Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 1 SC401927 Registered provider: Benecare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a limited company. It provides care and support for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 18 December 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

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/03/2022 Full Inadequate 06/08/2019 Full Good 29/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child currently lives at the home. However, the staff are thinking about how they will welcome any new children into the home. The child has made significant progress in recent months.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide holistic and personalised care. The child’s quality of life has improved since moving into the home. The child is well supported, and the progress they have made with the help of the staff is evident. For example, the child previously required extremely high levels of supervision and support but is now in school and has developed friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have developed close and genuine caring relationships with the child. This has brought about a sense of warmth and family in the home. The quality of these relationships means that the child feels nurtured and loved. This underpins the significant progress the child has made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide a comfortable, spacious and well-maintained home. The child is proud of their home and enjoys welcoming their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a busy life with lots of fun. A large variety of weekend and after-school activities that they enjoy are on offer. The child enjoyed laser tag and horse riding during the inspection. The staff also ensure that there is plenty of time for everyone to gather and reconnect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff recognise education as a gateway for children to make improvements in all areas of their lives. The staff have aspirations for the child and help them understand the value of education. As a result, the child, who was previously resistant to education, is now an active participant in a full-time adapted education programme. Staff are playful and creative in their approach to learning. For example, the staff have role-played school and helped the child develop a life skills board game. As a result of the staff’s encouragement, the child has rediscovered a joy for learning and identified career ambitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are optimistic about the future for the child and celebrate every success, however small. The staff’s can-do attitude has had a significant positive effect on the child’s well-being, building their confidence and resilience.

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

The staff have made great efforts to create a family home where love, care and protection exist. Partner professionals are impressed by the level of positive change that staff have made to help the child keep safe. Incidents of missing from home and self-harm have been reduced. The child is proud of the huge progress they have Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 4 made, and this is evident through their increasing ability to express their feelings and manage risky situations. The staff have been successful in instilling a sense of security and belonging in the child, which has been instrumental in helping them keep safe.

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

The staff have an in-depth and reflective understanding of most particular risks relevant to the chid. However, the manager has yet to ensure that all staff have sufficient understanding or guidance in respect of keeping children safe online. Staff have not received suitable training. As a result, the staff’s knowledge was variable. The risk assessment regarding how to keep the child safe online was poor, despite this being a known concern. This was a missed opportunity to keep the child safe.

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

The staff understand that risk is not static and that taking appropriate risks is an important part of children’s development. The staff update the child’s risk assessments monthly, or sooner if needed. The manager ensures that staff are alerted to any changes in risk. The staff manage changing levels of risk effectively, for example by building on free unsupervised time following the expiration of a deprivation of liberty order. They take immediate and appropriate steps to respond to any concerns to ensure the child is kept safe.

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

The staff provide clear boundaries. When pushed, staff provide a parental response, which the child in placement has responded well to. The consistent boundaries help the child feel safe and emotionally held.

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

On the one occasion when physical restraint was used, it was both proportionate to the incident and clearly recorded. However, the manager and staff have not identified two incidents of blocking a doorway and holding door handles as a form of environmental restraint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is both supportive and ambitious for the child and staff. He ensures that the staff deliver a high standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has successfully driven improvement in a short space of time. Since the last inspection, he has made great efforts to address shortfalls. However, some documents, such as staff training records, team meeting minutes and supervision records, lack clarity and detail, and they are sometimes unsigned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff know the child they care for well. The staff speak enthusiastically about the child, their future and how they hope to remain part of it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff feel well supported by their managers, whom they describe as approachable and realistic. The staff’s individual supervision is regular. However, the records do not demonstrate that this supervision is suitably detailed and reflective. New staff benefit from a thorough induction. Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 5 The staff have access to a good variety of relevant training. However, not all staff have completed health and safety or suitable food hygiene training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have formed positive and effective relationships with the child’s local authority and family members. The staff understand the importance of these relationships in ensuring the child has the best opportunities in life. Partner professionals and family members value the staff’s steadfast commitment to the child and regular, good-quality communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are child-centred. Their commitment to tolerance and diversity is threaded through the service. They respect how the child wishes to be identified or any new interests they may have. Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 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; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must provide children with e-safety education and support from home staff to ensure they are safe when online and understand the risks of accessing the internet.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 21 August 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 21 August 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 7 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure all documents are recorded accurately in sufficient detail and, where appropriate, are dated and signed. Furthermore, the manager must ensure that all staff undertake the organisation’s identified core training.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand that restraint also includes restricting a child’s liberty of movement. All restrictions on the child’s liberty of movement should be recorded as restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.42)

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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: SC401927 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Thatch Vine Farm, Stockers Hill Boughton- under-Blean, Faversham, Kent ME13 9AB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patricia Clinton

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Inspector

Jane Balfe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC401927 9 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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