Children's Home run by Kent County Council in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 1 SC037282 Registered provider: Kent County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a local authority and provides short-break care for children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and associated complex needs. The maximum number of children who can stay at the home at any one time is seven. There were three children staying overnight at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the 26 September 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: SC037282 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2022 Full Good 24/11/2021 Full Good 03/12/2019 Full Outstanding 13/03/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care provided to children is consistently good. Children look forward to visiting the home and they enjoy the time they spend there. The children are cared for by a consistent and stable team of staff who, in the majority, state they love coming to work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed positive relationships with staff over many months. Staff speak to children with respect and warmth. Many of the children have complex health needs that require staff to provide personal care; this is carried out sensitively, ensuring the child’s dignity is maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made progress since spending time at the home, including expanding their restricted diets, making new friendships and improving their sleep. Staff reflect on the progress children have made, and they are proud of the achievements the children have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff use inclusive language when interacting with the children. However, records sometimes use language that is not inclusive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children are supported on a one-to-one basis when spending time in the home. On the weekends, children will engage in activities outside of the home, such as going to a café or bowling. Activities during the week are more limited.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Plans for children coming into the service are thorough and robust. The leadership team is involved in the local authority panel process, where decisions are made about which children and families would benefit most from short-break provision. Once families reach the top of the waiting list, the transition process begins, involving children and family members. Staff understand the significance for all involved, and they are sensitive to ensuring this process is managed well.

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

The children staying in the home have a variety of complex health needs. Children’s unique health needs are understood and managed well. A registered nurse works in the home three days a week. Her work includes ensuring well-informed health assessments and health care plans. She also provides training to staff to ensure their care practice is safe and meets the needs of the children.

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

Safeguarding the needs of children is a priority within the home. Children rarely go missing from the home. However, missing protocols are on the children’s files should an incident occur. Children who engage in self-injurious behaviours are given additional support. Staff understand where children may be vulnerable, and they are highly vigilant about these issues. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 4 There are protocols in place to support children with epilepsy, and staff understand their responsibilities well. They have completed first-aid training, which covers choking advice. However, a choking protocol is not visible in the home, despite this being a potential risk for many children.

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

Physical interventions are rarely used with children, and when they have occurred, records are clear. Staff are spoken to after incidents, and there is also evidence of prompt management oversight. Records relating to conversations held with children lack detail, and no record is made if, for example, children would not benefit from post-incident discussions.

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

The children’s unique vulnerabilities are known and recorded in detail in their care and safety plans. These resources assist staff to keep children safe. Essential safeguarding information was not found on one child’s file; however, it was documented elsewhere. Although this information was not related to direct care, the absence of it on the child’s main file means an over-reliance on safeguarding information being handed over verbally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for the children in her care, frequently described as going above and beyond in her role. She is invested in the lives of the children who visit the short-break services and always ensures a representative of the home attends any external meetings. She advocates effectively and provides constructive challenge to families and/or external agencies to ensure decisions are in the best interests of the children who visit the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and have described feeling valued and supported by the manager and her deputy. The way formal supervision sessions are recorded is ad hoc, and the quality of supervision provided to staff is currently inconsistent. This is a missed opportunity for managers to establish gaps in certain staff competencies and areas for professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is motivated to improve the services provided to children. She is aware of the strengths and areas for development. These include improving the way children participate in the running of the home and ensuring staff use individual communication folders with children. The manager is working hard to encourage these new initiatives. However, they remain in the early stages and were not fully embedded in the practice observed during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home does accept emergency placements and has also cared for children on a short-term, permanent basis. By offering this support, the home has provided children with care and shelter when families have been in crisis. However, this has put increased pressure on the staff team and, at times, had a negative impact on the dynamics between the children accessing the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 5 Parents and external professionals speak highly of the care given to children, both from the leadership team and staff. They are described as approachable, committed to the children and always available. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, includes details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained is given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children; administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment; help children to manage long-term conditions and where necessary meet specific individual health needs arising from

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Recommendations

a disability, chronic condition or other complex needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC037282 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kent County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sessions House, County Road, Maidstone ME14 1XQ

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Inspector

Jane Balfe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 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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