Children's Home run by Kent County Council in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 1 SC037282 Registered provider: Kent County Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides short break care for children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and associated complex needs. The maximum number of children who can stay at the home at any one time is seven. There were no children staying at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the 26 September 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Good 24/11/2021 Full Good 03/12/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, 52 children were being supported on a rotational basis by this short break service. Children have good experiences and value their short breaks.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers plan effective introductions, including day visits, to ensure that children feel comfortable and prepared before staying overnight. Arrangements and plans for regular stays are efficiently organised and made well in advance. Children are well matched as a group when staying for a short break. This helps promote friendships and socialisation.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have good working relationships with social work teams and parents. Feedback from professionals and families has been generally positive. When feedback has been less positive, staff have worked with children’s social workers and parents to try and resolve concerns.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create daily records about each child’s day. These include detail about daily and nighttime routines, dietary intake and activities. Records also include children’s feedback, such as if they have enjoyed their day. Staff ensure that this is also captured for children who do not communicate verbally. Daily records are provided for parents; this helps staff and parents know what is happening for their children when they stay.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities. This includes an array of games, crafts and other activities organised by staff in the home. Trips and excursions out of the home are also arranged regularly. Staff take children to a variety of places, including local parks, the beach, bowling or visits to local attractions.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take children’s views into account as much as possible, for example when excursions are organised. Staff know children’s communication needs and use a variety of methods to communicate with them. This includes extensive use of non-verbal communication techniques, for example with picture cards, story stems or electronic aids.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff handle a high amount of medication prescribed to children. Staff follow clear and well-developed medication administration processes. Robust auditing procedures are combined with comprehensive staff medication competency checks. This helps ensure that medication is administered safely and effectively.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment offers a nurturing and stimulating environment that meets children’s needs and preferences. There are multiple shared spaces for children to use, include a lounge, activity and soft-play rooms, a sensory room and a spa. A recently refurbished garden offers a large outdoor space, which has an excellent range of outdoor play equipment. Bedrooms are themed and vary in style, bedrooms are also tailored to cater for a range of children’s needs. The home is well-furnished and kept clean and tidy. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 4

p.3

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

Staff know their safeguarding responsibilities and have good knowledge of children’s additional vulnerabilities and of whistleblowing procedures. When safeguarding concerns emerge, managers have responded promptly and effectively. Accidents, injuries and other incidents are recorded, and managers review and learn from them.

p.4

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

Children come to the home with complex needs, and these are comprehensively assessed by leaders and managers. This includes working closely with parents and the Local Authority to build a thorough understanding of children. Detailed initial assessments cover all aspects of children’s health and care needs. This includes any diagnoses, medication requirements, dietary needs, personal care and sleeping routines. This helps to ensure that children receive well-planned care that safely meets their complex health needs.

p.4

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

Some children require assistance with moving or handling. Their needs are well documented, and they are supported by skilled staff who provide individualised care. Extensive equipment to support moving and handling of children is available and is kept maintained and in working order. Occupational therapists within the staff team and externally provide additional equipment and assistance to meet children’s additional physical needs. This helps ensure children with limited mobility can enjoy as much freedom and movement as possible.

p.4

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

Staff use well-devised and proactive behaviour management strategies to successfully reduce situations that can increase children’s anxiety. Staff are well skilled in de- escalation methods and only one physical intervention has been necessary since the last inspection. There have been no missing-from-care episodes. However, staff and managers are aware of missing-from-care protocols and children have individual missing- from-care profiles.

p.4

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

Children’s needs and plans are monitored, and targets and goals for children are also identified. However, updates to children’s needs assessments and plans are not always recorded clearly or reviewed regularly in-line with the home’s statement of purpose. Targets are not routinely reviewed, and progress made by children towards reaching their targets isn’t regularly recorded.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. She is competent and committed to supporting staff and children. The manager is supported by a skilled deputy manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a positive child-focused ethos, which is reflected by staff across this short break service. Staff speak fondly about the children they support. Many staff have worked in home for a lengthy period and have a lot of experience. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 5 Managers monitor staffing levels and trends, and plan stays accordingly. Cancelled stays are uncommon. However, several recent staff departures and retirement have meant that the home needed to cancel two stays for children recently. The managers worked with the children’s parents to rearrange the stays, reducing the impact on children and families.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are actively recruiting staff, and safer recruitment processes are followed. New staff receive a suitable induction. Newer staff say they feel well supported and prepared. This means that staff joining the home are well prepared and have the necessary skills to start working in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that staff have comprehensive training that is delivered both online and face-to-face. A broad range of training is available to staff. Managers arrange twice yearly ‘practice weeks’, which provides further opportunities to develop staff skills and knowledge.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is meeting its aims and objectives as identified in the statement of purpose. However, while the statement of purpose has been updated since the last inspection, updates have not been in line with changes in the home and when revised has not been sent to the regulator.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff express they feel supported in their care of children. Staff receive a combination of individual and group supervision. However, staff supervision records fail to show that supervision takes place regularly. Notes are handwritten and lack clarity, and some records were not present. In addition, group supervision notes indicate little opportunity for reflection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 6

p.5

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff supervision takes place regularly and that effective records are kept of supervision. 31 March 2025

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure they develop and keep under review a Statement of Purpose. The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care. In particular, the registered person should ensure that when updated the Statement of Purpose is sent to the regulator and a copy made available upon request (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure placements for children are only accepted where the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. In particular, children who visit frequently should have their needs reviewed in line with the expectations set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.6

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: SC037282 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kent County Council

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kent County Council, Sessions House, County Road, Maidstone ME14 1XQ

p.7

Inspector

Daniel Rankin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC037282 8 regulates and inspects to 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8