Children's home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd in Thanet

Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 1 SC478616 Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and who experience difficulties in forming and sustaining relationships. The company also has a school, which children may attend. The home is operated by a private organisation.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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 setting in response to the allegations were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspectors judgements.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 27 September 2021

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2021 Full Good 17/06/2019 Full Good 14/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff have not been able to develop positive, trusting relationships with all the children at the home. Although one child spoke positively about the staff, others feel that they are not consistently listened to and that their views are not always taken into account. Advocacy services are not being promoted in the home. Some staff have expressed negative views about some of the children and some staff are not knowledgeable about the children’s needs and circumstances.

p.3

improvement to be good

Although staff maintain contact with education professionals, this is not always done in a timely way. In one case, a child’s key worker had not been in contact with the child’s school despite the child refusing to attend for nearly two weeks. The child had explained his reasons for not attending, but at the time of this inspection these had not been conveyed to the school.

p.3

improvement to be good

Despite this, some children have made some progress during their time at the home. One child has started to engage with his education provision, having previously refused to attend school. Another child had a positive experience of working towards independence before leaving the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Until recently, children were engaging positively in a good range of activities arranged by the staff. However, some children have now disengaged, and staff do not have a clear plan for how they can motivate the children. This impairs the progress and welfare of children because planned activities are integral to strategies for diverting some children from substance misuse and potential exploitation.

p.3

improvement to be good

Some children have established strong friendships with their peers, but one child has become alienated. Staff are aware of this and, following a recent incident, clearer guidelines have been put in place to ensure the child’s well-being.

p.3

improvement to be good

There have been occasions when staff have locked certain rooms in the home in order to manage behaviour and keep the children safe. However, there are indications that this practice has become routine. For example, the lounge is locked during the day and is inaccessible to the children who are not attending school. The lounge is also currently being used as a staff sleep-in room due to maintenance work being carried out in a staff bedroom.

p.3

improvement to be good

When a child moves into the home, the organisation’s therapeutic team conducts a full assessment of their needs. This provides a good starting point for planning individualised care for the child. However, this assessment is not always used to good effect. Some staff are unaware of the contents of children’s assessment reports and in one case the recommendations contained in the report had not been acted on. Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 4 The registered manager and senior managers in the organisation are aware that the children currently at the home do not consistently have a positive experience of care or make significant progress. At the time of this inspection, senior managers had begun a dialogue with the children around changes that can be made to ensure a more positive experience in the future.

p.3

improvement to be good

The standard of child protection practice is variable. In one case, staff demonstrated good practice relating to emerging concerns about the practice of one of their colleagues. This resulted in children being protected from potential harm. However, practice relating to the assessment and management of risk has not been consistently good.

p.4

improvement to be good

Managers fail to ensure that all known risks to children living at the home are risk assessed in a timely way. Children’s individual risks are not always given sufficient consideration. For example, a child who is known to be at risk of criminal exploitation has no associated risk assessment or clearly defined strategies for reducing the potential for online exploitation. When strategies for keeping a child safe have been specified, these are not always implemented in practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff are familiar with the action they should take if a child goes missing from the home. Such incidents are not common and when children do go missing, staff take appropriate steps to ensure the child is found at the earliest opportunity.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children say that they feel safe living at the home, but this is not consistently attributed to the care and support they receive from the staff. Two children said they do not trust the staff enough to talk to them about any concerns they might have.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children have individual behaviour support plans which provide staff with guidance on how to manage challenging situations. These plans are not always updated to reflect changing circumstances. On one occasion, staff struggled to contain a volatile situation and did not use the agreed de-escalation strategies.

p.4

improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention to manage unsafe behaviours is kept to a minimum and is only used in accordance with regulatory guidance. Accurate records are kept of any incidents when physical intervention is used, and these demonstrate that the child is offered comfort, support and opportunities to reflect on why the intervention was necessary.

