Children's home run by Caritas Homes Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2651806 1 Registered provider: Caritas Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered on 25 November 2021 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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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 children’s home: 2651806 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2651806 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the home. Currently, there are three children living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are all making good progress in their development. The care provided is child centred, and children are given individualised and consistent care in line with their care plans. This enables children to settle well from the onset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have developed positive relationships with children and the adults involved in the children’s lives. Children are supported to have safe and enriched relationships with their families and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker said: ‘Staff enable the child to make well-planned and risk- assessed visits to mum. They also share information quickly and are able to make immediate decisions in the best interests of the child.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take time to fully understand the needs of the children before they move into the home. Careful planning ensures that children feel welcome and reassured. The manager and staff consider the needs of children moving in as well as the children currently living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a variety of enriching and exciting activities in the home and in the neighbouring community. One child has also engaged in a community charity run. They have since won awards such as ‘Young Person of the Year’ and ‘Photographer of the Year’ and completed excellent art and craft work that is displayed in several areas of the home. The activities help children to integrate positively in the community and develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since moving in, some children have commenced education in school placements, while others complete home-based online private tutorials with staff support. Transitions for children moving to new schools are well thought out. As a result, children quickly settle in school and understand the importance of education for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to, and their views influence the running of the home. When children struggle to communicate, the manager and staff use creative ways to obtain children’s views and opinions about their care. Carefully planned one-to-one discussions and child-focused feedback forms are completed, and actions are addressed by the manager in individual weekly consultations with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff diligently plan and introduce independence skills to children once they have settled in the home and in accordance with their levels of understanding and development. This helps children with tasks such as cooking, preparing their school Inspection report children’s home: 2651806 4 lunches, cleaning their bedrooms and doing their laundry. This empowers children and helps them to take pride in their newly developed life skills.

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

Processes to keep children safe have been improved. Clear and well-documented risk assessments are implemented to ensure that effective guidance is in place for staff to keep children safe. Discussions are held with children about keeping safe and on the impact of being exposed to risk situations. Monthly staff meetings and handover arrangements are used to consider how to keep children safe, in accordance with their individual needs.

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

Children have previously gone missing from home. Staff work alongside other agencies, local authorities and parents, where possible, to locate and return children home safely. Staff also use clear protocols and guidance to respond when children go missing. Discussions are held with children regarding accessing the community safely, and children have not gone missing in recent weeks.

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

Children are made aware of the home’s rules and guidelines when they move in. The caring and nurturing staff team provides support to children when they struggle with their emotions and feelings, and a qualified therapist is also available. The manager and staff use effective verbal de-escalation techniques to ensure that children and those around them are safe. Physical intervention is rarely used and is only used as a last resort. Open and honest discussions are held with children after any incident, to enable greater understanding of behaviour. Children have developed self- regulating skills and the ability to express their frustrations through reflective discussions with adults.

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

Recruitment processes are not sufficiently strong. Occasionally, leaders and managers fail to sign copies of staff identification to confirm that original copies have been seen. The organisation’s electronics system restricts leaders’ and managers’ access to staff recruitment files. This affects direct management reviewing and oversight of recruitment. Some interviews lack clarity on the criteria used to confirm the suitability of applicants.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is passionate about helping children to progress. He has a clear vision of the good standard of care required for children and he shares this with an enthusiastic and caring staff team. The manager has a nurturing approach to the care given to children and he coaches staff to use this approach to care for children more effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses effective tracking processes to ensure positive outcomes for children. The manager completes progress reports to identify children’s achievements, and these are discussed in the monthly staff meetings. Children are involved in the tracking of their progress through the use of child-friendly reward charts. They are rewarded for the progress that they make, and feedback is shared Inspection report children’s home: 2651806 5 with their social workers and families. This helps children to take pride in their successes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are supported by skilled and knowledgeable staff. The manager supports staff in their professional development. New staff complete mandatory training and an induction programme. Staff complete further training in line with children’s current needs, and progress is monitored effectively by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision. New staff receive supervision regularly, which ensures effective guidance and monitoring. Further support is given to staff through well-being sessions provided by the therapy and well-being lead. This is protected space where staff reflect on their well-being while exploring their own emotional resilience. One staff member said, ‘Managers are approachable and knowledgeable, which in turn makes the working environment feel safe.’ Another added, ‘I get on really well with the manager, he brings a great jovial atmosphere into the house and has been very supportive.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On occasions, leaders and managers have failed to inform Ofsted when serious incidents have occurred. This inhibits effective monitoring of the safety and well- being of children by the regulatory body.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. He has identified areas for improvement and has promptly acted on them. For example, when the home first opened, one child was not suitably matched. The manager has improved systems to ensure that the children’s needs are compatible when admitting children into the home. This helps to ensure that the home remains more settled for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote equality and diversity. Children are supported to understand each other’s individual identities, including their own. Children are taught to respect each other and are immediately challenged if they use offensive language towards peers or adults. Inspection report children’s home: 2651806 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 must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 30 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that good employment practice is maintained, as set out in regulations 31 to 33. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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 children’s home: 2651806 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caritas Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: F27 Marlowe Innovation Centre, Marlowe Way, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 6FA

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Inspector

Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2651806 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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