Children's home run by Kites Children Services Limited in Colchester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 1 SC029560 Registered provider: Kites Children Services Limited Interim 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 with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left on 7 September 2021. An interim manager is in place and is in the process of applying for registration with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 12 and 13 May 2021

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has addressed four out of the nine requirements raised at the full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector was aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the provider in response to the allegations were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the time of this inspection, five children were living at the home. Three children have left and five children have moved into the home since May 2021. Social workers confirmed that the manager made sure that thorough planning was in place. The children benefited from virtual tours of the home, tea visits and overnight stays before they moved in. As a result, children have a positive experience of arriving at the home and have settled well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children benefit from therapy sessions. Outreach workers plan activities, encourage hobbies and provide one-to-one time. Children have joined football clubs, started music lessons and take part in community activities. Community engagement increases the children’s social networks and their understanding of social settings.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are making steady progress with their education. They all have good attendance at school. Daily communication between the home and school staff ensures that the children benefit from a coordinated approach to their learning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children said that they like living at the home. However, they said that they sometimes find it challenging to live with others. Staff de-escalate disruptive incidents between the children. However, debriefs fail to consistently address the direct impact that children’s actions can have on others. As a result, opportunities to resolve differences and improve relationships are missed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff vacancies have been filled. Safe recruitment processes are comprehensive. This has helped to ensure that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements have been made to the home’s decor. The walls throughout the home have been redecorated and new carpets laid. However, the furniture in the bedrooms is of poor quality, unsteady and broken. Children’s bedrooms had considerable piles of personal belongings, clothes, toys and rubbish on the floor. The Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 3 bedrooms do not provide the children with a pleasant personal space that is calming or relaxing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Fire doors in the home require attention. One bedroom door was missing a fire strip. Another bedroom door’s lock was broken, so the child was unable to open it from the inside. The manager took action to replace the door lock during the inspection. However, both these deficiencies could reduce the effectiveness of fire safety measures.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are not consistently receiving supervision. Lack of supervision has meant that they have not been adequately supported to meet the children’s needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff use good relationships as a basis for managing behaviours. They use consequences, when necessary, that are restorative in nature. However, children’s individualised behaviour management plans are not amended after incidents. This leads to inconsistencies in how staff respond to the children’s behavioural needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managerial monitoring and oversight need improvement. There are gaps in the children’s risk assessments and shortfalls in the monitoring of incidents. This lack of managerial oversight reduces the opportunity for the leadership team to review incidents and take necessary action to keep children safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff provide support to children to help them maintain relationships with their families. Generally, feedback from parents, carers and social workers is positive. The manager is aware of some concerns raised by parents and is working with the parents and social workers to address these.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leadership and staff team recognise that there are areas that could be improved and understand the necessary improvements needed. Staff training has been arranged to develop staff’s knowledge of the therapeutic care model so that children can benefit from the quality of care as described in the statement of purpose. Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/05/2018 Full Good 25/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a clean, welcoming environment, maintain the garden and provide adequate bedroom furniture.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 April 2022

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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— 11 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 6 that staff help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider should use monitoring and review systems to review incidents and take necessary action to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 April 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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 11 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 7 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the staff deliver the therapeutic model stated.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 March 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the staff use positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision enables the staff to reflect on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC029560 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

Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 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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