Children's Home run by Moonreach LTD in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: 2523034 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides care for up to 3 children with social and emotional needs. It is operated by a private company. The company also has other similar homes in the area. At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2025.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2523034 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/05/2025 Full Good 14/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/10/2023 Full Good 14/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2523034 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from warm, nurturing and personalised care at this home. They make progress and staff provide consistent, child-centred support that reflects children’s individual needs and interests. Safeguarding practice is generally strong, and staff are committed to keeping the children safe. Although some areas require further development, these shortfalls do not detract from the overall good quality of care that the children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in a wide range of activities. The staff team is child focused and actively promotes the children’s hobbies, interests and personal development. Children also enjoy weekly activities together, such as cooking or trampolining, that enable them to spend time with each other in a positive way that strengthens relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience warm, nurturing care from staff, who know them well. Staff respond sensitively to the complex emotional challenges that the children face and take time to understand their needs. Staff make themselves available to support children through times of challenge. This helps the children feel safe, contained and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has expressed a wish to move on to semi-independent living. Staff listen respectfully to their views, working closely with the placing authority to plan a well-paced move. Staff are carrying out focused independence work to ensure the child feels prepared and supported to move on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain a strong focus on education and work closely with external professionals to secure the right support for each child. One child has progressed from a part-time timetable to full-time education, showing a strong improvement. Another child, who had previously struggled to engage in education, is taking a course in animal care, alongside home tutoring. Another child does not attend school, but staff have been proactive in advocating for their education. The placing authority praised the staff’s creative approach in supporting this child. The child is working towards recognised qualifications in the home and is also volunteering.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff write monthly achievement letters to each child. These letters highlight the children’s positive progress, no matter how small. This helps to build children’s confidence and self-esteem, even during more difficult periods. This strengths-based approach helps children to feel valued and motivated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to build positive friendships outside of the home and with their families. One social worker reported that staff carried out work with one child to repair Inspection report for children's home: 2523034 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

family relationships when these had broken down, leading to more stable and meaningful family time when they were together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children get on with each other at times and take part in the joint activities, although some find the behaviours of others difficult to manage. Staff are proactive in offering reassurance and opportunities to join activities, and they work with the children to promote constructive relationships.

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

Staff respond immediately when children are at risk of harm by activating multi ‑ agency support, safety plans and increased monitoring. This ensures that children are protected at points of crisis. One social work team manager noted staff’s prompt response to incidents, including missing episodes and self-harming behaviour, commenting that they follow procedures and ensure that relevant professionals are notified without delay.

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

When children go missing from the home, missing-from-home procedures are followed, and staff work well with professionals and family members in trying to locate the child. Staff have built positive, trusting relationships with children’s families. This ensures that when children go missing, they work together to support the child’s safe return. Key-working sessions are carried out when children return home. These are tailored to the risks and circumstances of each incident.

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

Staff are recruited safely, with all checks completed, so leaders are confident they have the required skills and experience to meet the children’s needs.

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

Incidents of self-harm are managed well. Children receive increased support and oversight at these times. Staff work closely with appropriate mental health services to ensure that children get the help they need. Staff have the skills to manage behaviours effectively to reduce the likelihood of further incidents.

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

Only one allegation has been made since the last inspection. The registered manager dealt with the allegation promptly and appropriately. However, the child did not receive feedback, which meant they were not fully informed about the actions taken or the outcome.

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

Restraint is used proportionately and only when needed to keep children and staff safe. Incidents are recorded well. Staff make strong efforts to avoid incidents escalating and use de-escalation approaches. However, debriefs are not always held after incidents with children, which limits opportunities for children and staff to reflect and learn.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager brings a wealth of experience to the home. She is well supported by the senior leadership team, enabling her to embed her approach and maintain clear expectations of staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2523034 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear vision and has identified areas that need to be improved. She is passionate about supporting the needs of the children and sets high expectations for what all children can achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are dedicated to supporting the children in their care. They demonstrate a strong commitment, with enthusiasm and determination, to meeting the complex needs of children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about working in the home, describing a supportive culture where they feel valued and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One independent reviewing officer said, ‘The home benefits from a stable staff team who are well supported by the manager to respond effectively to challenging situations. The team also works collaboratively with the child’s wider support network, including child and adolescent mental health services and education professionals.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders tailor staff training to the specific needs of children. This ensures staff are equipped with the knowledge to meet children’s complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff receive regular supervision to support practice and development. New staff have more frequent supervision during the induction process to ensure that they are supported to settle into their role. Inspection report for children's home: 2523034 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

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(c)) 15 July 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children receive feedback on the outcomes of allegations made by them, once it has been fully investigated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

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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: 2523034 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Dane John Works, Gordon Road, Canterbury CT1 3PP

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Inspector

Ben Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2523034 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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