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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2743221 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Registered provider: Back on Track Children’s Services SE 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 a privately owned home, providing care and accommodation for up to five children who may experience social, emotional, or mental health difficulties. The provider operates several other homes in the local area. There were five children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2024.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2743221 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2743221 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive exceptionally good care at this home and they make significant progress from their starting points. Staff are highly committed to supporting children in a caring and loving manner and they create positive experiences for the children. They focus clearly on providing individualised care for each child. Children said that they like living at the home and that the staff support them well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress in relation to their health outcomes and their emotional, social and psychological well-being. They attend their health appointments, and some longstanding health issues have been successfully addressed by relevant health professionals. Children have been able to improve their social skills, enabling them to manage their free time more safely. Children who have struggled to regulate their emotions are now able to talk freely to staff about their feelings and to accept staff guidance. This is because the relationships formed between the children and the staff are honest and reciprocal. One professional stated that the home demonstrated exceptional commitment and perseverance in building meaningful, trusting and highly positive relationships with children. The team’s trauma-informed approach has been instrumental in enabling children not only to become more settled but to truly thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children are enrolled in education provision. Staff understand the benefits of education and make extensive efforts for the children to achieve their full potential. The commitment of staff has had a positive impact on the children’s attendance and learning. Staff and managers advocated relentlessly for a child who was on the verge of permanent exclusion. They ensured that additional support was provided to the school so that the child could continue at the same education provision. When one child had to wait for their school place, staff ensured that they received alternative education that involved learning through enjoyable tasks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff value children’s wishes and feelings. Staff listen to children and respond in a proactive manner. Each child’s contribution to the home is respected. The children are able to have a say in how they would like the home to be run, and their bedrooms are spacious and personalised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise the importance of children maintaining relationships with significant people in their lives. They proactively ensure that family times are arranged and that children are well prepared. Staff communicate children’s views and choices about their preferred arrangements with professionals and family members exceptionally well. Children have been helped to improve their relationships with significant people in their lives. One grandparent said that they can now have more time with their grandchild, including overnight stays, because of the amazing work by the staff and the positive impact that it has had on the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2743221 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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

Staff identify, understand and manage children’s vulnerabilities well. Clear and straightforward guidance supports staff in keeping children safe. Children and staff establish strong relationships, creating a safe and supportive environment that enables children to modify their behaviours. External professionals are positive about the support that staff provide to keep the children safe.

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

Over the last six months, there has been a significant decrease in incidents at the home. This is because the staff work with the children to help them to understand themselves better. Strong relationships between children and staff have enabled the children to engage effectively with staff on challenging issues.

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

Children do not go missing from home and the incidents of restraint have significantly reduced. When such incidents do take place, the staff and the registered manager ensure that meaningful follow-up conversations are held with the children. The post- incident conversation is carried out in a safe manner that allows the child to open up and reflect on what happened. This approach allows staff to gain a better understanding about the child and to adjust their work with the child accordingly, to reduce the likelihood of such incidents in the future.

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

When safeguarding concerns and allegations are reported to the registered manager, in most cases they ensure that relevant professionals are informed without unnecessary delay. Since the last inspection, there have been many positive changes to improve safeguarding practices and these continue to be embedded.

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

The staff recruitment process is thorough. The registered manager ensures that all required checks are carried out and scrutinised. Agency staff are not being used at the home, and this helps to provide consistency to children.

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

Some areas of the home are locked at night. While the registered manager has a clear rationale for this and children do not see this as a concern, there is no arrangement for these restrictions to be reviewed and possibly reduced over time. The balance between children’s freedoms and a need to protect them has not been fully considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is passionate and ambitious about children’s welfare, safety and progress. The registered manager and deputy manager work together exceptionally well and complement each other with their individual strengths. The responsible individual for the home has thorough oversight and is keen for children, staff and managers to achieve the best outcomes. They also ensure that the learning from sister homes is shared across the organisation. All staff provided exceptionally strong feedback about the leadership team at this home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2743221 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has high expectations of how the staff can help the children to progress. Staff recognise this and say that the registered manager is open and helpful, and always has time for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses. When specific learning is identified, the registered manager designs bespoke tools to enhance staff knowledge. Any additional training is also facilitated, and this equips staff to meet individual children’s needs. The registered manager brings relevant research and guidance to staff meetings. Various quizzes are used to test staff knowledge and thinking, and to consider how staff would respond in unexpected safeguarding scenarios. While these scenarios can be fun, they are also thought-provoking, encouraging deeper individual and group reflections.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff are supervised regularly. Supervision is thorough and staff value and enjoy this time with their supervisors. All staff have been set developmental goals and know the areas that they are expected to focus on. All staff are appraised at least once a year, with no exceptions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager’s oversight of single incidents, children’s documents and the home as a whole is exceptionally strong. They lead a culture that is reflective and open and that allows children and staff to flourish. Inspection report for children’s home: 2743221 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible, when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 15 December 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 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: 2743221 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Back on Track Children’s 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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Inspector

Sonata Brisley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2743221 8 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspector

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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