Children's home run by Haven Care Support Services Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2830177 1 Registered provider: Haven Care Support Services Limited

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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 is a multi-building children’s home that provides care for up to three children living in two buildings under a single registration. It is registered to provide care for children who may experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

A multi-building children’s home allows the provider, in agreement with the placing authority, to make child-centred decisions about where each child lives and to ensure that their individual needs are met.

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned and operated by a private organisation. The home was registered as a multi-building children’s home in July 2025 and the manager was registered at the same time. This is the first inspection since the home opened.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, there were two children living at the home, one in each property. The inspector visited both buildings and spoke to both children during the inspection.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2830177 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home opened, three children have moved in. One child’s needs exceeded the anticipated level of support; managers and staff demonstrated resilience and commitment to keep the child safe, while working with the placing authority to help the child to move on. The two other children have had a well-planned move into the home and have started to settle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made small steps of progress that are significant for them. One child, who has experienced a high number of previous placements, is building connections with trusted adults and is feeling at home for the first time. Children are offered care that enables them to feel safe and to develop a sense of belonging. As a result, children have been helped to better manage their emotions. They are starting to engage more positively and accept the boundaries being set.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are not attending education. The manager is working closely with social workers to move things forward and to address the complex issues that are preventing the children from engaging in education. The manager is proactive in arranging alternative opportunities, while educational options are being explored. Children are encouraged to explore their career goals and to consider how to work towards them. This means that the children are helped to think positively and to plan for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Complaints made by the children are taken seriously and they are resolved in an open and transparent manner. Following one complaint, the manager held a restorative meeting at which the child decided what actions should be taken to make things better. The manager used a team meeting with staff to reflect on how to improve working with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are being encouraged to develop important life skills and to try new things. The manager recognises that children need stability and personalised care to overcome the challenges that they face before they can make significant progress. Managers and staff are diligent in offering the children new experiences and opportunities, such as horse riding and going to the gym. The children are helped to get more involved in the home and to undertake self-care tasks like shopping, cooking and laundry.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and some of the staff have built constructive, warm relationships with the children, who seek them out for affection and reassurance. However, some staff are less skilled in being able to engage and they lack confidence in encouraging the children to have a meaningful daytime routines. This means that the support that the children receive is not consistent. Inspection report children's home: 2830177 3

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

Arrangements for addressing practice concerns are effective. When there was an anonymous whistle-blowing report, it was fully investigated and managed openly. Allegations made against staff are taken seriously and reported to the appropriate professionals. The manager explores the issues and is clear about what follow up work is needed, while ensuring that staff well-being is supported.

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

Staff use restraints appropriately in response to children displaying behaviours that could harm themselves or others. When one child displayed high risk behaviour, staff took action to help them to become calm and to recover. The manager’s oversight of incidents is good. Children are given time to talk after the incident and to reflect on what happened. There has been a low level of restraints since the home opened.

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

One child is frequently missing from care for long periods of time. Staff know what to do when they go missing and they actively work with the police to find them. When risks increased, the manager escalated their concerns to seek help and intervention from the child’s local authority team. The child is welcomed home and given time to talk and reflect on what happened; however, the child’s placing authority does not always offer the child a return home interview with an independent person.

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

The manager seeks specialist support for children with high-risk behaviours, including substance misuse. Children are taught about the risks and encouraged to make safer choices. Vaping and smoking are not permitted in the home, although staff do not always tackle this behaviour. This means that the children are not given a consistent message and that health and safety rules are not always followed.

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

Care plans to inform staff on how to keep children safe are clear and robust. If new information or risks emerge, staff are updated and guided through any changes. However, managers have not ensured that all staff have the required training. This means that staff are not all equipped or prepared for how to deal with difficult situations.

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

Safer recruitment processes are in place to ensure that staff are suitably vetted. However, some information is missed, such as the verification of the reasons for leaving previous employment when working with children or vulnerable adults. This means that staff suitability to work with children has not been thoroughly explored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager strives for children to have a sense of genuine care, permanence and stability. They work tirelessly and take immediate action when there are concerns for children or staff. They ensure that children and staff are kept safe, even under difficult circumstances, while always feeling supported and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been instrumental in enabling staff to manage high risk situations well. They are determined to make continuous improvements, and they ensure that Inspection report children's home: 2830177 4 staff have effective support to provide good quality care to children. This development work has already had a positive impact. Staff say that they feel supported and there is a positive atmosphere in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works continuously with other professionals to ensure that the children have access to the help that they need. If there are delays in accessing specialist services, this is escalated to more senior managers, and the manager makes direct referrals to move things on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak highly about how the manager has worked through complex situations with commitment and flexibility around the children’s needs. They say that communication is good, and that the manager’s relationship with the children has made a difference to their view about the home. One professional said the manager ‘never gives up’. Another professional said they are ‘amazing’, and credits them with helping one child to feel loved and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. They are proactive in reviewing practice and ensuring that they have oversight of children's care. However, the manager is covering a vast range of tasks and does not have the capacity to ensure that staff can provide continuity of care. Senior managers are seeking to resolve this and are reviewing interim support arrangements to address the shortfalls that this has created. Inspection report children's home: 2830177 5

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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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 31 January 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2830177 6 Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staff have completed the appropriate mandatory and specialised training to support children safely and meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staff know and follow children’s safety plans .

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that safer recruitment documentation is in place for staff prior to their employment, and that verified references are sourced for all employees. The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care

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Requirement Due date

to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)) Specifically, the registered persons should ensure that the registered manager has sufficient support and resources to oversee the service effectively and ensure that a high standard of individualised care is delivered to children. 31 March 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2830177 7 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out

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Requirement Due date

in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; are provided with supervision and support to enable them to

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Requirement Due date

understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)) 31 March 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2830177 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from home, they request that the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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 children's home: 2830177 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Haven Care Support Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 39 Biddenden Way, Istead Rise, Gravesend DA13 9DE

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Michael McCarthy

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Inspector

Shirin White, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2830177 10 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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