Children's Home run by Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1274846 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

This home is privately run and provides care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in February 2024. In May 2024, a manager was appointed, and they have applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 19 December 2023

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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: 1274846 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2023 Full Good 20/06/2022 Full Good 01/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1274846 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, four children have moved out and four children have moved into the home. All four children spoke with the inspector during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported with their moves into the home. Staff and managers ensure that there are enjoyable group activities planned when a child moves in. Children who moved in over the summer have been camping at the coast. Outdoor summer activities like these help children to build positive relationships and develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children who have moved out have returned to carers closer to their homes, in line with their wishes. Staff ensure that plans are made so that children can meet their new carers and see their new homes before moving in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are invited to share their views in weekly meetings. Children make suggestions about the daily living arrangements. These include extra-curricular clubs, organising food shopping and opportunities to look after their own pets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise preparation for adulthood. Each child has an individualised plan and is supported to develop practical and emotional skills in line with their developmental needs. One child does not feel ready to move into a more independent setting. Therefore, they have been supported to communicate this to their social worker and a longer stay has been agreed. This helps children to feel that they can exercise control over their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in their education from their individual starting points. Three children receive home tuition, which helps them to reintegrate into formal learning in a way they are comfortable with. An education professional said, ‘The staff here do more to help than anywhere else I have been, they are really creative and proactive about encouraging children with their education.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are understood by staff and supported by clear plans. When staff have concerns about children’s health and medication, they talk regularly to medical professionals to discuss how they can support and monitor these.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers seek external specialist support for children’s mental health needs where appropriate. When children are placed on long waiting lists for support, managers seek advice from other agencies and find solutions to support children in the interim.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A diverse staff team supports children’s identities. Children’s beliefs are respected, which allows them to maintain their heritage and identity. Staff offer appropriate challenge to discriminatory views and encourage understanding and tolerance. Inspection report for children’s home: 1274846 4

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

Staff use a trauma-informed approach to understand children’s behaviour. The home employs a psychotherapist, who considers how children’s experience of trauma impacts on their behaviours. She discusses this with the staff and incorporates this into their plans. When staff identify children’s emerging vulnerabilities, such as online safety risks, the therapist provides child-friendly resources to help staff talk to children. This helps staff to respond quickly and effectively to identified risks.

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

The known and potential risks to children are well understood by managers and staff. When staff are concerned about where children are going, they follow them and act in accordance with plans to try to keep them safe. Conversations with children during key- work sessions and following incidents help children to understand why adults are worried about them.

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

One child, who had frequently been considered missing from home, has not run away since living at the home. Another child said, ‘This home is a good one, it is like a real home, I do like it here.’

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

Children talk to staff and their social workers about times they have experienced exploitation and other types of harm. This reflects the trusted relationships staff and children have built. Managers work with the relevant agencies to adapt care plans, including arrangements for when children meet with family members, to reduce the risk of harm.

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

There are suitable arrangements for fire prevention, such as regular servicing of fire equipment and tests on the fire detection system. When there have been incidents of fire-setting, staff respond quickly to ensure everyone’s safety. There has been one concern about a staff member’s response to managing fire risk. This has been referred to appropriate agencies in line with the safeguarding procedure.

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

The use of physical intervention to manage behaviour is infrequent. When it is used, it is proportionate and used only to keep children safe.

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

Recruitment procedures are thorough for permanent and agency staff. This ensures that children are looked after by suitable adults.

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

The registered manager left in February 2024. An interim manager provided oversight of the home between February 2024 and August 2024. The home is managed by a registered social worker, who started her role in August 2024. She has quickly developed supportive relationships with children and staff and identified practice areas that require development. Inspection report for children’s home: 1274846 5 When there have been significant incidents at the home, managers have not always ensured that Ofsted has been notified without delay. This does not support Ofsted as the regulator to ensure oversight.

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

Management monitoring is not always effective. Record-keeping does not consistently provide clarity and accuracy of information. Reflective conversations with staff and children following physical interventions are not consistently recorded. Specific details about the time children have been missing from home are not captured in the records.

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

Managers from other homes in the organisation have carried out investigations when children have made allegations of harm. The records of these have not always been clear enough to provide other agencies with an accurate overview of the actions taken. Risk assessments for staff working during investigations have not always fully considered the potential impact on children.

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

The manager’s quality of care review was submitted seven weeks late. This was due to management changes earlier in the year. This means that Ofsted does not have an up- to-date understanding of the care provided.

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

Managers challenge other agencies when they feel that children are not receiving the service they should. This includes when children are not offered return home interviews promptly by their local authorities. However, there is no record about information provided by other professionals when they have carried out return home interviews. This means that managers cannot use this information to better inform children’s plans.

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

Managers ensure that the staff receive training on relevant matters to support children. They seek out specialist training in areas that reflect children’s presenting needs, including child exploitation and radicalisation.

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

Managers carry out learning reviews when children move on from the home. These reviews are reflective and consider how the staff have been able to meet the children’s needs and demonstrate progress. The learning reviews provide a critical oversight and have been used to inform planning around how children are welcomed into the home.

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

Staff feel supported by the new manager. Together, the interim and deputy managers make a good team. One staff member said, ‘I would not be where I am without their support.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1274846 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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that management oversight includes accuracy of information and the impact on staff and children. This includes investigation reports, missing-from-home records and physical intervention records. 31 October 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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 31 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1274846 7 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 25 (1) (4)(a))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Information provided by such interviews should be clearly recorded and considered when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: 1274846 8

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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

Natalie Day, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1274846 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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