearing in mind each child’s learning difficulty, health needs and abilities to comprehend and cope with change.

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improvement to be good

The staff are trained in physical de-escalation techniques, and the manager has recently secured additional training for the staff team, which is planned to start early in 2022. This additional training is, in part, a response to staff saying that they often feel vulnerable in managing some of the children’s behaviours that challenge them. On occasion, the staff call parents and carers to collect the children when they feel unable to safely manage the situation.

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improvement to be good

The children’s plans clearly identify positive and proactive strategies for the staff to use to help the children enjoy their stay. However, it is not clear how the staff support the children to manage their unwelcome behaviours, or the strategies staff are to use when a child may need physical help or intervention. There is a lack of shared information and plans from the children’s education provisions to support the more complex needs of children in receiving a similar approach to their behaviour management.

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improvement to be good

The staff are not planning or routinely practising night-time fire drills or evacuations for the children when they stay. One child’s personal evacuation plan has not been reviewed in accordance with their current staffing levels. It is not clear how one member of staff would safely support the child to leave the building in the event of a fire. This presents avoidable risks to everyone’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices for the staff lack professional curiosity and show poor managerial oversight. The inspector found some shortfalls in practice, including unexplored gaps in staff employment histories, and unverified and unsuitable references. This presents unnecessary and unexplored risks to both the children and the staff.

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good

There have been significant changes in the leadership and management arrangements in this home since the last monitoring visit, conducted on 2 March Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 5 2021. The new manager stepped up from the deputy manager position in July 2021. Senior leaders have not yet recruited a new deputy manager and there are no current plans to do so. This is having a detrimental impact on the manager’s ability to have full oversight and monitoring of the home. The inspector found shortfalls in the regular review of health and safety actions and subsequent risk management plans. These omissions have not yet directly had an impact on the quality of care for the children but could do if left unaddressed by the manager.

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good

The new manager is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted and plans to submit her application shortly. The staff say the new manager has made a significant difference to the home. They say she is visible, hardworking and demonstrates a clear understanding and knowledge of the children she provides care for. The manager is committed to developing a culture of continuing improved outcomes for the children.

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good

Staffing levels and staff retention have improved since the last monitoring visit. Although there are still some gaps in recruitment, the children are currently receiving consistent care from familiar staff. There have been no incidents of the children’s arranged overnight stays being cancelled due to shortages in the staff team.

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good

The training available to the staff is suitable and meets the needs of all the children. Managers have sourced additional training, such as in Signalong, when staff feel this would be beneficial to individual children. The staff have recently all attended training in safeguarding children with disabilities. This has helped the staff to understand contextualised safeguarding risks and vulnerabilities for children with additional needs. On the day of the inspection, the staff responded to safeguarding questions appropriately and were clear on procedures to follow in the event of a concern.

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good

The independent monitoring visits to the home lack rigour and challenge, and the scope of the visits is limited. It is not clear if visits to the home are announced or unannounced and often the manager is left with few or no recommendations for improvement. The independent visitor frequently visits the home when the children are not present, and the children are not observed or spoken to as part of these visits. Consequently, the children’s views, wishes and feelings are not always evident in these reports. Nor does the independent visitor consult with external agencies and professionals to gain their views on the quality of the care that the children receive. Collectively, this provides a narrow scope of independent assurance and makes it difficult for the regulator to monitor the home effectively in between inspections.

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good

Staff supervision and appraisal frequency is not in line with what is recorded in the home’s statement of purpose. There have been significant gaps in supervision for the staff. Although the staff told the inspector they feel well supported, this is a missed opportunity to formally meet with staff to discuss role-related themes and review their professional development. The inspector found several blank and Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 6 unsigned supervision and appraisal forms for the staff in their personal development folders.

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good

The manager responds to complaints quickly. However, it is not clear how she reaches conclusions before informing complainants of her findings. The investigations carried out by the manager do not include all areas of practice and, in one example, only staff interviews were used to draw conclusions. There is no formal way or structure of recording complaints in the home. This leads to messy documentation, with no clear outcome or action statements as to whether the complaint has been resolved. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to use complaints to improve services for children and their families. Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 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

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

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)) 10 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 10 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 8 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure the staff have clear plans for how to support the children when their behaviours escalate into crisis management. These strategies should be a factor in night-time arrangements where risk assessment permits.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure a clear chronology of events in response to a complaint and evidence how a conclusion or outcome has been reached. 10 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 9 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 10 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 10 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

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 10 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 10 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure all actions and recommendations from external contractors, such as fire and water agencies, are appropriately dealt with and managed effectively.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager is to ensure that children have access to their communication aids, methods and devices at all times and in accordance with their relevant plans. 10 January 2022

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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 for children's home: 2571557 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Medway County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Medway ME4 4TR

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Inspector

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2571557 12 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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