Children's Home run by Fairport Care Services Ltd in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 1 SC066129 Registered provider: Fairport Care Services Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were four children living in the home.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2024 Full Good 17/10/2023 Full Outstanding 14/02/2023 Full Outstanding 26/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel heard and have positive relationships with staff. Consistent permanent staffing supports this. The children feel safe and well cared for. One child described feeling ‘the most safe and cared for’ since being looked after, and another said, ‘It is the place I have felt the most safe in my entire life.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented and replicates a family home. The children’s bedrooms reflect their likes, and they are given choice about how these are furnished and decorated. The children have access to communal areas of the home alongside a spacious garden that provides ample room for them to play and enjoy. The children are relaxed in their surroundings.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving into the home is well managed by staff. The children remain central in planning and decision-making. As a result, the children settle in well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the children’s time with their families and those important to them. One parent said, ‘Staff ensure my voice is heard too.’ One child is being supported with a holiday to Scotland, and arrangements have been made to see family locally while she is there.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a therapeutic approach when caring for the children and are supported in this approach by a psychotherapist. The children’s mental health and well-being are at the core of staff’s practice. Staff understand the children’s individual needs and are responsive and available when the children are finding things difficult.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The focus on mental well-being has supported the children to maintain their mental health and well-being. However, this approach has had some impact on the children’s progress in other areas of development. The scope for children’s access to social opportunities and the wider community is limited and efforts to re-engage children with education and learning are sometimes lengthy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not always fully prepared for moving on or living independently. The plans to develop the children’s skills for adulthood are not clear for all children. There has been some drift in one child accessing the support and guidance needed to ensure a smooth move out of the home at a pace that suits their needs.

p.3

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

The children trust staff and know that they will keep them safe, and they approach staff for comfort and reassurance. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 4 Staff know and understand how to respond to the risks for the children. The staff complete clear risk assessments that support and inform staff practice. These are kept under regular review.

p.3

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

Staff manage and respond to safeguarding concerns and allegations well. The staff keep placing authorities and parents informed of any concerns. They have developed a positive working relationship with the local authority designated officer. One professional reported, ‘Staff are very proactive in responding to and reporting any safeguarding concerns.’

p.4

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

Staff use physical intervention regularly. Staff only use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children safe. Where physical intervention is used, records are clear, and both the staff and children are given the opportunity to reflect and debrief. Staff are trained in the organisation’s model of de-escalation and intervention.

p.4

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

Staff are recruited safely, and all necessary checks are completed prior to commencement into role. This ensures that only suitable staff care for the children.

p.4

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

The manager takes health and safety seriously. Any concerns from assessments carried out by external specialists, including fire specialists, are addressed promptly.

p.4

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

The use of bedroom door alarms is transparent. The children and placing authorities are consulted when the children first move in. However, the use of this surveillance is not kept under regular review, making it difficult to ascertain if it remains appropriate.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a stable presence and is well supported by the responsible individual (RI). The manager is suitably experienced and qualified and has been in post for several years. Both the manager and RI have established and positive relationships with all the children. The deputy manager also has a positive presence and is complementary to the senior leadership team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of each of the children and the wider service. There is a progressive plan for the home, which is being actioned.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and professionals are complimentary of the manager and staff team. They report that the children are provided with a good level of care that supports them to make progress. Professionals report good levels of communication and collaborative working.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. Staff report their development needs are responded to and that senior managers are available and approachable. Mandatory training is kept up to date and regularly refreshed, and specialist training is sourced for staff when new needs of the children emerge. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 5 The independent person completes high-quality comprehensive reports, which supports the manager in the monitoring and oversight of the home. Although detailed and informative, the independent person does not always record their opinion on whether children are safeguarded effectively during their visit. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 6

p.4

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

The independent person must produce a report about a visit which sets out, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

p.6

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 31 July 2025

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This relates to the use of door alarms and whether they are required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child in the

p.6

Recommendations

home and actively support each child to achieve their potential. In particular, to ensure that staff are clear on the plans for supporting children’s ongoing development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 7

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: SC066129 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fairport Care Services Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bank Chambers, 1 Central Avenue ME10 4AE

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicky Farrant-D-Wilson

p.8

Inspector

Cassie Martin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC066129 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9