Children's Home run by Pilgrims Corner Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 1 SC473891 Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may have social, emotional and mental health needs. The provider also operates another home in the local area. There were two children living at this home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager. An acting manager is overseeing the home but has not yet 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected 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

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2024

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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: SC473891 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Good 16/03/2023 Full Good 16/02/2022 Full Good 12/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have remained living at the home. During this time, there have been changes in the staff team and unsettled times for children. Despite this, staff have managed well to support children through difficult incidents, following clear protocols and strategies set out by the manager.

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improvement to be good

The home was recently decorated, however, there is visible damage in the main living area and some outside areas need attention. The home does not have a development plan, however, the current manager is aware of the issues and intends to make improvements.

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improvement to be good

Staff have guidance to help the children to engage positively in daily routines and, overall, they provide consistent guidance and boundaries. However, on occasions, staff are not consistent in how they respond when children use inappropriate language, such as swearing.

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improvement to be good

There is inconsistency in supporting children with health needs. Staff have shown grit and determination in ensuring that urgent health needs are met, and they respond quickly to immediate health concerns. However, dietary advice and guidance from health professionals for one child has not been implemented with sufficient attention to accuracy. For another child with a health condition, staff did not seek medical advice on how they could have been affected following an incident when they drank alcohol.

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improvement to be good

Staff have developed positive relationships with the children at a pace suited to them, taking into consideration their individual personalities and communication needs. As a result, the children feel more settled and can seek support from staff. When children’s behaviours change, staff understand the challenges they face, and sensitively encourage them to talk about their worries. This is a strength of the team and is reflected well in the records.

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improvement to be good

Children have not been attending school or tutoring sessions offered in the home. The manager has taken action for children to have more educational options available to them in the coming months. For example, one child was being supported to visit a school during the summer holidays and encouraged to prepare for school in the new term.

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improvement to be good

Children have made progress from their starting points and they are supported to explore hobbies and interests which will help them develop further. One child is now able to stay safe in the community and enjoy free time with friends. One child was recognised for their significant achievement in starting to attend routine health appointments. Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 4

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

Risk plans for children are completed to a high standard. Records are detailed and child- centred and are kept up to date so that staff understand the children’s support needs. There is evidence of effective work in response to significant events leading to a reduction in incidents.

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

Staff know what to do if children go missing from home. They take action to find children and seek support from emergency services. Staff have managed several high- risk situations well, and managers have ensured that children receive follow-up support from specialist services when needed. However, meetings with children to check on their welfare after they return home have not always taken place.

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

When children experience difficult emotions that lead to self-harm, staff know how to respond to keep them safe. Managers and staff have shown resilience and a calm perseverance in helping children to understand their feelings and how to look after themselves.

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

Staff and managers provide support to help children to stop smoking and seek advice from medical professionals. This is approached in a manner which allows children to make positive choices.

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

The manager’s records of safeguarding incidents, including debriefs with staff and evaluations of incidents, are mostly good. However, on one occasion, although action was taken internally regarding an allegation about a staff member, there was a missed opportunity to share this information with other professionals.

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

There has been no registered manager since March 2024, and subsequent temporary managers overseeing the home have also left. The current manager has been in post for 11 weeks. However, they have not yet applied to be registered, and senior managers have not informed Ofsted of the appointment.

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

Although the current manager has been in post for a short time, they know the children and home well, have taken action to make improvements and are committed to ensuring children receive the support they need. One external professional said the manager has a strong, positive presence in the home and there has already been an improvement in communication.

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

There continue to be gaps in monitoring systems, such as the manager’s monthly audits, reviewing gaps in training, and oversight of building maintenance. Managers have started to improve systems and are being creative in developing new tools to support these activities. However, as these are not fully in place, it is not possible to assess their effectiveness. Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 5 Staff have regular opportunities to meet and discuss the care for the children. The staff feel supported by the current manager and supervision arrangements ensure that they have a formal space for development and reflection. There are frequent team meetings to update staff thoroughly on a range of policies and developments in the home. These are well attended and records show well-organised and good-quality support is provided by managers.

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

Managers have good knowledge of children’s support needs and work with each child’s professional team to ensure that they have access to education, health and well-being services. However, there are shortfalls in arrangements to ensure staff have training to support children in some key areas. The current manager is aware and is making plans to improve staff training.

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

The current managers have shown resilience during their short time in post and have guided the team through a high level of significant incidents, while prioritising children having a stable home environment. The current manager is rightly proud of the work the staff have been doing to keep children safe and has a clear expectation for standards of care for children. Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children receive welfare checks from an appropriate professional when they return from being missing from the home. 15 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 31 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 7 the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)) Specifically, the registered person must ensure staff are trained in children’s identified health needs. Ensure that health needs for children are monitored and action is taken when children are at risk from unsafe behaviours or are not engaging in health plans set out by medical professionals.

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Requirement Due date

The appointment of manager standard is that the registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— 31 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 8 the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children

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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)(c)(e)(f)) Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they have oversight of all work being completed. Ensure that incidents and work are evaluated to establish patterns and trends and identify areas of learning in order to make continuous improvements. 31 October 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health. They should ensure that repairs and decoration work are completed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3) Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 9  The registered person should ensure that work is undertaken with the staff team to understand how to respond to each child’s individual behaviours and to react appropriately when children use inappropriate language. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14)  The registered person should ensure that the relevant officer or teams within the local authority are informed promptly of all allegations that come to an employer’s attention. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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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: SC473891 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pilgrims Corner Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Gathering Space, Highland Court Farm, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent CT4 5HW

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Inspector

Shirin White, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC473891 11 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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