Children's home run by Back on Track Children’s Services SE LTD in Dover

Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 1 SC473404 Registered provider: Back on Track Childrens Services SE LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 17 March 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 12 September 2023

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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: SC473404 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good 22/11/2022 Full Good 30/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences vary in quality. One child said that they like living at the home and external professionals confirmed that they are happy with the care the child receives. However, some children and staff do not build and maintain positive relationships. This is because the staff team’s responses to children’s individual needs are not consistently good.

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improvement to be good

Children do not always receive the support that they need to make good progress in relation to their emotional well-being. When children struggle to manage their emotions, they sometimes show this through their behaviour. Staff do not always respond in a supportive and caring manner. This can lead to children feeling unsafe and their behaviour escalating as a result. Staff miss opportunities to ensure that children are provided with the support that they need when they are upset and helped to find other ways of expressing how they are feeling.

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improvement to be good

Most children attend full-time education, and their educational needs are prioritised by staff. One child is not yet enrolled in a local education provision. The registered manager is proactively working alongside relevant external professionals to address this. In the meantime, staff are helping the child to maintain a healthy routine and encouraging the child to participate in alternative learning opportunities that are available to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of maximising opportunities for children to spend time with their families. To make sure that arrangements for family time are in line with children’s wishes, staff consult with children before and after each visit. The registered manager keeps all family time under careful review and advocates for children to spend time alone with their families when this is safe and appropriate. This approach supports children to maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

There is a robust process in place to make sure that staff understand children’s care and support needs before they come to live at the home. When children leave, their move takes place at a pace that is suitable for the child. Staff make sure that the staff in the child’s new home receive up-to-date information about children’s routines, hobbies, and the support that they require, including the support they need to meet their health needs.

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improvement to be good

There are some shortfalls in relation to the management of allegations about staff. When allegations are made, there is sometimes a delay before consultations take place with the local authority designated officer. Additionally, Ofsted is not always notified about serious events. This limits the regulator’s ability to monitor the management response to Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 4 safeguarding incidents. On one occasion, the registered manager did not recognise signs that staff had potentially subjected a child to emotional abuse. As a result, external safeguarding professionals were not notified in a timely way. This had the potential to place children at risk of further harm.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children going missing from the home are very rare. When they occur, they are for short periods. Staff follow missing-from-home procedures, which are individualised according to children’s needs, to ensure that they return home safely when they go missing.

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improvement to be good

When behavioural incidents occur, physical restraint is used only as a last resort to keep children safe. However, records do not demonstrate that incidents are subject to sufficient scrutiny by the registered manager.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment processes have improved since the last inspection. However, records of recruitment do not fully demonstrate sound decision-making about staff suitability. This shortfall in recording undermines an otherwise rigorous process that ensures that only suitable adults are employed to work in the home.

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

Management monitoring of staff conduct is not sufficiently robust. Despite some good practice in relation to management oversight of incidents, some serious concerns about staff conduct have not been addressed in a timely way.

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

The registered manager knows the children well and is a good role model for staff in relation to providing nurturing care for children. One external professional commented positively about the registered manager’s calm and relaxed approach when helping children during difficult times.

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

Staff speak highly of the support that they receive from the registered manager. Staff receive regular supervision that provides them with opportunities to reflect on their practice and discuss their own well-being. Staff have plans in place that identify development opportunities.

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

Staff have completed all the training that is deemed mandatory by the organisation. When the registered manager recognises that staff need additional training that equips them to meet the specific needs of the children they are looking after, they ensure that this is provided.

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

The registered manager involves staff in lessons-learned discussions when children leave home. As a result, there is shared understanding about what went well and what could have been better. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d)) 3 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; 3 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 6 help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 3 February 2025

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 3 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 7 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(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

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)) 3 February 2025

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 8 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: SC473404 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Back on Track Childrens Services SE LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 185 Dover Road, Walmer, Deal CT14 7NB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Campbell

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Inspector

Sonata Brisley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC473404 10 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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