Children's Home run by Moonreach LTD in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: SC448997 1 SC448997 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 is registered to provide care for up to two children aged between eight and 18 years of age with social and emotional difficulties. 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 nearby.

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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 for children's home: SC448997 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2021 Full Good 12/03/2019 Full Good 16/08/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC448997 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled at the home and have positive relationships with staff. One child who has a strong bond with the staff recognised that they will miss this when they move to semi-independent living. Another child who has recently moved to the home said that they like the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, staff fully consider the needs of the children already in the home. New children visit the home as part of the moving-in process. The registered manager demonstrates that they can identify learning and develop practice through reflecting on previous experiences. This now results in careful planning and matching.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key working is a particular strength of the staff team. Regular one-to-one discussions with children are well planned. These opportunities support the children to explore a variety of subjects that are relevant to them and their current needs. For one child, this has provided opportunities to develop their independence skills, for example, completing application forms, budgeting and enjoying cooking lessons. This supports children’s independence skills for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education. Staff work alongside the children’s schools to provide tailored plans for each child. For example, one child has a blended timetable while they settle into the home and develop positive relationships with staff. Therefore, children have positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff advocate for children to ensure that they have access to the resources and support to meet their physical and mental health needs. Children are supported to have a healthy lifestyle. Staff are proactive in educating children on the dangers of substance misuse. They provide information and seek the support of key agencies to reduce the risks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with opportunities to attend regular clubs, as well as having day-to-day experiences that allow them to have fun and make memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a homely, pleasant environment. They can decorate their bedrooms when they arrive and are encouraged to personalise their own space. Children are supported to care for their pets appropriately and learn from this experience.

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

Safeguarding children is a priority that is regularly discussed within the staff team. Staff are clear about their responsibilities and know how to respond to safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children's home: SC448997 4 Staff are responsive to children who go missing from care. This includes working with other agencies and searching for children to try and locate them quickly. There are some gaps in the written records for one child. Their plan did not reflect important information that had emerged from an incident that could help staff during any future incidents.

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

Risk management plans are in place for all children. This supports staff to understand and manage current risks. For one child, the staff have arranged specialist support to manage risks linked to the child’s emotional well-being. This results in staff developing strategies to reduce the risk of further incidents.

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

When consequences are used, the registered manager reviews them. However, not all consequences have been restorative, fair and proportionate. This results in children not being supported to learn from their mistakes and reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

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

Appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure that children are safe online. Children are supported to understand e-safety and the risks of using online platforms.

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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. This same level of scrutiny is extended to the recruitment of agency staff. Staff are proactive in giving children opportunities to have a voice in the recruitment process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and passionate manager leads and supports the newly forming staff team. The registered manager speaks passionately about her home and the progress that the children are making. The team has faced some challenges with staff changes and these have been managed well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. They feel supported and are encouraged to talk openly about any matters potentially impacting on their work. However, for some new staff, supervisions are not conducted according to the provider’s policy, and some records are not maintained to demonstrate the frequency and quality of staff supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about their experiences of working in the home. They feel valued and their voice is important. There are opportunities for staff to continue their development. The rota is planned to meet the day-to-day plans of children. More experienced staff support newer staff. Staff benefit from regular team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good oversight of the home and is aware of the strengths and areas to develop. For example, she is aware of the shortfalls relating to updating risk plans and developing staff skills in setting proportionate consequences. However, effective action is yet to be taken to implement the required changes. Inspection report for children's home: SC448997 5 External professionals speak positively about the home. There is good partnership working to ensure consistency and ensure that children are safeguarded and receive a good quality of care. One social worker stated, ‘The manager provides individual, proactive and supportive care to meet the child’s needs.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC448997 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that placement plans and any changes to how staff should respond to day-to-day risks are updated in written risk assessments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation and the home’s policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  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, staff and the wider community. The staff in the home should be skilled to carry this out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC448997 7

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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 for children's home: SC448997 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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