Children's home run by Kites Children Services Limited in Colchester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 1 SC029560 Registered provider: Kites Children Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is one of two children’s homes operated by a private provider. The home provides specialist therapeutic care and treatment for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/05/2022 Full Inadequate 09/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. One child has recently moved on. This move was sensitively managed and well supported by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with good-quality individualised care that improves their well-being and future opportunities. Children are positive about their experiences and the support they receive from staff. They recognise the progress they make from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s educational needs. Children who were not previously engaging in education have improved their levels of attendance and attainment. One child has recently started attending college, and another child has completed their functional skills exams. Staff have effective working relationships with school staff. When behavioural issues arise for children, staff provide additional support to reduce any barriers to learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Well-planned and regular therapy helps the children to work through previous trauma and assists them to process their complex emotions in a safe space. One child, who was previously unable to participate in one-to-one therapy sessions, has recently started to benefit from this support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a variety of hobbies and activities of interest to them, such as rock climbing, go-karting and fishing. One child is part of a local football club and attends every week. Another child recently participated in a local army parade. Staff research events in the local community and link well with a dedicated outreach team to ensure that children have meaningful experiences which they highly value.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is generally well appointed and equipped to meet children’s needs and preferences. Memorabilia and records of children’s achievements are proudly displayed and support a family-style home. However, some damage to kitchen worktops and a bathroom door needs to be addressed. These issues detract from what is otherwise a well-decorated home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s plan around the arrangements of visits with family members is inaccurate. In addition, the child’s local authority care plan is not up to date. The manager has not challenged the placing authority to make sure that an updated plan is in place. This does not provide consistent guidance for staff.

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

Staff understand the risks that children face at the home and in the community. Detailed risk assessments are effective in directing staff to ensure that children are safer. Risk- Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 4 reduction measures are regularly reviewed and enable children to have increasing levels of independence when it is safe to do so.

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

Staff respond to conflicts between children appropriately and ensure that any immediate situation is de-escalated. Following incidents, staff hold one-to-one discussions and joint restorative meetings with children. This provides opportunities for children to resolve their differences and improve their relationships with each other.

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

Staffs are clear about their roles and responsibilities to safeguard the children. All staff are trained in effective safeguarding practice and have good knowledge of the procedures.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. Since the last inspection, there has been one recent incident, which was responded to by staff in line with the child’s plans. The manager met with the child and discussed future coping strategies to avoid any further risks.

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

Staff generally manage incidents when responding to children’s emotions without the need for physical intervention. When staff use physical restraint, it is proportionate and as a last resort. Managers ensure that individual incidents are reviewed. However, the depth of staff debriefs is limited. This can reduce any wider learning opportunities identified in these interventions.

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

Staff use fair and restorative consequences with children. However, children’s views are not always explored to review the effectiveness of the approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is working towards a relevant level 5 qualification. The manager is supported by a competent deputy manager. Together, they have led the team with clear direction and improved in the quality of care. Their commitment to prioritising children’s views and experiences has been recognised by staff and professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have ensured that the regularity of staff supervision sessions has improved. Staff have more opportunities to reflect on their personal development and children’s needs. Regular team meetings are well attended and constructive. Discussions about staff practice support an open and professional culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have been instrumental in introducing new initiatives that support children’s independence and health. Children are now energised to learn about healthy eating and preparing balanced meals. Individualised incentives and group competitions have improved children’s participation in daily housekeeping tasks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers and an independent reviewing officer have highlighted strong levels of communication and positive changes in the ethos of the home. One parent praised staff’s support and the difference this had made to the child’s overall progress and well- being. Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 5 Staff receive training that is specific to the model of care used. Additional training, including understanding autism and sensory processing difficulties, has recently been provided. However, not all staff have completed their mandatory training within an appropriate time frame. This does not ensure that all staff are fully equipped to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring by an independent person provides an appropriate level of scrutiny to influence improvements in care. However, recent visits have all been announced. Therefore, the additional safeguards intended by this form of monitoring are not always realised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s review of the quality of care is evaluative and considers children’s views well. However, goals identified to oversee continuous developments in practice are not specific or measurable. This could hinder further progress being made. Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers should ensure that staff complete all mandatory training in accordance with their induction plan. 28 June 2024

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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’s placement plans are accurate and up to date. 28 June 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. In particular, ensure that the home is consistently well decorated throughout and that any damage sustained is quickly repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny. In particular, staff debriefs should be recorded in greater depth and children’s views should be consistently sought Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 7 following consequences. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that they make best use of information from external and internal monitoring. In particular, managers should ensure that most

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Recommendations

independent person visits are unannounced. The targets identified for continuous improvement in the quality of care review should be measurable and specific. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC029560 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kites Children Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, Langham, Colchester CO4 5PX

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Inspectors

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Daniel Rankin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC029560 9 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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