Children's home run by Kent County Council in Maidstone

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068511 1 SC068511 Registered provider: Kent County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is a purpose-built home that is run by a local authority. It offers a short-break service for up to six children who have learning and/or physical disabilities. It currently offers short breaks to 45 children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2016.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC068511 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/03/2020 Full Outstanding 22/01/2019 Full Outstanding 23/01/2018 Full Outstanding 15/02/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC068511 3

p.2

inadequate

There has been a lack of reaction and response to several fire risk assessments that identify a failing in fire doors. This has had a significant impact on the overall experience of children due to the potentially significant risk of harm.

p.3

inadequate

Children benefit from a thorough assessment of their needs. Clear planning of short- break stays ensures that there are sufficient staff with appropriate qualifications to meet the complex needs of the children. There has been one occasion where a child was moved into the home outside the home’s conditions of registration and stayed for over one hundred nights. The registered manager was not in agreement with this decision.

p.3

inadequate

Children’s progress is well recorded and this is kept under constant review by staff and leaders. Individual targets are reviewed following every third stay to ensure that children are still being appropriately supported to make progress. Staff demonstrate an understanding of children’s needs and are sensitive about how they provide individualised care to children.

p.3

inadequate

Children are afforded a wide range of activities on a day-to-day basis. Children are encouraged to explore playrooms, toys and games, and garden areas. These provide appropriate levels of stimulation and provide varied activities to children. Children also have access to trips and activities that they have not been able to do previously. One child who wanted to be able to ice skate was supported to do this.

p.3

inadequate

Children’s views are well understood and gathered regularly. However, the impact of children’s views on the running of the home is difficult to assess. There is opportunity to discuss this in team meetings, but the recording and the discussion does not evidence any action that has been taken.

p.3

inadequate

Families talk positively about the experiences that the children have and their working relationship with staff. One parent commented that, for her child and her family, access to the service was like a warm hug that enabled both her and her child to feel calm.

p.3

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

There have been three separate fire safety assessments carried out in July 2021, October 2021 and March 2022. The outcome of these has been an increasing deficiency with the fire doors throughout the home. In the March 2022 report, it had been identified that there are 73 non-compliant issues affecting 36 doors. At the time of the inspection, no action had been undertaken to address this significant shortfall. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068511 4 On review of individual children’s risk assessments, there are 10 children whose personal emergency evacuation plan states to stay in their rooms behind two fire doors. Some children have agreed evacuation plans which clearly state that their fire doors will offer protection while evacuation is taking place. Given the potentially compromised nature of the fire doors, this puts the children at significant risk of harm.

p.3

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

Despite this, staff manage challenging behaviour well. Staff use a range of effective approaches to help children develop and maintain positive behaviours. Incidents are carefully reported and there is good oversight by the registered manager. However, there have been situations where the registered manager has led physical interventions and there has been no subsequent debrief as required. This means that any learning from these incidents is not captured and it is not clear if there is appropriate oversight from senior managers.

p.4

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

The individual risks and vulnerabilities of the children are well understood and the plans to guide staff are effective. Moving and handling plans for children are written to maintain the dignity of children and encourage staff to be sensitive to children’s individual needs. Staff display a caring and protective attitude towards the children and talk with confidence about risks and how to manage them.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management of the home have failed to ensure that the home is safely maintained. This is a critical failure of the provider, the responsible individual and the registered manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is experienced and committed to the children, the staff and the home. Her knowledge and understanding of children and staff is noteworthy, as is her role as an advocate for children who are moving on.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager was unable to effectively challenge senior leaders about a child placed in the home. This child was placed outside of the home’s registration conditions. The child was primarily looked after by agency staff due to the lack of permanent staff able to do so. This further demonstrates a lack of effective management and oversight of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

However, staff report being well supported and there is continued supervision provided. There has been a renewed induction plan introduced, and this allows new staff to fully understand the demands of the role and enables them to have time to read through key policies before direct work with the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When issues arise about day-to-day care of the children, the registered manager is thorough in her response. There are clear investigations undertaken and steps taken to minimise risk. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068511 5

p.4

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.

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

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)) 30 April 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 30 April 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC068511 6 Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1)(5))

p.5

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

p.6

Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b))* 10 April 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii) 30 April 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

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: SC068511 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kent County Council

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kent County Council, Sessions House, County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ

p.7

Inspector

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068511 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8