Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 1 SC465579 Registered provider: Benecare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children. Its statement of purpose states that it ‘accommodates children between the ages of 8 and 18 with emotional or challenging difficulties’ (social and emotional difficulties).

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2 December 2021.

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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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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, three children have lived in the home. One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 28 January 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

No additional enforcement action was taken following the last monitoring visit on 25 February 2021. That visit was conducted to examine the arrangements for the day- to-day management of the home and review progress since the previous visit in November 2020, which found that the compliance notice had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2020 Full Good 11/03/2019 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager demonstrates a clear understanding of the children’s needs, which is used to provide them with the best opportunities and experiences. This is shown by the decision for the planned move for one child to another home operated by the provider, therefore providing the remaining child with individual, intensive support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff. These relationships provide a safe and open environment for children to experience care from staff who are attentive and familiar with their needs. This allows children to feel valued, respected and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively listen to the children and involve them in their care and plans. This is a strength and demonstrates how children are valued and central to the work that staff do. Complaints are taken seriously, and children are listened to. Staff understand the reporting process, which results in children’s concerns being referred to and managed by the appropriate person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand that the child’s previous school experiences of the child currently living in the home, have not always been positive. Their creative support of using different platforms has helped him to explore a wide variety of opportunities. The staff’s sensitive and consistent approach provides a healthy and supportive routine that encourages him to re-engage with learning. This has resulted in an individualised programme that promotes his passion for music and media studies. The child’s social worker stated: ‘The staff have gone above and beyond to support his learning.’ This approach has boosted the child’s self-esteem and provided him with opportunities for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively involve the children in making decisions about their day-to-day care, activities, meals and other matters that affect them. The level of one-to-one support and consultation gives the children the opportunity to explore a variety of subjects. This has supported one child to be able to access therapeutic support and understand the importance of re-engaging with external services. This consistent approach from staff provides the security for children to grow and develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance for children to move on from the home positively. Children are involved in these plans and their views and wishes influence these. One child’s recent move to another home operated by the provider included the wishes that he expressed to involved professionals. Although quick, this move was managed through a structured plan of visits to the new home, as well as opportunities for a positive ending at his current one. In another example, the staff are carefully planning a child’s next move to avoid the risk of a series of moves and unplanned endings, so that the child has a positive experience of change. Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 5

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

Children say that they feel safe, and that they like the staff and the care that they receive. Staff demonstrate good safeguarding practice by following clear procedures when incidents occur. Their consultation with professional agencies is effective and positive for the children.

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

Children are safeguarded by staff who are well informed. Clearly documented risk assessments provide staff with guidance and support to manage risks in their day- to-day work. The manager’s overview of risk management has led to a waking night staff member being used to support the child during the night. This provides the support currently needed by the child and gives him a stronger sense of safety at night-time.

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

Staff actively look for children when they are missing from the home. Staff work in partnership with the local police to create effective protocols and plans. Managers closely monitor the staff’s responses and the records of these incidents. Other risks, such as self-harm, are also well understood by the staff, who respond appropriately. Other professionals speak positively of how the children are kept safe.

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

The staff provide good behaviour support for the children, who are helped to understand their own behaviours through detailed debriefs. This practice allows opportunities for learning and to build behaviour strategies. Consequently, children are developing resilience and coping processes to better deal with feelings of conflict or difficulty. The registered manager reviews and monitors all incidents. However, support for the staff following serious incidents has been limited. This does not provide the staff with the space and time to reflect on pivotal learning opportunities.

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

The registered manager considers multiple factors of potential risks associated with the local area. These are also considered for individual children and their associated risks. Therefore, well-informed staff provide safe care and protection for the children. This has allowed a measured and considered plan that enables one child to be able to access space and time outside the home safely.

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

The staff keep the home in good order. Children and staff are kept safe by appropriate environmental checks and measures being in place. This is undermined, however, by staff not providing the same scrutiny when visitors come to the home. This shortfall leaves children and staff at risk of unknown adults being in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff are passionate and child-centred. The development plan shows the manager’s oversight and sets out what is required to improve standards in the home and the team’s professional development. The registered manager sees this as a way of maintaining positive staff morale and staff retention to provide the children with an improved environment and a stable and Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 6 consistent staff team. These improvements follow an unsettled and disrupted journey for the home since the previous full inspection. There is now a calmer, more measured approach by senior leaders to bring about continuing stability for the children and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular supervision ensures that staff are clear about their goals. This provides opportunities for the staff to reflect on their practice, receive well-being support and enhance their professional development. In one example, however, there was a missed opportunity to provide reflection and learning from a specific incident. The organisation provides a comprehensive range of training opportunities for staff, which includes specific training related to the individual needs of the children. Consequently, children benefit from staff who understand their needs and can keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meetings are an important communication arena and are used effectively by the staff. The manager demonstrates good leadership with the range and context of these meetings. The manager and staff maintain a professional approach when communicating with the wider network. They work in partnership with people who are important to the children, and this benefits them by providing them with a consistent experience of care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment practice is routinely followed well. One example of strong practice includes the manager’s action in undertaking retrospective checks. She identified an administrative gap when a staff member moved to this home from another home in the organisation. This practice demonstrates a diligent approach to monitoring and rectifying omissions. However, another example includes shortfalls in respect of identification document checks and non-matching of addresses that were not fully resolved prior to employment. This inconsistency demonstrates that safer recruitment practice remains variable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management monitoring processes and staff practice are sometimes hindered by outdated and confusing policy and procedural guidance. In one example, there is no guidance in respect of managing visitors to the home and the medication policy does not clearly state who can administer medication to the children. Although no direct harm has come to children, the poor quality of these two policies is indicative that a wider review of all such guidance is necessary. Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 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 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should undertake a review of all policy and procedures and ensure that these are up to date and accurate. 28 February 2022

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

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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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that identification document checks are completed and verified for all staff and that they correlate across all documentation. 28 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC465579 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person must have systems in place to ensure that records demonstrate that all staff receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC465579 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 for children’s home: SC465579 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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