Children's Home run by Birch House (Kent) in Kent

Inspection report children's home: 2815128 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home and were present and spoken to.

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Information about this children's home

The is the first inspection since the home was registered on 4 March 2025.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted when the home was first registered. The manager is also dual registered with another setting.

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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: 2815128 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a consistent team of staff and have built positive and trusting relationships with them. Staff know children and their needs well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are well planned and considered. Children receive welcome boxes filled with items they like and a card from staff. This gesture helps children feel cared for from the onset of their arrival in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given choice about how they like to spend their time. They enjoy bike rides, swimming and going out with staff on shared activities. These shared experiences support positive relationships between children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children make progress from their individual starting points. One child has learned how to take public transport on their own, and both children have learned how to cook and clean their bedrooms. This means children learn essential skills needed for independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although children are not in formal education, leaders are proactive in making appropriate challenge to address this. Children are provided with learning opportunities created by staff that is linked to education. This is because staff are creative in weaving learning into everyday daily planned activities. These opportunities provide solid foundations to build on and to extend children’s learning further.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to talk to and spend time with their families in line with their care plan. Children’s family members are welcomed into the home and have visited children. Staff have built positive relationships parents and work collaboratively with them. This has been beneficial for establishing consistent boundaries with the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and there are games and activities for children to enjoy. However, there are areas in the home that are not inviting nor reflective of the children who live there. Due to incidents some maintenance is ongoing. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘The home could be more personalised, more reflective of the identity of the children who live here and the kitchen is clinical.’ The responsible individual recognises this is an area for development and the need for staff to help children to be involved with taking care of the home environment.

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

Leaders and managers have strong working relationships with social workers and the police. Staff know the children well and are knowledgeable about their individual risks and the measures in place to minimise these. When children have concerns, they can identify a trusted adult to talk to. Allegations are taken seriously and investigated Inspection report children's home: 2815128 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

appropriately. Statutory safeguarding procedures are followed, and this ensures children’s concerns are dealt with and that their voice is heard.

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

There are clear plans in place to respond to children who go missing from the home. Staff provide well-coordinated responses to ensure that children return home safely. When these are not effective, the registered manager works closely with social care professionals to review and update safety plans if required. Children are offered return home interviews and are visited to talk about why they go missing. Staff also ensure that they speak to children about ways in keeping themselves safe.

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

When children behave in a way that may cause harm or serious damage, staff are quick to intervene. Staff use physical intervention for the shortest time and only when necessary to keep children safe. Management oversight is detailed and includes discussions with the staff involved. Children are offered the opportunity to discuss incidents. As a result, new information relating to triggers of specific behaviours, or the effectiveness of strategies used, is incorporated into behavioural response plans to inform future practice.

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

Staff know and understand children’s individual risks well. There are clear risk management plans in place to guide staff with managing children’s behaviours that challenge. Risk assessments are live documents and are updated regularly. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘Safety plans are detailed and well thought out.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has clear objectives for the home that they want to achieve. They also have good knowledge of the needs of the children who live there. Staff have confidence in managers and leaders and are encouraged to grow professionally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by the registered manager and understand the areas of strength and development for the home and their team. Staff work collaboratively to meet the needs of the children they care for and are consistent in their approach to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff actively participate in regular team meetings to reflect on children’s progress, share important information about children’s plans and to discuss the running of the home. Staff find team meetings and reflective practice beneficial, as it ensures that they understand their roles, support children consistently and work as a unified and effective team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are good working partnerships between social workers, parents and staff in this home. Staff provide regular updates about children and managers challenge and advocate for appropriate support for children. An independent reviewing officer gave positive feedback about the good partnerships the home has with parents. These positive working relationships and collaboration helps to ensure that children’s needs are met in line with their relevant plans. Inspection report children's home: 2815128 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective internal and external monitoring systems in place. The registered manager is organised and delegates tasks to their deputies to support them with the oversight of the home. This fosters professional growth and ensures that objectives are accomplished.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager understands the importance of reviewing the quality of care that children receive. Although the quality of care report is up to date, the report does not include feedback from stakeholders. This is a missed opportunity for leaders and managers to fully consider the views of others when evaluating the care that children receive. Inspection report children's home: 2815128 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children and is reflective of a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, Page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2815128 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Old Library, St Faiths Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH

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Inspector

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2815128 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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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