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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1258386 1 Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private organisation, providing care for up to three children. According to the home’s statement of purpose, it adopts an approach to childcare with a focus on understanding the wide-ranging needs of children and aiming to understand their behaviour within the context of adverse experiences and trauma. This provider states that it specialises in working with children with social and emotional difficulties. One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection, although they were staying at an alternative location.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since March 2024.

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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

Date of last inspection: 31 January 2024

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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: 1258386 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/01/2024 Full Good 31/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/08/2021 Full Good 20/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1258386 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved on from the home since the last inspection, and one child is currently away from the home in a specialist service. The processes for moving children into the home is good, with clear and comprehensive plans being in place, including seeking information from relevant professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While children’s moves into the home are well planned, children have not remained living in the home due to unforeseen circumstances. The staff have tried hard to maintain placements and keep children living in the home. One child has moved into another home within the organisation. Learning reviews and sessions with staff have helped to determine if there was anything different that could have been done to ensure that children had positive stays in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s individual needs are well understood. A parent commented that staff worked well with their child to support them and ensure that they had the opportunity to engage in positive activities. Children maintain their relationships with family through regular, agreed family time. Staff work with the placing authority to advocate for the child about how often they would like to see their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have access to education. One child received a supportive transition into school and made good progress. When their timetable was reduced, staff liaised with the school and arranged for the child to continue receiving education at home from teachers known to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to understand the importance of life skills, such as personal hygiene and independence. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn these skills through individual sessions and activities. Children have been able to learn about self-care, for example by engaging in pamper sessions with staff. Joint working with partner agencies, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), means that children are helped to understand their emotional health and well-being.

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

Staff training and skills mean that the children are protected from harm as far as possible. Staff understand the risks that children may face due to their vulnerabilities and support them to reduce their risks when they are worried or upset. Risk assessments are completed with the wider professional support network. They are clear and simple for staff to understand, meaning there is consistency in response to promoting safety.

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

Staff respond when children are missing from home. Staff have responded swiftly to try and keep children safe, involving emergency services where appropriate when children have tried to harm themselves. After these incidents, children are well supported to consider why they felt the way they did, and how they could respond next time. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258386 4 Staff work in collaboration with CAMHS to further support children who are seeking to physically harm themselves. The organisation’s therapeutic lead provides guidance for staff to help children when they are feeling this way. Both children and staff benefit from positive debriefs, allowing a reflective and open space for staff to talk.

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

Physical intervention is only used when necessary. Records in the main are clear; however, there are gaps in management oversight, and there is not always clarity on what type of hold has been used to keep the child safe. Again, both children and staff have time after these incidents to reflect and consider different approaches in the future.

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

Safer recruitment practice is used when employing new staff in the home. Agency staff also undergo a suitable level of scrutiny prior to working in the home.

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

Children are protected from avoidable risk through regular checks of the home. The home has been fully refurbished recently. However, the oil tank in the garden is not suitably enclosed to keep children safe, and the fence between the garden and the stream next to it is not of a suitable height.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since March 2024. A manager was in post and applied to be register with Ofsted. However, they left in September 2024 before becoming the registered manager. In the absence of a registered manager, senior managers provide appropriate levels of support to the staff team. Staff members speak positively about senior managers and one member of staff described them as very responsive when they have needed support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recently formed senior management team has high aspirations for children. Its members are implementing new processes and practice approaches which still need to be fully embedded into practice. They have evaluated the current staff team skills to ensure that only children whose needs they can meet will move into the home. In addition, they have been considering the skills a new manager would need to have suitable oversight of the home. They are in the process of seeking a new manager for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff undergo a wide range of training to meet children’s needs in addition to expected mandatory training. Most of the team have been enrolled to complete a suitable level 3 or equivalent qualification. The responsible individual recognises that suitable training is key to children receiving good-quality care and ensures that this is made available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff aim to create a safe and open environment for children to explore who they are, and through this approach actively champion equality and diversity. Staff have addressed the use of racially inappropriate language sensitively with children through education and open discussions. Children learn about other people in society through charity work, which they happily engage in. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258386 5 Senior leaders are aware that there are some staff vacancies at the home. There is an active recruitment drive to find the right people to promote the ethos of the home, understanding that this may lead to continued vacancies. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258386 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the oil tank is suitably enclosed, and that the fence between the garden and the adjacent stream is of a suitable height. 29 November 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

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records and recording processes are clear. 29 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1258386 7 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. (Regulation 27 (a)) 29 November 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: 1258386 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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Inspectors

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Louise Webling, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1258386 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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Inspectors

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