Children's home run by Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 1 Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) 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 managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since March 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 6 September 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 3

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improvement to be good

The home reopened in March 2023. Children have moved in following careful assessment by managers. Children have formed good relationships with staff, who are helping children to settle into the home. One child described the staff as the best thing about the home.

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improvement to be good

Children have made mixed progress since moving in to the home. Initial progress was positive. However, this has plateaued, with some children struggling to live with each other and an increase in incidences. Children have made racist remarks, broken personal items, and written derogatory graffiti outside other children’s bedrooms. The lead therapist has had restorative conversations with children following one significant incident. One child has had to move out of the home due to this conflict. Staff continue to look after the child in another home that is owned by the organisation.

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improvement to be good

Staff have prepared children well to return to education. The children are now ready to return to education in the next academic year.

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improvement to be good

Children are involved in the day-to-day running of the home. They can choose their meals and activities. Children have enjoyable experiences. They can spend time away from the home with friends and family. They go on day trips with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to understand their health needs. Staff have informative conversations with children about health conditions and drug use, if this is required. Staff refer children to specialist support if needed.

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improvement to be good

Overall, the staff team is new and staff are in their probation period. Not all staff have been trained in the home’s model of care. Therefore, it is not embedded into the practice of care provided to the children, reflected in plans for the children, or in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The organisation has appointed a therapeutic lead to support staff to understand the model of care and improve practice. This is in its infancy.

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improvement to be good

The garden area is not a nurturing space for children. The swimming pool was dirty and there was no equipment available to properly drain the pool. A damaged rug from the lounge had also been left in the garden.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks for children. Staff can describe the risks for children and how they should respond to them. Staff respond effectively to children when they Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 4 are missing from home. The records of missing-from-home events clearly record the action taken by staff. Staff know how to raise safeguarding concerns.

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improvement to be good

Concerns about staff practice are well investigated by managers. Managers involve the local authority’s designated officer when required. Managers identify lessons for staff to learn to improve practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff have started to implement clear rules and boundaries for the children. This has had a positive impact. The children are responding to these boundaries, such as by adhering to the times that they need to return home.

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improvement to be good

There are no plans to help staff to respond consistently and safely to children’s behaviour that is difficult to manage. Records fail to detail staff actions in response to incidents and conflicts. Therefore, it is not clear if a consistent approach is taken to support children. Staff are trained to use physical intervention, but have not used it with children.

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improvement to be good

The garden was not safe for children. A broken full-length mirror and shards of glass were stored on the garden patio. This area was accessible to children, and the mirror had been there for over two weeks.

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good

The home has been without a registered manager since March 2023. A manager was appointed and was in the process of registering with Ofsted but has recently withdrawn his application. He remains the interim manager until a registered manager is appointed, and oversees the day-to-day management of home.

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good

The responsible individual has monitoring systems in place to monitor the quality of care for children. These feed into a development plan for the home. This development plan reflects the shortfalls found during the inspection. However, action has not been taken by leaders and managers to address the identified issues.

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good

The staff team is new and inexperienced. Staff join the home with a well-planned induction, which leaves them feeling confident. There are plans in place to develop the staff team’s skills with further training. Staff receive supervision, which is of good quality, and they feel supported by the manager.

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good

Social care professionals report effective communication with managers and staff. Managers have followed up when the local authority has not completed return-home interviews. When a child had not settled in to the home, the managers reviewed this with the local authority. The therapy lead has provided a detailed assessment of the child’s needs to the local authority.

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good

Case records for children are not up to date. Conversations with children are not always recorded to evidence the help provided to them. Weekly progress reports that are used to assess the progress made by children are not consistently Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 5 completed. Due to poor record-keeping, it is not evident if the children are receiving consistent care and support from staff to reach their full potential.

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good

Children’s care plans are not always of a good standard. One child did not have a complete care plan for staff to follow. There were no clear goals for the child to achieve in the home. The child’s plans also did not include the plan from the local authority. Another child’s plan was not up to date and did not show that they no longer lived in the home. This impacts on the quality of care that children are provided with, as staff do not have clear guidance to support children.

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good

There is a variable response to complaints. Children know how to complain and feel that their complaints are listened to. One complaint was not recognised as a complaint by the interim manager. The complaint was investigated. However, there was no record of the outcome being discussed with the child. The complainant has now complained to the responsible individual and the home’s policy is being followed.

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good

The independent person visits regularly but does not seek the views of the children as part of the visit. This was a recommendation made at the last full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 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, 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that hazards in the garden are removed from the home promptly. Ensure that equipment in the garden for the children is clean and ready for use. 4 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children have a care plan for staff to refer to. Ensure that children have plans to provide consistent responses to behaviour. 4 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 4 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 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;

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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)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, have systems in place to ensure that the environment is safe for children to live in. Use the home’s systems to monitor the children’s progress. Ensure that staff understand and use the home’s model of care in their practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, a manager should be appointed to the home, and apply to register with Ofsted. 4 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home has a copy of any plan for the care of the child that has been prepared by the child’s placing authority. Ensure that children’s records are updated in a timely manner to reflect the conversations held with children. 4 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— 4 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 8 if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s views are sought as part of the visit.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that complaints are consistently recognised and managed using the home’s procedures. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2594775 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Brentano Suite Solar House, 915 High Road, North Finchley, London N12 8QJ

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Inspector

Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2594775 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 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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