Children's home run by Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 1 Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited 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 managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021, when the home was registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 3

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improvement to be good

This is the first inspection of the home. Since opening, two children have moved into the home. One child moved out earlier this year, and the other child moved out due to the provider taking the decision to temporarily close the home. Consequently, at the time of this inspection, there were no children living in the home. Staff have been redeployed to work at the provider’s other home nearby.

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improvement to be good

The provider took the decision to close the home following a review by a newly recruited senior management team into the quality of care, which identified shortfalls in the capacity of the home to meet children’s needs. This decision resulted in the child living at the home, who was settled and happy, moving out. The decision was not taken without serious consideration and exploration of all other alternatives. Since the closure of the home, the provider’s senior management team has taken responsive action to make improvements.

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improvement to be good

Before the closure of the home, managers and staff did not consistently seek the views of children or respond quickly to their concerns. For example, after concerns were raised by one child, it took more than two months for an investigation to start. Key-work sessions to gain the views of children were sporadic. No key-work sessions were recorded as taking place for one child after the child was told that the home was closing. The child was not given access to advocacy support through this period of change.

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improvement to be good

Children who lived at the home took part in and enjoyed activities, including special days out. One child, who moved to the home from a rural placement, was able to forge new friendships with other children, which was their wish. One professional said that staff were ‘excellent’ in facilitating visits and communication between the child and their family.

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improvement to be good

One child benefited from significant improvement in their school attendance.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs were met, including encouragement to lead healthy lifestyles. Staff ensured that children attended their health appointments.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and comfortable, with extensive communal areas, including a very large garden for children to enjoy.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not been sufficiently curious to challenge potential poor practice. When concerns were raised, managers were not able to identify potential allegations of abuse. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 4 The provider and the registered manager did not assess all the risks associated with staff working alone when one child was living at the home. Risk assessment should have included ensuring that staff on duty had the required first aid qualifications.

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improvement to be good

Managers and leaders did not fully understand or embrace the home’s stated approach to supporting children in times of challenging behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff did not benefit from working with leaders who can role-model the skills and experience required. Following an incident, one child received a significant consequence that was not proportionate or relevant to the incident. There was no system in place at the time to review when staff gave children a consequence.

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improvement to be good

There were no incidents of children going missing from the home. Risks to children’s safety in and around the community were assessed in detail.

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good

Until recently, the leadership and management of the home have been insufficient to build and develop a well-trained and skilled workforce. Management of the home did not focus on creating an open culture where staff could learn, challenge and provide care as described in the home’s statement of purpose.

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good

The provider’s stated systems for monitoring and assessing the quality of care were not followed. Managers were too slow to address shortages of skilled staff. This resulted in staff becoming tired and a drop in staff morale that was beginning to affect children’s care. Children were not always supported consistently in line with their care plans, leading to differing views between the staff.

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good

Visits to the home by the independent visitor failed to secure children’s or professionals’ views on a regular basis. Managers did not use external reviews and analysis of the home to make improvements. The new senior management team has taken quick action to address this shortfall by bringing in a new overarching quality assurance system.

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good

The new senior managers are experienced and understand what improvements are needed to bring about the skills needed by staff. There is a clear vision for the home, to be put in place before it reopens to new admissions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 5

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when children raise complaints, children are kept informed of the process they can expect and the outcome of any investigation. 7 October 2022

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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— 7 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 6 mutual respect and trust;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff use behavioural consequences consistently and in line with each child’s support plan, and take action to review the effectiveness of these, ensuring that they are proportionate and reviewed within the required timescales.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi)) 7 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that allegations of abuse are investigated without delay. The registered person must ensure that allegations of abuse are identified as such and notified to Ofsted.

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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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 28 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 8 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are suitably skilled and experienced to meet children’s needs as stated in the home’s statement of purpose. They must ensure that sufficient numbers of staff are employed and that the risks of staff working alone with children are robustly assessed.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the stability of children’s placements is not adversely affected by operational shortfalls. 28 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 7 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. In particular, ensure that children are guided to use this support when changes are made to their care placements. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. In particular, ensure that the views of children, their families and external professionals are consistently sought. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 9

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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: 2594775 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Brentano Suite Solar House, 915 High Road, North Finchley, London N12 8QJ

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Inspector

Jamie Cousins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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