Children's Home run by Pilgrims Corner Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC473877 1 SC473877 Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for two children. It is one of two homes operated by a privately owned organisation. The company also owns a separately registered school, which children living in the homes may attend. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since January 2020. There is a manager in day-to-day charge of the home who has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 8 February 2022

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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: SC473877 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2022 Full Good 19/11/2019 Full Good 24/07/2019 Full Inadequate 23/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC473877 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff and make progress while living in the home. Children are helped by staff to understand who they are. Staff understand children’s identity and cultural needs due to children’s individual plans, which clearly outline their likes and dislikes. One child was happy to be able to keep guinea pigs and proudly showed how well they are cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into and then moved on from the home. Staff had tried hard to support these children, but despite suitable pre- placement planning and assessment, they were unable to meet their needs at this time. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home and is making good progress through their strong bonds with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to through a variety of means, including house meetings and ad hoc sessions. Children find one-to-one time the easiest space to share their views, which are acted on by staff whenever possible. If a child’s idea cannot be actioned, staff help them understand why in a sensitive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Close working with the organisation’s school and placing authorities means that children have access to suitable education to meet their needs. Staff help children overcome their barriers to learning, including those who have been out of education for a significant period. Staff actively challenge if education is not considered suitable and are proactive in producing programmes of interesting activities to supplement those on reduced timetables.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met, with access to specialist emotional well-being or health services as needed. Children learn what is a heathy lifestyle and how they can look after themselves through a balanced diet as well as positive actions and choices. Medication is appropriately stored and administered. However, records are not consistently clear where medication has been handed over to parents.

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

Children say they like living in the home and they can go to their preferred staff with any worries or concerns. Staff know the children’s vulnerabilities and do all they can to keep children safe. Staff know how to respond if they are concerned for a child’s safety or welfare, including when to refer to partner agencies.

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

Children who have lived in the home previously struggled with significant periods of being missing. Staff worked closely with specialist police officers in order to try and keep children safe and raise concerns that they may being exploited. Police confirmed that the staff have exhausted what they could do to keep children safe prior to them needing to move on. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473877 4 Staff have suitable training to respond to children who express a desire to harm themselves or who do self-injure. Joint working with their placing authority means children are referred as needed for specialist help and support.

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

Staff understand that all behaviour is communication and support children to explore why they are responding in the way that they do. Observation of staff discussing an incident with a child showed that responses are sensitive, while being a learning process for both the member of staff and child. Children are supported to consider how they could respond in the future if they are upset.

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

Physical interventions are rarely used. Records are clear on why the intervention was required. Trends and patterns are well considered and changes in staff made as needed. Consequences are also rarely used. However, the manager has not had oversight of the most recent consequences.

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

Children are protected from avoidable risk through safer recruitment practice and regular checks of the home and fire safety equipment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since January 2020. A manager is now in place and has applied to register with Ofsted. The responsible individual spends a significant amount of time in the home and provides a high level of support to both the manager and staff team. Children also enjoy spending time with her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some changes in staff since the last inspection, but all say they are supporting each other well and feel they work well as a team. Staff are positive about the support they get from the manager and deputy. They find supervision a useful time for reflection and that staff meetings help them to work effectively as a team. Staff benefit from a variety of training to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a sound knowledge of children’s progress and their current needs. Plans are clear and highly personalised, identifying the child’s goals and targets. They ensure that all staff know how to care for children to make sure they continue to make progress against their goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses oversight by the independent visitor and through their own monitoring effectively to assess the quality of care provided in the home. However, there have been some gaps in management oversight in medication, sanctions and missing-from-home records. Additionally, there have been gaps in information in notifications to Ofsted when the police have been called to the home, or when a serious incident has occurred. The manager acknowledges these shortfalls, and they are being remedied with the help of the responsible individual. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473877 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, 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 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) (2)(a)(h)) 31 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473877 6

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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: SC473877 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Gathering Space, Highland Court Farm, Bridge, Canterbury Kent CT4 5HW

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC473877 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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