Children's Home run by Anderida Adolescent Care Ltd in East Sussex

Unique reference number SC028526 Inspection date 15/11/2011 Inspector Gaynor Moorey Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 08/02/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

This setting is registered to accommodate two young people aged between 11 and 17 years of age with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides an excellent standard of care to young people. Relationships between staff and young people are positive and the manager and team have created a culture of support and nurturing which is recognised and valued. Robust and detailed systems are in place to assess, monitor and review care needs ensuring that care delivered is of a very high standard. Young people say they feel safe within the home and that they feel their opinions and feelings are respected and valued. Education and enriching activities are promoted to an excellent standard. Quality of care in the home is subject to thorough and robust monitoring. A stable and committed staff team examine their practice constantly with a view to improving the service that they offer to the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

There is one recommendation regarding the maintenance of the premises as a result of a short fall in certain aspects of house maintenance.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure all maintenance is undertaken on a regular basis (NMS 10)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from excellent individualised support which helps them develop their life skills, education and self-confidence. Carefully planned support from key workers and consistent care provided by the staff team helps the young people to achieve set goals and targets and to develop their self-esteem. Young people report that they can share their feelings with members of staff who help them, particularly when they are struggling with difficult issues. The staff team are aware of each young person's preferences with regards to activities and interests and offer support for the young people to achieve these.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from very well planned health care services which include access to psychological and psychiatric assistance if they need it. The young people particularly benefit from having their emotional health and well-being promoted to an excellent standard by the staff team. They are also offered routine medical appointments to opticians, dentists and doctors. Any specific needs are identified in their care plans and the system to administer medication robustly ensures that the young people receive medication when they need it. Healthy living is encouraged by offering a balanced and healthy diet and by encouraging exercise. Specific advice with regards to issues such as sexual health and drug awareness is also available to the young people. One social worker said 'the staff are able to communicate with the young people and give positive advice and guide young people into making their decisions'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive consistent support to develop their independent living skills. Individual programmes are put in place which encourage young people to develop their living skills at a pace they can handle and at a level commensurate with their maturity and understanding. Targets are set for the young people to achieve which are related to developing their life skills. The young people are fully aware of what they need to do in order to progress.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from appropriate contact with family, friends and other people who are important to them. Both young people spend time with family over the weekends. One young person said 'I can have as much contact with home as I want'. Social workers involved with the young people said 'the staff are very supportive of contact and communication with the families'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's views are valued and encouraged by the staff team. Numerous opportunities, including key work sessions, house meetings and informal discussions are available to the young people. These forums enable them to speak about how they feel they are being cared for. Young people are able to influence decisions about menus, activities, target setting and their care plans.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Education is promoted to an excellent standard. Young people have educational placements and the staff work extremely hard to promote attendance. Education is experienced on a very individual level as each young person has very specific needs, Staff are able to meet these needs which allows young people to access education in their own way. Members of staff liaise with key teachers at the education settings to ensure all professionals are aware of any specific issues. This ensures that the young people receive the care and support they need when they are at their educational setting. Members of staff actively advocate on behalf of the young people, particularly at times of difficulty, in order to ensure that their education is promoted.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from carefully and sensitively delivered support. Staff commitment is excellent and great effort is made to give every opportunity for the young people to make the right decisions and to have opportunities to develop their life chances. One young person reported that ' Staff look after us and are there if we need them'.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from positive relationships with members of staff. It is clear that the members of staff know the young people very well and are very aware of their vulnerabilities as well as strengths. The staff approach ensures that young people are confident that members of staff will advocate for them and support them with any difficulties. It is clear that members of staff are highly committed to ensuring that young people will benefit from close support and clear care plans which include realistic and achievable goals. The approach used by the staff team ensures that young people are cared for in a nurturing and supportive environment.

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Quality of care

Young people's comprehensive care plans clearly identify their individual needs. Excellent monitoring enables staff to evaluate young people's progress basis and to ensure that care plans are up to date and outline the needs of each young person. This process in turn positively contributes to statutory reviews and means that reports and staff input accurately reflects each young person's progress and areas of concern.

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Quality of care

Staff routinely consult with young people. There is a culture of promoting young people's rights and encouraging them to voice their feelings and opinions appropriately. Young people are able to influence decisions relating to their daily lives, such as menus and activity planning. Young people benefit from having routines and guidelines which encourage them to make the right decisions.

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Quality of care

Healthy lifestyles are encouraged by the staff, guiding young people in choosing healthy menus and by encouraging them to partake in physical exercise and activities. Staff awareness of each young person's background and vulnerabilities ensures that the young people's emotional well-being is promoted to an outstanding standard.

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Quality of care

Other health needs are known and the care staff ensure that these are met to an excellent standard. The approach encourages the young people to make the right decisions with regards to lifestyle issues and other health matters, such as contraception and drug awareness. One young person said 'the staff will always help me and give me advice to try and make the right decision for myself'.

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Quality of care

The home provides a spacious and comfortable environment which is maintained to a good standard. The home does have some maintenance issues to be addressed such as the outward appearance of the premises. Young people are encouraged to personalise their rooms and to keep their rooms and the house clean and tidy.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people report that they feel supported, cared for and protected in the home. They feel that they can share any fears or anxieties with the staff and that these will be treated seriously and acted upon. Members of staff are aware of what to do in the event that they have concerns about a young person’s well being. Any concerns are addressed rigorously with the involvement of all relevant agencies. This ensures that young people’s safety is promoted to an excellent standard.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people confirmed that they felt safe within the home, where bullying is not a problem. Young people at the home live separate lives due to age group and maturity and the home’s lay out.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Each young person has an individual protocol in place as to what course of action needs to be followed in the event that they are missing without permission. The strategies used and intense support given to the young people around this issue does mean that, although young people find themselves in difficulty, the staff continue to support them, think of new ways to go forward and look at changing behaviour for the future. One young person said 'when I come back they are brilliant and always support me in trying to move forward'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The effective management of the young people's behaviour is a strong aspect of the home and situations are dealt with through discussion and communication. The young people feel that the rules in the home are fair and they understand their purpose. Positive relationships between staff and the young people ensure that the use of physical restraint is rare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from a stable staff team. The home has a robust recruitment policy which ensures that only adults who have been assessed as suitable to work with young people are employed. Numerous risk assessments and safety checks of the premises and fire equipment ensure that the young people live in a safe home. The systems operated in the home and attention in detail to each young person's needs and vulnerabilities have ensured that their safety is promoted to an excellent standard.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from a home which is very effectively and consistently managed. Robust monitoring and reflective practice ensures that managers communicate an expectation to the staff team that care given to the young people is of an excellent standard. Members of staff report being very committed to the well- being of the young people and that they are very well supported in their role by the excellent management. One social worker said ‘the staff are very committed to the young people and know their care needs'. This approach is underpinned by having thorough systems to monitor the quality of care. Regular training and supervision practice is of a good standard and young people benefit from a consistent, supported life style at the home. There is excellent compliance and the home has received no recommendation or actions from the last two inspections.

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Leadership and management

The staffing complement ensures that there is always sufficient staff on shift to be able to respond to young people's needs. The low staff turn over and the stability of the staff team ensures that the young people benefit from consistent care by a motivated staff team.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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