Children's Home run by My Tribe Homes Ltd in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 1 Registered provider: My Tribe Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered for up to three children aged eight to 18. It is owned and managed by a private organisation. The home caters for children and young people who have social or emotional difficulties. The manager, responsible individual and the home registered with Ofsted on 28 July 2022.

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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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 3

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improvement to be good

This inspection period provides a mixed picture of children’s experiences. During this time, a number of safeguarding concerns were not identified, and the monitoring and oversight of the home were not effective. However, the staff have developed positive relationships with the children, who are making progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress in education is varied. One child does not have an identified school, despite the efforts of the staff to secure an education for her. Staff encourage the child to engage in schoolwork and record this in her daily report. However, this is not written in a way that easily shows the child’s efforts in order to reflect on what helps. The other child’s school is some distance away. The staff support the placement by transporting the child to and from school. This helps to ensure he keeps his school place.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond sensitively to children’s emotional needs. Staff liaise closely with mental health services to ensure that they can help children manage their emotions better and stay safe during a crisis period. One child has reduced her risky behaviours following these interventions. Safety plans and risk assessments are in place. However, in one plan, these are inconsistent with other generic risk assessments such as the use of ligatures.

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improvement to be good

Targets are set with children to help them develop. These include a reward for targets achieved. This is effective in motivating children, who also respond well to this recognition from staff. However, the progress is not recorded in an easily accessible way for children and staff to refer to.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the importance of supporting children to maintain positive friends and family relationships when this is appropriate. Staff are skilled at communicating with the children’s family members and ensure that family visits are managed safely and effectively.

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improvement to be good

Children are well prepared for moving into the home. The manager plans the move well, including consulting with children already living in the home and ensuring that the staff have the skills to meet the individual children’s needs. Both children have settled well into the home.

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improvement to be good

Senior managers have failed to recognise child protection concerns and report these in a timely manner. This has led to a delay in sharing these concerns with the relevant safeguarding professionals, including Ofsted. These matters have not been fully reviewed to help identify any learning. An action from the investigation to Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 4 deliver refresher safeguarding training for all staff did not take place. Further recommended actions for the manager from the local authority designated officer to help support the children and staff involved were also not met.

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improvement to be good

A medical error was swiftly identified, and action taken to seek medical advice. The home’s policy and procedures were followed and staff attended refresher training and their competencies checked. However, one account from a member of staff was not recorded as part of the investigation, and another staff member did not have her learning explored further. This was a missed opportunity to ensure the learning was embedded.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical intervention to manage behaviour where necessary. The staff record physical interventions and show the actions taken leading up to the intervention, and include measures taken afterwards. Staff respond calmly and effectively and ensure that records reflect the relevant information to evaluate the incident. On the whole, the children and staff have the opportunity to discuss the incidents afterwards. However, this has not been consistent. This is a missed opportunity for managers to evaluate and assess the incident and identify any learning.

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improvement to be good

The responsible individual engaged in an incident with a child, to which he responded skilfully to defuse the situation. An external professional did not review this incident to ensure that the review was fair and just.

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improvement to be good

The staff have the skills to build positive, trusting relationships with the children. Consequently, children have the confidence to speak to staff about any worries or concerns they may have.

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good

The management of the home is not effective at learning and reflecting on practice, including recognising how situations could have been managed differently to prevent further incidents. Leaders and managers have not always followed up the learning from debrief and discussions with staff to ensure that they are fully embedded.

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good

The systems in place for monitoring the quality of care are not effective. Senior managers do not review incidents promptly to ensure that all policies and procedures have been followed. When the responsible individual reviewed a safeguarding incident, he reported the matter to relevant professionals.

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good

Managers deal with complaints promptly. In one complaint, made by a child, the investigation looked at the effect on the child, but did not include learning for the member of staff. The failure by the member of staff to follow the relevant policy and procedure was not considered by the investigation. This was a missed opportunity to ensure that the policy was clear, and that all staff understood the expectations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 5 The arrangements about contacting the on-call manager and calling for police assistance are not clear. This led to an unnecessary call to the police to help manage a situation. This risks the children being criminalised. The registered manager recognised this shortfall and has now ensured that there is guidance in place.

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good

The staff report that they feel supported and receive clear guidance on how to meet the responsibilities of their role. The staff receive good-quality supervision, when they can reflect on how their practice impacts on the lives of the children they care for, and how the emotional demand of the role affects them personally. There have been some occasions when supervisions have not been regular. In addition, the responsible individual’s supervision was not available on the day of the inspection.

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good

Social workers spoken to were positive about the communication with them, including weekly reports. They are pleased with how the staff work with them to provide safe care for the children. One social worker stated, ‘It is my observation that [Name] feels safe and happy in the placement and staff are proactive in meeting her needs.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 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, the 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)) 15 March 2023

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 15 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 7 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 15 March 2023

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 15 March 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must, in the interim, ensure the child is supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. They should ensure that the attempts to engage the child in education are clearly recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Children’s homes staff should seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of the home’s plan for their care. This is with regard to evidencing progress for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should keep a record of supervision for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records (regulation 36) are kept up to date, in particular to ensure that all interviews and relevant discussions are recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 8

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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: 2682262 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Bromley Lane, Chislehurst BR7 6LH

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2682262 10 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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