Children's Home run by Little Acorns London Beach Farm Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 1 SC023651 Registered provider: Little Acorns London Beach Farm Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for up to eight children who may have social, emotional and mental health needs. There were five children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider operates an independent school located in the same grounds as the home. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2023 Full Good 05/10/2022 Full Good 05/05/2021 Full Good 21/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 3

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improvement to be good

The home is surrounded by countryside and is spacious throughout. Communal areas include two lounges and a large dining area where children relax, play and eat together. Children’s bedrooms are personalised in line with their interests. However, children are not able to fully access all areas of the home, including a room that some children find calming and the expansive garden, due to maintenance issues. For example, one child, who was unsettled, asked to go to the conservatory but was unable to do so due to a leaking roof and puddles inside. This prevented the child from using a space that is identified to support their emotional well-being. The damage to the conservatory has been present for several months.

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improvement to be good

Children regularly enjoy community activities and outings. Children attend clubs, including Scouts and football and have swimming lessons. These opportunities enable children to be active, make new friends and learn new skills. However, on occasion, there is a lack of structure and planning for children’s activities when they are at the home. This is further exacerbated by children not having full access to the home’s outdoor spaces.

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improvement to be good

All children attend education and are making progress from their starting points. Most children attend the on-site school and managers maintain daily communication with school leaders and staff. One child, who requires one to one support, attends a school some distance from the home. They travel to and from school by organised transport, however, they are not supported on their school journeys by a member of staff. Furthermore, the child’s safety plans have not been updated to reflect a recent incident that occurred when the child was travelling in a car.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met and they attend their routine medical appointments. Appropriate advice and treatment are sought following medical incidents. Managers ensure that specialist assessments are completed to further explore and understand children’s needs. This in turn informs children’s care planning, to ensure that children receive any additional support or intervention required.

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improvement to be good

Children spend time with their families and friends. Children’s views are considered and agreed plans are implemented. Staff support children to maintain friendships outside of the home. This ensures that children spend time with those who are important to them. One family member described staff as ‘brilliant’ and said they get weekly phone calls from staff, who provide an update on their child’s care. Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 4

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improvement to be good

The home is not well maintained and some urgent repairs are required. Some of these issues were addressed during the inspection. For example, in the garden space that children use there were multiple planks of wood with exposed nails that needed to be removed. These posed a risk to children’s safety. Therefore, the requirement that was raised at the previous inspection to address the issues relating to the outside space has not been met.

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improvement to be good

Internal maintenance issues include a damaged staircase carpet, a bathroom used by children that requires retiling, shower fixtures that need repairs and broken kitchen cupboards. Rooms that children can access are used to store various items and furniture. This is not conducive to a nurturing home environment.

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improvement to be good

There is regular use of physical intervention to support children with their behaviour. Records show that identified strategies to support children have not always been followed by staff. Furthermore, actions taken by staff have, at times, exacerbated a child’s behaviour, leading to an avoidable use of physical intervention. Consequently, one child was subject to physical restraint that is not considered to be reasonable or proportionate. Leaders and managers had already identified this and were taking action to address this with staff.

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improvement to be good

Children have made allegations of harm following physical restraint. Allegations are reported to external agencies when required and are investigated by the registered manager. However, there have been delays in notifying some of these allegations to Ofsted. The registered manager had already identified this and is taking action to address this.

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improvement to be good

Children’s bedroom doors are fitted with an alarm system that alerts staff at night when they are opened. The home does not use waking night staff. The system is used to ensure that staff can offer appropriate support to children during the night, such as when a child may feel ill. However, for one child, who has lived in the home for many months, the required consent has not been obtained from their placing local authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is overseen by a consistent and suitably qualified management team. The registered manager and responsible individual maintain an effective and supportive working relationship.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers recognise the strengths of the home and the areas for improvement. However, they have not ensured that they use their reviewing and monitoring systems to identify and address numerous shortfalls. Consequently, monitoring systems have not been fully effective and the requirement raised at the last inspection has not been met. Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 5 Leaders and managers have not ensured that children’s safety plans are consistently reviewed and updated to reflect changes in their behaviours. The reviewing of incident records has at times failed to identify poor staff practice promptly enough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight of health and safety in the home has been ineffective. Weekly fire safety checks have been missed on several occasions, with a considerable gap between some checks. Additionally, the annual service of the home’s fire equipment was not completed within the required timescales. Health and safety checks of the premises have failed to address health and safety risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager maintains positive working relationships with external professionals. Information and reports are shared with children’s social workers following incidents. One professional reported excellent communication with staff and described them as being really committed to children. The registered manager is proactive in challenging professionals and advocating for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision. Performance issues are addressed and strategies are discussed for professional development. Improvements in practice are recognised accordingly. Staff say they feel supported by leaders and managers and feel confident when raising issues. Regular team meetings are held, enabling wider reflection and development for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff access ongoing and relevant training to support them in their roles. Training specific to children’s needs is commissioned. Prompt action is taken by managers to source new training courses and deliver internal workshops to improve staff practice when issues have been identified. New staff receive a clear induction, which incorporates the home’s therapeutic model of care and core mandatory training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

As part of the recruitment process, candidates spend time with children and staff, who feed back to managers about their experiences. However, safer recruitment processes are inconsistent. This is because there is insufficient information on application forms regarding an applicant’s employment history. As a result, gaps in employment are not identified or explained. This increases the risk of unsuitable candidates working with children. Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 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;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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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)(a)(i)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. 24 May 2024

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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; 24 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 7 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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 24 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 24 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 24 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 8 (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(b)) 24 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4 (c)) 24 May 2024

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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: SC023651 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Little Acorns London Beach Farm Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: B3 Kingfisher House, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0JQ

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Inspectors

Chris Warren, Social Care Inspector Kelly Marchmont, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: SC023651 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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