Children's home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2588753 1 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

The home provides care for up to six children who may experience social, emotional or mental health difficulties. The home is run by a private organisation that operates several registered children’s homes.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 27 July 2022.

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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: 2588753 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2022 Full Good 09/06/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2588753 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff. Staff allow the children time and space to develop relationships with them at their own pace. As a result, children feel comfortable and safe in the care of staff who are child focused.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are positive about living at this home. They proudly describe having chosen designs for their bedrooms, which provide each child with a personalised and comfortable place to relax. Children’s voices are heard. They are informed of changes such as new children arriving, and take part in preparing the home for when new children move into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s meetings are used to explore cultural and current affairs themes, such as British values. Furthermore, children are supported to take part in celebrations and festivals relevant to their beliefs and culture. All children described seeing important people and maintaining relationships with key figures in their lives. Consequently, the children are supported to develop and understand their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have good school attendance and are making educational progress. Personalised plans have enabled children to improve attendance, and leaders and managers have advocated for children to ensure that they have access to the full range of education opportunities, for example arranging for a child to have an assessment for grammar school. Subsequently, the children are supported to value education and explore the full range of opportunities available to them.

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

All children say that they feel safe living at the home. They have trusted staff that they can share any worries with and say staff help them to keep them safe. Children say that the house rules are clear, and they describe knowing how to keep safe when using apps and the internet.

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

Staff talk knowledgably about the children. Staff are attuned to children’s needs and can consistently describe the individual strategies that help to reduce risk and keep children safe. Records supporting this detail these strategies and regular reviews ensure that adaptions are made as the children’s needs change.

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

There have been some challenging times when the dynamics changed as the number of children living in the home increased. During those times, there were occasions when police or emergency services were called to the home. However, the provider failed to consistently notify the regulator of a number of these significant events. This prevents the regulator from having accurate information on what is happening at the home and being able to monitor the provider’s immediate actions in response to these events. Inspection report for children’s home: 2588753 4 On some occasions, low-level physical intervention holds have been used to manage the children’s behaviour. Some records relating to these holds are detailed. However, a number of records are vague and do not detail if children have been offered medical attention. Furthermore, the managerial oversight of these records is poor. Although there has not currently been an impact on the children, this is a missed

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

opportunity to critically evaluate the effectiveness of such measures and to ensure that staff follow the correct procedures following the use of physical restraint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in in post since October 2022. An application to be the registered manager has been submitted. Staff describe the manager as ‘supportive, hands-on and readily available’. Frequent supervision for the manager and his team provides a safe, reflective space where they can discuss their practice and development. Clear goal setting further underpins the clarity of expectations between the manager and his team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff working in the home are positive about their induction. All staff talk positively of their training, saying it equipped them to care for the needs of the children. However, a previous requirement was made around some specific training for staff regarding drugs and alcohol. This had not taken place prior to the inspection. Although the manager took immediate action to address this, his monitoring had failed to reveal this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and his team have worked together to develop a culture of child- focused practice. Team meetings are used to reflect on what has gone well and when challenging times have arisen. For example, the manager and his team have developed a reward system to address some bullying behaviours between the children. As a result, unwanted behaviours have reduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children and staff both delight when children succeed, for example when a child earned a new console and another a pet for exemplary behaviour. This is a good example of everyone in the home working together to achieve a common goal. Staff remind the children of their goals and, together, they have improved the dynamics in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a development plan in place. He has begun to link research to inform practice to the individual needs of the children. This is not yet fully embedded and will be further explored at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2588753 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)(b) (2)(h)) 16 July 2023

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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 (b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, records must consistently demonstrate that the child has been offered medical attention, and accurately describe how any measures were used and by whom. 16 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 16 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2588753 6 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

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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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: 2588753 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

Sarah Olliver, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2588753 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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