Children's home run by Moonreach LTD in Dover

Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 1 SC460671 Registered provider: Moonreach Limited 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 provides care for up to two children aged between eight and 18 years of age with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2018. She is also the registered manager of another of the company’s homes which is close by.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/10/2021 Full Good 14/11/2019 Full Good 20/09/2018 Full Good 19/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience well-planned care from a dedicated staff team. This makes children feel secure and well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager carefully considers the matching of new children to the skills of the staff and the children already living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage in education. One child has been successful in her college course and has progressed onto the next level and has high aspirations for her future. However, the initial lack of planning for a new child has resulted in a delay in the child accessing a school placement. To reduce the impact, the registered manager has secured a tutor while a full-time school placement is found.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to be independent and develop their life skills. For example, one child is learning to drive, has a job and is managing to budget their money.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with opportunities to engage in a range of activities, including going on holidays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health and well-being. Children attend routine health appointments and they are supported to see medical professionals when they have concerns about their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a nice home that is well maintained. They have spacious bedrooms that are individualised to their tastes and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their family, friends and people who are important to them. Staff have advocated for one child to have planned time with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moving on from the home is mainly considered and planned. When children do have to leave quickly, staff strive to provide a positive ending. For one child this involved familiar staff moving them and helping them to settle into their new home.

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

Children are safeguarded and protected from harm.

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

Incidents of children going missing from care are managed well, with good partnership working with external services. When children do go missing from the home, staff make every effort to keep in contact. On return to the home, children are provided with an opportunity to talk to the staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 4 Risk management plans are in place for all children. However, staff do not always consider the wider risks when children are outside of the home. For example, staff have not made suitable checks on a driving instructor. Therefore, strategies have not been put in place to reduce any potential risk.

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

Consequences are rare and, when applied, are mainly proportionate. However, there are occasions when staff have not considered the effectiveness of a consequence. For example, a child was rude to a member of staff and received a monitory consequence.

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

Children are supported to be safe online. Appropriate safeguards are in place and staff are trained to understand risks to children when accessing the internet.

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

Safer recruitment processes are in place and are implemented by leaders and managers. Staff are proactive in giving children opportunities to have a voice in this process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has an in-depth understanding of the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and other professionals value the experience and knowledge that the registered manager brings to the home and how this enables the children to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is aware of her safeguarding responsibilities. She works with professionals and acts on their advice. One social worker said, ‘Staff keep the child safe and really manage the risks well.’ However, there has been an occasion when managers have not reported notifiable incidents to Ofsted. This has resulted in a failure to meet their regulatory responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with comprehensive inductions and ongoing training. Staff receive regular supervision sessions, as well as group supervision, regular team meetings and annual appraisals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring of the quality of care is generally effective. They have a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. There is a development plan in place to further improve the service. Managers demonstrate a commitment to ensuring continuous improvement to address the shortfalls that they have identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular communication with the children’s social workers results in a shared approach to managing risks and targeted care planning for the children. Feedback from professionals and families is very positive about communication and partnership working. One social worker stated, ‘Their feedback and communication Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 5 are invaluable to us.’ This demonstrates a culture of openness, which ensures that children benefit from meaningful joined-up working. Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 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 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure the appropriate checks are completed when children access activities when outside of the home, such as driving lessons. 18 December 2022

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 18 December 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 7 a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure incidents where police are involved with a prolonged episode of children going missing from the home are reported.

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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: SC460671 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Dane John Works, Gordon Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3PP

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Inspector

Rebecca Fisher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC460671 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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