Children's Home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC416915 1 SC416915 Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to seven children who experience social and emotional difficulties, or may have experienced trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC416915 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2024 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Outstanding 07/03/2023 Full Outstanding 01/02/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC416915 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive exceptionally high-quality care and support from staff that is full of love, warmth and affection. This enables children to settle quickly at the start of their time in the home and develop positive relationships with staff. This also supports children to make fantastic progress in their lives, achieving positive outcomes in education and successfully moving on into adulthood when their time comes to leave.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A child reported that they did not know where they would have been without the help of staff at the home. They attribute their success and positive outcomes to the high quality of support. The child also said that living here was ‘like having a second family’ for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children new to the home receive help to settle quickly and feel safe. Staff and leaders think carefully about ensuring that the mix of children is right to maximise the chances of successful outcomes and to maintain the highly positive atmosphere for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s education is a priority and staff have helped children to achieve greatly. Staff have supported children to maintain education placements to give children vital stability as they come to the home for the first time. Staff have provided the support children need to achieve positive exam results and move on to further education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support for children’s health and well-being is first class. For one child who has needed multiple hospital admissions this year, staff have gone above and beyond to be at his side throughout a stressful experience. Staff have often stayed with the child for days at a time to make sure he feels supported and safe during a very uncertain time for him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children feel confident to share their views and opinions and this comes from a certainty that they will be heard and that their views matter. Children could readily identify where their input has influenced decision-making at the home. Children say they can approach anyone in the staff team with confidence and know that they can share anything with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children get access to some incredible life experiences. In one case, a child, who has been at the home for many years, was supported by staff to go on a dream holiday to mark the end of his time at the home. He has created memories for life and spoke excitedly about his time away. Staff go out of their way to think about what is important to each individual child and tailor their experience to fulfil ambitions and goals of each child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There have been positive moves for children from the home during this inspection year. When moves occur, they are well planned. Staff give children the best possible support to ensure stable and positive starts to new phases in their lives. This is mirrored in the excellent support for new children who move into the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC416915 4

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

Staff have a well-developed understanding of the specific risks and vulnerabilities of the chldren in their care. When children are new to the home, staff ensure that they gather high-quality and comprehensive information about children’s needs. This ensures that staff have the knowledge and skills required to help children thrive.

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

Staff recognise the risks and vulnerabilities that chldren face in and out of the home and in the online space. Staff receive good-quality training, which is regularly updated, to ensure that they keep on top of new and emerging safeguarding issues for vulnerable children. The assessments and relevant safety plans for children clearly set out what staff need to do to keep children safe.

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

Leaders have good oversight of safeguarding practice. Through careful monitoring and regular discussions with staff, they identify areas for development and implement changes to practice swiftly to meet the ever-changing needs of chldren.

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

Staff role model positive behaviours and relationships well to children. This creates an environment where children feel safe. Children do not go missing, and there are very few difficult incidents for children or staff to negotiate. This comes from the team creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust with the children.

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

Partnership working with external agencies is strong. Staff ensure that they engage with joint meetings and share information readily to ensure a consistent approach from adults around a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders at the home are justifiably proud of everything that children and staff have achieved this year. They speak passionately about the outcomes for children both new to the home and those who have left. Leaders have clear expectations of their team and role model exactly how they want staff to be when it comes to working in a respectful, caring and compassionate way with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders ensure that the needs of children are always at the heart of care practice. They know the children very well, and this enables them to ensure that staff provide support that is tailored and specific to the needs of each individual child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

For leaders, the child’s voice is paramount. This creates an environment where children build confidence and trust in adults again where, for some, this has been broken in the past. Children flourish as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff trust leaders absolutely and speak of the exceptional levels of support they receive. This investment in staff helps to create confident, effective workers who love their roles Inspection report for children’s home: SC416915 5 and will go beyond the call of duty to ensure that children have the highest standards of care and support that they can deliver.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders have a presence in the home and staff talk about leaders’ exceptional levels of availability and openness. Staff and chldren know that they can approach the manager and deputy at anytime for advice and support and are confident they will be heard and given the input they need. Staff value the high quality of supervision and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders have exceptional oversight of the strengths and challenges of the home. They use this understanding to implement change where needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The requirement from the previous inspection in relation to improving safety plans for children was met and no new requirements or recommendations have been made at this visit. Inspection report for children’s home: SC416915 6

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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: SC416915 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 73 And 74 Maple Leaf Business Park, Manston, Ramsgate CT12 5GD

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Inspector

Peter Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC416915 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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