Children's Home run by Bay Tree House Higham Ltd in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: 2684211 1 Registered provider: Bay Tree House Higham Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered in August 2022. It provides residential therapeutic care for up to six children aged between eight and 17. The home specialises in working with adolescents and providing nurturing care for children with a range of difficulties, including behavioural and learning difficulties, language and communication difficulties and autism There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The post of registered manager has been vacant since August 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: 30 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: 2684211 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2024 Full Good 15/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2684211 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved into the home in the last few months. Children are settled and say that they like living in the home. Staff work hard to overcome any challenges as children settle, and manage relationships between children well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s individual needs and help them to communicate using personalised communication aids and tools. Some children who have never used communication tools before have learned to use them at the home. As a result, children can better communicate their wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are making progress from their starting points. This is due to the support that they receive from staff. Staff promote children’s education. When children are not yet enrolled in full-time education, appropriate support is provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and support children’s cultural needs. For example, staff support children to follow their chosen religions and to engage in important daily cultural activities. One parent said that they are happy with the support that their child receives and how their cultural needs are met. Staff support children to spend time with their families and the people who are the most important to them.

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

There are effective safeguarding procedures at the home. Staff are aware of these and follow them. When safeguarding concerns arise, managers diligently address them. Strong partnership working with other professionals leads to a positive and proactive safeguarding culture.

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

Staff talk to children and help them to understand risks and how to stay safe. Children rarely go missing from home, and staff do their best to prevent such incidents.

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

Staff have strong relationships with children and manage situations well. Consequently, restraint is rarely used. When relationships between children become strained, staff work with them to help them to understand the impact of their behaviour and how to live together safely.

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

Risk assessments are thorough and provide staff with clear, up-to-date guidance about how to keep children safe. When children move into the home, risks are carefully considered and information is sought from other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been a few changes in the leadership team since the last inspection. Managers placed a strong emphasis on ensuring consistent and good-quality care for Inspection report for children's home: 2684211 4 children during this time. A new manager has now been appointed. They are passionate about improving outcomes for children and have a clear vision for children at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team is ambitious about ensuring children’s progress and keen to ensure that children receive the best care. Leaders arrange and fund additional assessments or support if they believe that these are needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and the records of these sessions are detailed. However, staff’s development goals are sometimes unclear and not all staff have had an annual appraisal. Staff meetings take place regularly and these are effective for information sharing. Children’s needs and welfare are at the heart of these meetings and leaders clearly communicate their expectations about the quality of care that children should receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers generally have good oversight of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. However, the manager’s oversight of some incidents is not always consistent. On some occasions, debriefs with staff and children are not recorded records do not always show how learning has been implemented. The impact of these shortfalls is reduced because of the quality of the relationships between staff and children. Inspection report for children's home: 2684211 5

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure consistent oversight of incidents and that debriefs take place after incidents with all involved. Lessons learned should inform practice when shortfalls are identified. 19 December 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and of children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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 Inspection report for children's home: 2684211 6 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: 2684211 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bay Tree House Higham Ltd

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Bethany Allen-Terry

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Inspector

Sonata Brisley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2684211 8 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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