Children's Home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: SC416915 1 SC416915 Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns and manages the home. They provide care for up to seven children who have difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour and/or may have experienced trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2014.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 1 February 2022

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC416915 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2022 Full Outstanding 17/12/2019 Full Good 29/08/2018 Full Good 20/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC416915 3

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outstanding

At the time of this inspection, five children were living at the home. Children thrive and have a strong sense of stability, which is enhanced by fulfilling day-to-day experiences. This provides children with a secure base from which they make excellent progress from their starting points. The ambitious staff provide high- quality, individualised support that significantly enhances children’s quality of life and future life chances.

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outstanding

Staff are very aware of how children’s adverse experiences affect their behaviour and capacity to form healthy attachments with others. Staff use this understanding to adapt their approaches to each child’s individual needs. As a result, children are provided with well-informed care that is loving and nurturing.

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outstanding

Children enjoy a diverse range of enriching activities and lead very active and healthy lifestyles. Children attend a variety of local clubs that meet their interests. For some children, these interests have inspired their future career aspirations in the army and navy. One child excelled in their selected hobby, winning an award at a local karate competition. Children have enjoyed a wide variety of holidays, including regular theme park trips and a recent tour of football stadiums in Manchester, Liverpool and London. The staff link children with the local and wider community to ensure that they have life-enhancing experiences. These experiences greatly improve children’s self-determination, sense of community and well-being.

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outstanding

Children are supported to make considerable progress with their learning. The staff collaborate well with education professionals to provide flexible learning opportunities for children. Children who previously had large gaps in their formal education before they moved to the home are now attending every day. Staff ensure that there is scheduled time for them to help children with their homework. All children are making better progress than previously expected towards their education targets. The effectiveness of the support of staff means that children who have previously found it difficult to engage in education are now flourishing.

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outstanding

Children make notable progress with their independence skills. The staff help the children to develop these skills through day-to-day household tasks. Highly individualised approaches are matched to children’s developmental stages. Some examples are children working towards using public transport and managing their personal finances. Children’s increased skills in cooking have motivated them to expand their previously limited food preferences. Well-developed and personalised support for children ensures they are fully prepared for adult living.

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outstanding

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are a high priority. For one child, the staff have worked very effectively and sensitively to support them to overcome their Inspection report for children's home: SC416915 4 anxieties around attending health appointments. This has ensured that the child has received the help that they need.

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outstanding

Staff work hard to help children spend time with their families and to keep in touch, even when the distances travelled are significant. Children can influence the time that they have with their families and develop strong and lasting relationships.

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outstanding

Children live in a stimulating and well-appointed home. The children have contributed significantly to the personalisation of their bedrooms, and they are helped to care for the home’s pets. Fantastic quality memorabilia of children’s recent achievements help the children to develop a strong sense of family values and belonging. This creates a welcoming and nurturing home that all the children say they are very proud of.

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outstanding

There is a positive culture among staff of high regard for every child, ensuring that they feel valued and that successes are celebrated. Mutually respectful and strong relationships with staff help the children to feel safer and unconditionally accepted. As a result, children can reflect on the past, developing an understanding of how to manage their own emotions.

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outstanding

Staff are highly skilled in undertaking responsive one-to-one discussions with children, including exploring subjects such as healthy relationships, substance misuse and their online safety. These discussions successfully enhance children’s awareness and skills around maintaining their personal safety.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from the home. The children gain a sense of belonging and safety at the home.

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outstanding

Staff understand the risks that children face at the home and in the community. High-quality risk assessments are effective in providing guidance to staff to ensure that children are safer. Risk-reduction measures are responsive and enable children to have increasing levels of freedom and independence when it is safe to do so. This means that they can safely experience new challenges and successfully build a good level of emotional resilience.

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outstanding

There have been two physical interventions since the last inspection. The staff use interventions proportionately and as a last resort. Consequences are used infrequently to manage behaviour. They are restorative in design and are effectively monitored. Children fully participate in contributing to behaviour support strategies, and staff have an excellent understanding of triggers to children’s anxiety. As a result, unwanted behaviour is significantly minimised. Inspection report for children's home: SC416915 5 Staff work in close partnership with external agencies to promote the safety and well-being of children. Staff receive regular, high-quality training to ensure that they are clear on how to manage safeguarding issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An inspirational and qualified manager leads the staff confidently in providing high- quality care and experiences for the children. The manager is well supported by a dynamic deputy manager, and collectively they create a positive ethos for children to succeed. The management team’s enthusiasm is reflected in the motivation of the staff team and results in excellent support and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff retention and morale are exceptionally high. Staff take enormous pride in being a part of the team and work hard to provide the best possible care to the children. This provides strong continuity of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a fierce ambassador for children. She presents an assertive challenge if she believes that other professionals are not providing the services that children need. This has resulted in one child receiving the educational support they need more swiftly. For another child, effective advocacy for their welfare has ensured that their medication was reviewed and subsequently withdrawn. The manager’s continued tenacity has ensured that children’s rights are respected and that decisions made in respect of children are well thought out and in their best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff value the manager’s commitment, knowledge and approachability. They say that they feel well supported. New staff have planned inductions to help them begin to work with the children. Regular supervision, insightful appraisals and well- developed training equip the staff with the skills to meet the individual needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have been particularly energised in supporting schemes to empower children to have valued roles in their community. Children are involved in instigating fundraising events for local charities. All children participated and contributed to the planning of a successful street celebration for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This has helped enhance children’s connection with others and increases their sense of responsibility and community spirit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The quality of the managers’ monitoring systems is excellent. The children’s records and plans are thorough, individualised and well organised. Children’s views and personalities are very well reflected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff have very positive relationships with the children’s families and social workers. They describe children as being ‘completely transformed’ and the quality of the support provided by staff as being ‘phenomenal’. Inspection report for children's home: SC416915 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: SC416915 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 73 and 74 Maple Leaf Business Park, Manston Ramsgate CT12 5GD

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Inspector

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC416915 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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