Children's Home run by Bromley Healthcare Community Interest Company in Bromley

Inspection report for children’s home: SC474543 1 SC474543 Registered provider: Bromley Healthcare Community Interest Company Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in October 2006 and is operated by a healthcare organisation. It provides short breaks for up to 12 children aged between five and 18 years. Children who access the short-break service have a variety of needs because of complex health issues, autism, physical and/or learning disabilities and/or challenging behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2025 and is working towards the relevant qualification.

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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: 28 November 2023

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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: SC474543 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2023 Full Good 24/01/2023 Full Good 19/07/2021 Full Good 14/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC474543 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, 46 children were using the short-break centre on a rotational basis. Leaders and managers match children thoughtfully when planning their stays. Leaders and managers understand the children’s diverse physical, medical and learning needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive experiences during their short-break stay. They meet other children and participate in fun activities. Staff offer targeted support to help children develop and achieve. For example, one child receives assistance to spend longer periods with other children, which is one of their targets. Another child receives help with independent eating.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked hard to create a bright and cheerful living space for children. Toys are appropriately selected to support the needs of the children who are staying at the home. The furnishings are based on each child’s likes and dislikes and are chosen to reflect their individual preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to outdoor spaces with playground equipment, seating areas and activities. They can also enjoy indoor activities, including a soft-play area and an art and craft room. While additional activities take place in the community, some parents wish that these happen more often. Parents said that children really enjoy themselves when they go out into the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents and carers are responsible for children’s education, but staff have good connections with the children’s schools. One teacher said that staff help to prepare children for adulthood and described communication with staff as ‘strong’. Staff work closely with teachers to ensure that strategies and routines are consistent in the short- break centre. This creates a consistent approach for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents, carers and a social work team manager shared their views about the children’s experiences. They highlighted the positivity of these experiences for children and families. They noted that staff carry out pre-checks with families before each child has their stay. This is to identify any changes they should know about. One parent said, ‘They care for my child and love them like I do. This makes me feel safe with my child in their care.’

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

Staff receive specialist training to meet children’s complex health needs. Qualified nurses are part of the team. Staff receive training that is tailored to each child’s requirements. When a referral indicates the need for specific training, leaders and managers arrange it before the child arrives at the centre. Inspection report for children’s home: SC474543 4 Staff work hard to understand children’s behaviour. They are trained in physical intervention, but this is rarely used. Instead, staff use de-escalation techniques effectively. Staff recognise that some challenging behaviours, especially in non-speaking children, are a form of communication. This means that it is crucial for them to know the children and understand what they are trying to express when working with them.

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

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. A safeguarding team is available to help staff. Leaders have additional supervision with a safeguarding lead in the organisation. This proactive approach strengthens children’s safety in the centre. The local authority designated officer confirmed that there have been no concerns raised, and managers report appropriately.

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed. Leaders and managers ensure that appropriate checks are carried out. Staff receive a detailed induction, which includes a training programme and shadowing line managers. This contributes to their ability to provide safe care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is new in her role but knows the service well. The short-break centre has a team of leaders who are committed to ensuring that children have positive experiences. This investment has filtered down to the team of staff who provide each child with the care and support they deserve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel supported and love their jobs. They say that supervision meets their needs, allowing them to discuss learning and development. Furthermore, staff have annual appraisals which include targets and actions to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers understand the importance of working with families to support children in having positive experiences. A coffee morning for parents and carers takes place to share information and offer support. Parents said that the staff’s help with transitions for their children is a strength. They said this has been particularly helpful when their children started using the centre and when moving on to adult provisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s files do not always include up-to-date information. For example, some files lack key details for staff who care for the children, information about education, health and care plans (EHC plans), and updates on changes in social workers. Inspection report for children’s home: SC474543 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that relevant plans for children written by the responsible authority are available, such as EHC plans, and information regarding the child’s social worker is up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: SC474543 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bromley Healthcare Community Interest Company

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Central Court, 1 Knoll Rise, Orpington, Kent BR6 0JA

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC474543 7 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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