Children's home run by We Are Beams in Sevenoaks

Inspection report for children's home: SC435152 1 SC435152 Registered provider: We Are Beams Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a charity. It provides overnight short breaks for children with learning disabilities and/or complex needs. The service is registered to provide short breaks for up to six children at any one time. Currently, 50 children are using the service.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 31 March 2015.

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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 for children's home: SC435152 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2021 Full Good 30/07/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/12/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: SC435152 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy their stays at the home, where they are supported by friendly and warm staff. The diverse range of activities available to children means that they have many opportunities to develop, both socially and emotionally. Staff encourage children to cook and bake together, and they make good use of the large garden. This enables children to not only socialise but also to keep fit in a way that is fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Effective processes are in place to ensure that staff record and review children’s support plans. As a result, children’s progress is clearly documented and understood. Care is individualised, and staff provide consistent support to enable children to make choices and to achieve in all areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good relationships between the people involved in the children’s lives. Professionals speak positively about the home and the involvement of staff in meetings about the children. Staff communicate well with professionals and parents. One social worker said, ‘They communicate in a nurturing way,’ and a parent said, ‘I’m not worried when she is there…I am relaxed…I trust them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the education of the children. They work with the children’s schools and parents to ensure that children continue to make progress while on their short stay. Targets are clear, and staff provide children with a range of activities that help to promote their continued development. Staff encourage children to complete homework activities, and they do this in way that is enjoyable. Because of this, children continue to learn and develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the health needs of the children. The detailed support plans mean that health and dietary needs are well known and met. For example, staff provide halal, lactose and gluten-free food. This helps to ensure that the children remain healthy. Strict procedures on receiving medication into the home and subsequent administration of this medication help to minimise the risk of errors and to keep children safe. Staff are trained in the administration of medication and must reach competency before being allowed to administer it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel relaxed and able to give their views about the care that they receive at the home. Staff ensure regular house meetings so that children can express their wishes and feelings, for example regarding the activities that they might wish to do during their stay. Children are also supported to complete surveys as well as have discussions at the dining table. This means that children have a range of opportunities to express their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported and encouraged to take part in all aspects of daily living. Staff support children to prepare for independence, and all targets include this element. When children are starting at the service, this is gradual and in accordance with their needs. They come for meals and are prepared for their overnight stay. Inspection report for children's home: SC435152 4 Consequently, most introductions to the home are successful and children benefit from the opportunities provided.

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

Detailed and clear risk assessments are in place and managers ensure that they are regularly updated. Staff know where to find a child’s risk assessment and support plan, and they respond to any updates. This means that children are cared for by staff who are informed and committed to providing good, safe care. The manager reviews and updates policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding children and ensures that staff read and understand them. Effective processes are in place to ensure that medication errors are minimal.

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

Children do not go missing from this home. Children who self-harm have an individual risk assessment with control measures to address this and to meet their needs. Any incidents of self-harming are recorded, and parents or carers are informed. Plans are clear on how to respond to any children who become anxious.

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

Staff know how to manage challenging behaviour. Support plans are clear in terms of children’s behaviours and triggers, and what helps them to calm and settle. Staff work together well to ensure that consistent messages are given to children and, as a result, children learn what is expected of them. Clear boundaries that are easy to understand contribute to a feeling of well-being and security for children.

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

Staff receive regular training about safeguarding children. They know what action to take when they have a concern about a child. Physical interventions are only used when other agreed strategies have not been effective; this helps to keep the child and others safe from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure high standards of individualised care to all children who use the home. They ensure that clear and achievable targets are set so that children make progress. There is a strong focus on risk assessments and support plans to ensure that care is specific, individualised and meets the varied needs of the children. Where it is required, leaders and managers request funding for additional staff to provide extra care and support to children. As a result, children receive care that leads to good experiences for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers take effective action in respect of individual plans for children and their progress. They work with relevant partners to address concerns about children’s behaviours to support their progress. On the rare occasions when leaders and managers withdraw a service to a child due to their behaviours, this happens only after a range of strategies have been tried and to ensure the safety of the child, other children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective professional relationships to ensure the best possible all-round support to children and young people. They attend reviews of Inspection report for children's home: SC435152 5 children’s care needs and are an integral part of this network, making clear contributions and suggestions. They share the progress that children have made and what is in place to help them to continue to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported. They receive training that meets their individual development needs as well as training specific to working with children. For example, they have recently received training about self-harming behaviours, sexualised behaviours and children’s mental health. Staff receive regular supervision which is of a good standard. Leaders and managers have created an environment where staff feel able to express their views and contribute to the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote equality and diversity effectively. Children’s religious, dietary and cultural needs are well met. Staff ensure that children feel included, and leaders and managers ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are known. There is a diverse staff group, including some with disabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the home’s strengths and areas for development. They work closely together to address these. However, the registered manager does not have a clear system in place to monitor the home. This is a missed opportunity to have a regular and consistent view of the home and how it functions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is responsive to suggestions for improvement made by the independent visitor. These visits are regular and consistent with requirements. However, the subsequent report does not reflect the visitor’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and whether the home promotes children’s well- being. The manager had not identified this shortfall. Inspection report for children's home: SC435152 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 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

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

This particularly refers to having a clear system in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. 30/06/2022

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Requirement Due date

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. 30/06/2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC435152 7 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))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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 for children's home: SC435152 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Allsworth Court, 38-40 St. David’s Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 7RJ

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Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC435152 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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