p.4

improvement to be good

Managers and staff are familiar with the procedures they should follow when they have concerns for a child’s welfare. These are implemented in practice but not always in a timely way. For example, one member of staff did not immediately report an issue which could have increased the level of risk to children in the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Despite this, there has been good communication with external safeguarding professionals, particularly the local authority designated officer. However, in one Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 5 case, an internal investigation with regard to concerns about care practice was not thorough because the complainant was not interviewed.

p.4

improvement to be good

There are effective health and safety measures in place which ensure the children live in a safe environment. However, practical steps had not been taken to ensure that one child’s bedroom provided the child with sufficient levels of privacy.

p.5

good

Leaders and managers have experienced several challenges in recent months. The departure of two experienced members of staff left a significant gap in the staff team’s collective knowledge and skills. Managers have also had to respond to some challenging staff-related issues. Consequently, there is currently a sense of low morale among the team. Senior managers are aware of this and have increased their presence at the home to support the registered manager to make improvements.

p.5

good

Management monitoring systems designed to monitor the quality of care provided to children are not entirely effective at identifying shortfalls in practice. Consequently, risk management strategies are not being reviewed and updated when significant incidents occur. In one case, recommendations made during the child’s initial assessment at the home had not been implemented. These shortfalls mean children’s progress is not being accurately monitored. There has been insufficient learning from how managers and staff have responded to some challenging situations.

p.5

good

The responsible individual takes a proactive role in ensuring that external professionals meet their responsibilities to the children living at the home. This has been effective in ensuring that children’s local authorities act on decisions that have been made during the care planning process.

p.5

good

Aspects of the admissions process are generally thorough and identify the needs of children effectively. However, there are some inconsistencies. For instance, the impact assessment for one child recognised that the potential for substance misuse issues may adversely impact the children already living at the home. However, it did not consider how the children could also be drawn into potential criminal exploitation.

p.5

good

Staff give a positive account of the supervision they receive and say they are supported to undertake their role. However, not all the staff have received the training required to meet the specific needs of the children currently living at the home. This includes training in supporting children on the autistic spectrum, substance misuse and, in particular, around child criminal exploitation. Consequently, there are insufficient staff with the knowledge and skills required to achieve the best outcomes for the children. Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 6 The registered manager and senior managers who were present during the inspection acknowledged that some areas of practice need to improve. Throughout the inspection, they demonstrated a commitment to addressing the shortfalls bought to their attention. Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 7

p.5

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.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that staff build supportive relationships with the children and implement the strategies for caring for them as described in their individual plans and assessments. 24 August 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.7

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(v))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that staff use their skills to de-escalate unacceptable behaviour when an incident occurs. 24 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 8 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that all known risks to the children are assessed promptly, recommendations for supporting the children to stay safe are actioned and that the guidance for reporting safeguarding concerns is followed. 24 August 2022

p.8

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.8

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(h)) 24 August 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.8

Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 21(b)(c)(ii)) 24 August 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 24 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 9 undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that all staff undertake training relevant to the specific needs of each child.

p.9

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff respect children’s privacy. This is with specific reference to ensuring that children cannot be seen by neighbours when they are in their bedrooms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.17)  The registered person should ensure staff that work in partnership with relevant people as appropriate to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. This is with specific reference to ensuring that the staff facilitate children’s meetings, promote independent advocacy services, and support the children to take part in any surveys relating to the quality of care they are receiving. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

p.9

Recommendations

standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)  The registered person should ensure that the staff act as effective advocates for or on behalf of a child who may be experiencing difficulties with education or training matters, including, but not limited to, attainment, admissions, attendance or behaviour, as a good parent would do. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.12)  The registered person should ensure that managers are skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. This is with specific reference to ensuring that internal investigations into serious incidents are detailed and thorough. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

p.9

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: SC478616 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 73 and 74 Maple Leaf Business Park, Manston, Ramsgate CT12 5GD

p.10

Inspector

Stephen Collett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC478616 11 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.10

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.11

Inspector

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

p.11

Inspector

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

p.11