Children's Home run by Moonreach LTD in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 1 Registered provider: Moonreach Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care for a single placement of a child with EBD (social and emotional difficulties).

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 24 March 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2021 Full Good 11/12/2019 Full Good 09/01/2019 Full Good 20/03/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 3

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inadequate

This service was judged inadequate due to the poor oversight of the quality of care provided by managers. Shortfalls identified at the last inspection have not been rectified. In addition, staff are deployed in a way that is unhelpful for the child. For example, staff frequently work alone and there is no consistent core staff team to provide care. The fact that staff work alone also means that they do not provide sufficient structure, challenge or support to help the child. This hinders the child’s ability to form trusting relationships and, as a result, he is not making progress in important areas of his life.

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inadequate

The child’s placement plan identifies his future goals. Dedicated one-to-one time with staff is planned to support the child to meet these targets. However, due to inconsistent staffing and a lack of structured routines, the child does not always engage with these sessions. This results in missed opportunities to support the child in reaching his goals.

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inadequate

Staff encourage the child to engage in education. There is an education plan and home tutoring provided by the placing authority. However, staff have had limited success in supporting the child to engage in these activities. This has resulted in the child not making progress in education.

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inadequate

The staff provide opportunities for the child to express his views and wishes. Through weekly meetings, he is able to choose activities and make menu choices and is supported to be involved in the development of the home. However, the child will often not engage in his chosen activity. Consequently, too little is happening to develop his social interactions and broaden his experiences.

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inadequate

The child’s healthcare is variable. The child’s views are listened to, and staff have acted on his wishes. In one example, the child was supported to seek advice with current health concerns. However, the engagement of staff with health professionals has not been consistent. This has resulted in the child’s medication not being reviewed regularly. This lack of partnership working has failed to ensure that the child’s health needs are being met. This shortfall was also identified at the last inspection and has not been addressed. The storage, administration, management and auditing of medication are not effective. When errors occur, staff do not always report or record this.

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inadequate

Although the home provides spacious and comfortable accommodation, health and safety reporting and maintenance management are not consistent. For example, the child’s bedroom door lock was jammed; this had not been reported immediately, and the staff could not access the bedroom while the child was seeing family members. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 4 The child’s bedroom was in a poor state and had not been cleaned and tidied; this was rectified during the inspection. However, the poor conditions do not demonstrate that staff consistently provide a warm and nurturing environment for the child.

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inadequate

The child is supported to see his family. Staff help him to arrange regular overnight stays and to attend family holidays. This allows the child to maintain relationships that are important.

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

Risk management is poor. Staff are not guided by effective risk management plans. For example, a holiday has been planned for the child, accompanied by just one member of staff. The risk assessment does not consider any of the child’s known risks. Furthermore, lone working arrangements had not been considered in relation to potential risks for the child and the staff member. This puts the child and others at potential risk of harm while away from the home.

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

Environmental risk assessments are completed. However, these are poor and the steps identified to address hazards are not completed by leaders and managers. In one example, the garage and shed were found to be unlocked and contained hazardous items. However, the risk assessment states that they should be locked at all times and keys are to be held by identified personnel. This means that the child is not protected from potential harm and the environment is not safely maintained.

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

Furthermore, there is a risk assessment in place for the child to use his devices and access the internet. The identified safety plan to monitor his use of the internet is not being carried out. This is a missed opportunity to advise and guide the child to manage his online activity safely. Therefore, the child is not always safeguarded from risks associated with the use of the internet and social media.

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

Staff receive suitable safeguarding training. However, they do not always share safeguarding concerns with relevant professionals. For example, staff concerns relating to potential risks of exploitation were not acted upon or shared with the child’s placing authority. Staff also failed to report concerns about staff conduct promptly. This prevents a partnership approach with the relevant safeguarding agencies to manage any potential safeguarding concerns. Consequently, the child is not safeguarded effectively from possible risk of harm and exploitation.

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

Staff mostly work alone and do not have sufficient time with the young person to build trusting relationships; they are not providing effective challenge or support to encourage him to engage in constructive routines or activities.

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

Managers implement safe recruitment practice. These measures reduce the risk of unsuitable adults being employed at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home does not have a registered manager. Senior leaders have appointed a manager who is new in post. The manager is also responsible for the organisation’s sister home. The manager’s ability to manage and lead this service effectively is yet to be assessed by Ofsted. The responsible individual has failed to provide the necessary level of induction and guidance for the new manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders and managers have failed to meet the requirements from the previous inspection. For example, the child’s risk assessments do not clearly identify the known and potential risks, the environment is not maintained and kept free from hazards, and monitoring by managers does not provide sufficient oversight of the home. This raises concerns about the capacity of the management team to deliver improvements to the quality of care and to address concerns that potentially undermine the safety, well-being and progress of the child living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are not monitoring the home adequately. The manager does not have effective oversight of care practice. For example, lone working is not risk managed effectively and staff are not supported to manage known and potential risks relating to the child. These risk assessments are not being reviewed with sufficient scrutiny so as to safeguard the child. Managers do not take action to address safeguarding concerns raised by the home’s independent person. For example, poor management of medication has been raised, yet no action has been taken to improve this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Formal supervisions between staff and their manager are of poor quality, and do not always relate to key issues regarding the care of child. When there have been concerns about care practice, leaders and managers have failed to follow their recommendations through the supervision process. This is a missed opportunity to address concerns, and fails to hold staff accountable. Staff are not provided with regular opportunities to discuss their professional development. This undermines the manager’s ability to improve the care and support being provided to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Working in partnership with other professionals is not prioritised by managers. They have failed to advocate effectively for the child within the professional network to ensure that the child is receiving the support that he needs to make progress in education and to access good healthcare. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they demonstrate appropriate challenge to local authorities and health professionals to ensure that they advocate for the child’s education and health needs. 17 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 7 help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the child’s education is maintained, and that they offer and support opportunities for the child to reach their full potential.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 8 In particular, the registered person must ensure that the child’s health needs are consistently met. Staff are to provide opportunities for the child’s medication and health to be reviewed and monitored by health professionals. Staff must ensure that the child’s health and well-being are monitored and that support is provided to guide and support the child to develop a healthy lifestyle.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 9 are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is a sufficient and consistent staff team who have the skills and training to support the child’s needs and develop positive relationships.

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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 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

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.

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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. 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 10 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any potential or known safeguarding concerns are reported. The child’s risk assessments should clearly identify the child’s risks and provide guidance for staff to manage these risks The environment should be safely managed, and the child be protected from harm.

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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 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

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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 11 The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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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: 1258463 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Dane John Works, Gordon Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3PP

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Inspector

Rebecca Fisher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1258463 13 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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