Children's Home run by Windows For Children Ltd in Medway

Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 1 Registered provider: Windows For Children Ltd 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 up to eight children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of inspection, there were four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is currently vacant.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from warm, loving relationships with staff. Staff demonstrate a well- developed understanding of children’s needs that is based on a trauma-informed model of care. However, this child-centred care is not always captured in records to formally show the significant impact that staff practice has on the children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The level of progress made by children is well demonstrated when it comes to their plans for returning to school and moves out of the home. For instance, some children are beginning introductions into foster care, and some children are returning to their old schools, or starting in new schools. These planned and sensitively handled moves have enabled children to continue to make sustained progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carry out sensitively managed life-story work and therapeutic play that is carefully tailored to each child’s individual needs. This support helps children to overcome the impact of adverse early childhood experiences and to rediscover a positive and loving childhood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have previously experienced disruption to their learning are given tailored support to help them to be able to participate fully in school life. As a result, children experience academic success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have good access to healthcare to meet their physical, emotional and mental health needs. Staff have been strong advocates for a child with a potentially life-threatening illness. This challenge has resulted in the child receiving the right treatment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have every opportunity to engage in purposeful and enjoyable activities, both in the home and in the local community. As a result, children are thriving through enjoying life and having fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to rebuild their relationships with their families, and to stay in touch with friends and other people who play a significant role in their lives.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities and follow detailed risk management assessments to help to ensure that children stay safe. Although the internal policy and procedures have been updated to emphasise the need for a tailored approach to the use of surveillance, this change is yet to be fully embedded into practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 4 Children rarely go missing from the home. When children have gone missing, the staff have taken prompt action to ensure that children are safely returned.

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

The quality of relationships between staff and children promotes a positive and calm environment. Staff are highly skilled in helping children when they become upset and can rapidly distract and de-escalate situations to avoid the use of any form of physical intervention. When physical intervention is necessary, a detailed record is made, and children and staff are offered the opportunity to talk through what has happened. However, these discussions can sometimes be delayed by a few days. This has the potential to delay any learning to be brought into practice.

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

Leaders have carried out bespoke work with the local authority designated officer to find safe and effective ways to work with children who make unfounded allegations. This work has resulted in a shared protocol that prioritises the safety of children and provides pragmatic and effective solutions that minimise excessive administrative work for staff and external professionals.

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

Leaders carry out safe recruitment practice to help them determine whether a potential new member of staff is suitable to work with children. This is mainly good, although on one occasion there were gaps in a staff member’s employment history that had not been fully explored and recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager post is currently vacant. Leaders demonstrate a clear commitment to provide high-quality care and support to children and in recognising the importance of having the right registered manager in post going forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders demonstrate a well-developed understanding of the children in their care and the impact that early childhood trauma can have on children’s emotional life and behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have a deep understanding of children’s needs. They aim to provide a warm, supportive and nurturing environment to help children to work through their complex emotions. This results in children making measurable progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive high-quality reflective and clinical supervisions. These bespoke supervisions enable staff to provide the ongoing practical and emotional support that children need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have good oversight of the home, with clear action plans that focus on the continual development of the home. Targets are ambitious but realistic and achievable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders ensure that consultation and partnership with children is part of everyday life. Staff are skilled in providing the right level of intervention and support to help to reinforce children’s sense of identity and self-respect and to increase their self- esteem. When a child expressed some negative views towards a female member of Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 5 staff and staff from ethnic minorities, positive work was carried out with the child. Staff acting as positive role models led to a transformation in the child’s attitude towards diversity and socially acceptable behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders recognise that there have been challenges in recent months and have worked hard to ensure that children are provided with safe care that enables them to thrive physically, emotionally, socially and educationally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External partners hold leaders and staff in high regard and recognise the difference they make to children’s lives. Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 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 registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the home’s practice is brought in line with the intentions of the home’s policies on surveillance at night.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24(1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person should ensure that the home’s practice is brought in line with the intentions of the home’s policies on surveillance at night. All risk assessments should clarify when and why monitoring and surveillance are necessary and identify actions to minimise the use of surveillance. 30 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. In particular, gaps in employment must be explored and any findings clearly recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept that enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint, to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. In particular, timely debriefs with staff and prompt Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 7 management oversight after incidents are vital. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  To ensure that staff understand and can meet each child’s needs, in line with their

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Recommendations

responsibilities, the registered person themselves will need to have a high level of understanding of the needs of the children in their care. In particular, to develop improved systems for capturing progress that also identify the impact of staff practice on the progress of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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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: 2559013 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Windows For Children Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 90-92 King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1BH

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Inspectors

Peter Jackson, Social Care Inspector Denise Jolly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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