Children's home run by Back on Track Children’s Services SE LTD

Inspection report for children's home: 2509473 1 Registered provider: Back on Track Children’s Services SE Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties. There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted on 12 February 2019.

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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: 7 February 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2509473 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2023 Full Good 01/12/2021 Full Good 08/01/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 21/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2509473 3

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outstanding

Children who live in the home are loved. They are provided with an excellent quality of care that makes them feel valued. One child said, ‘I feel safe living here. The staff are amazing and make me feel safe. It feels like family.’

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outstanding

Children’s progress is exceptional, and they flourish while living in the home. They are supported to build their own identity through hobbies and interests. Children grow in confidence and make progress with their social and emotional skills.

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outstanding

Children’s risks significantly reduce because of the support that they receive. All staff are invested in ensuring the best outcomes for children. They go above and beyond and hold children in mind. One professional stated, ‘Out of all the residential provisions I have worked with, this is one of the most professional and invested staff teams I have worked alongside.’

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outstanding

Staff use research to inform the interactions that they have with children, particularly when carrying out key-work sessions. This results in interesting and varied approaches to their conversations. Relationships between the staff and children are excellent and valued by both sides.

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outstanding

Children make excellent educational progress. Most of the children had not attended school for a considerable time before living in the home and now attend education full time. The manager ensures that the educational needs of the children are met or their targets exceeded.

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outstanding

Children’s emotional health needs are met and the manager works closely with external providers to access mental health support for children. This results in children receiving therapy that best fits their needs.

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outstanding

Children are provided with a wide range of experiences that promote their self- esteem, self-confidence and individual identity. All the children engage with hobbies in the community, including guitar lessons, gymnastics and rugby training.

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outstanding

Children’s time with their families is encouraged and supported by staff, who also ensure that they build positive relationships with the children’s families.

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outstanding

Children are protected from harm. Their safety and well-being are a priority. One child told the inspector that they want to live here because staff make them feel safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2509473 4 When children are new to the home, any risks are well understood through risk assessments and discussions with other professionals. This is a process carried out by the manager in liaison with the staff team. The manager also ensures that there is thorough consideration of the needs of the children already living in the home and the impact that a new child may have.

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outstanding

Highly effective planning minimises risks to the children inside and outside the home. Staff consider different ways to work with the children to keep them safe. Key-work sessions are informed by research and consider different strategies to reduce risk and harm. For example, staff are skilled at managing risks relating to children harming themselves and identify different coping strategies for children to use. This has resulted in a reduction in self-harming incidents.

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outstanding

Staff understand the risks to the children and work with them in a consistent manner. Staff are proactive and creative in their approach, using a range of activities that promote relationship-building and trust. A school professional said, ‘In summary, the support that the home and school have put in place for [name of child] has enabled them to learn significant self-regulation techniques, leading to them being a much more settled individual.’

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outstanding

Risk assessments are updated each month and are well informed. Staff understand them and they are discussed with the children. This collaborative approach helps to ensure consistent positive outcomes for the children. No children have gone missing, despite this being a significant risk for some children before they came to live in this home.

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outstanding

Incidents involving allegations against staff and other professionals are well managed. However, on one isolated occasion, feedback given to a child at the end of an investigation was not recorded in writing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has been in post since the home opened. She provides a clear and consistent approach to the children, staff and professionals. The inspector received excellent feedback about the manager, which was unanimously positive. She committed and aspirational for the children and staff and leads by example to ensure that high-quality care is provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager consistently advocates for the children, with conviction and strength. Staff say they love coming to work, feel supported by the manager and that they also feel part of a family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are offered a wide range of training. They are provided with regular one-to-one supervision and have group supervisions supported by a therapist. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice, both individually and as a group. This positively impacts on their ability to consider the children’s needs and how best to support them. Inspection report for children's home: 2509473 5 The manager completes monthly reviews and shares them with relevant professionals, who feel that these are informative and helpful. Professionals provided consistently positive feedback about the manager and staff, saying communication is excellent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager wants to hear the views of the children and gains these through regular children’s meetings and key-work sessions. This has led to changes in the home, such as a new room made for gaming, redecoration of the home and ideas for trips and activities. Inspection report for children's home: 2509473 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and should ensure that the outcome of the complaint is shared with them and recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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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: 2509473 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Back on Track Children’s Services SE Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 185 Dover Road, Walmer, Deal CT14 7NB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Campbell

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Inspector

Faye McCarthy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2509473 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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