Children's Home run by Little Acorns London Beach Farm Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 1 SC023651 Registered provider: Little Acorns London Beach Farm Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight children with social and/or emotional difficulties. There is a registered school on site. There are currently four children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since October 2018. The current manager has applied to Ofsted to be the registered manager.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC023651 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/05/2021 Full Good 21/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/11/2018 Full Good 16/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are looked after by caring staff who help create positive and nurturing relationships. All children have identified key workers and benefit from daily community meetings that give them the opportunity to reflect on their day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Detailed care plans are written in a child-focused way and provide extensive information and guidance to staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good educational progress. There is good daily communication with teaching staff to make sure that any concerns are shared immediately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strong therapeutic culture helps children to access ongoing therapeutic support. Skilled staff and a dedicated care coordinator support the children to access therapy. This has had a significant impact on children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well prepared for moving on from the home. Planning begins early to ensure that the child is ready and that there is a confirmed plan in place to reduce any anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite extensive referral information being available, leaders have not demonstrated how they have assessed a child’s potential admission to the home. This includes the needs of the children already living there and whether the staff have the right skills to care for the new child.

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

Children are aware that staff care about their well-being.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. They benefit from large grounds where they can walk and play.

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

Staff understand children’s individual risk assessments. These documents are comprehensive and provide detailed guidance for staff to follow. As a result, staff are equipped with the essential control measures that help to keep children safe.

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

On one occasion, staff decided as an emergency measure to secure a child in their bedroom by holding the bedroom door closed. This was an isolated incident and leaders were quick to communicate to staff that this practice is not acceptable. However, it is not clear what lessons were learned from this incident. Leaders also did not notify Ofsted or consider consulting the local authority designated officer.

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

Leaders ensure that staff are thoroughly vetted before they start to work with children. As a result, children are safeguarded from unsuitable adults working with them. Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 4 When children have been issued with consequences, leaders have not ensured that these are subject to review to determine whether they are appropriate and effective. This includes determining whether they are restorative in nature.

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good

The new manager is supported by an experienced and knowledgeable management team. Staff talk passionately about the impact that the new manager has had on the home.

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good

The new manager is ambitious and passionate about providing a good quality of care to the children.

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good

Staff work closely with professionals and feedback is positive. These partnerships mean that children are protected and feel secure and know that everyone has their best interests at heart.

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good

Staff go above and beyond for the children. This commitment has a genuine impact on children’s outcomes.

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good

Despite the positive aspects of care, not all staff receive regular practice-related and reflective supervision. This is a missed opportunity to help the staff to discuss their performance and to develop their practice on a regular basis.

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good

External monitoring of the home is not providing the appropriate scrutiny or challenge. Leaders and managers have only recently recognised this, but a lack of rigour in visits has been the case for a considerable time. There has also been a significant lack of consultation with children by the independent person, with only one report in the last year demonstrating that children were consulted.

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good

Children have warm and cosy bedrooms. Decoration of the hallway and bathroom is yet to be completed. Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 30 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)) 30 November

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (2)(a)) 30 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 6  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: SC023651 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Little Acorns London Beach Farm Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o A1, Marquis Court, Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 0RU

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Inspector

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 8 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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