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

Unique reference number SC028536 Inspection date 14/03/2012 Inspector Gaynor Moorey Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 09/11/2011 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

The setting is registered to accommodate two young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. It is owned by a private company.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides an adequate standard of care to young people. The home has only been operational and young people in placement for a very short period of time. Relationships between staff and young people are just starting to develop. Staff support young people and try to maintain stability of placement in the face of some very complex and unusual issues. Systems are in place to assess, monitor and review care needs, ensuring that care delivered is of an adequate standard.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s behaviour in the community is unsafe due to choices they make. Staff work very hard to sustain the placement and change this behaviour. They are imaginative in their approach. However, the placement is in its early stages and it is too soon to fully assess the effectiveness of the interventions being used. The home is taking action to protect young people in accordance with current guidance and making appropriate notifications to keep people informed. This enables discussions about whether the placement remains appropriate.

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Overall effectiveness

Education and enriching activities are promoted to a adequate standard.

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Overall effectiveness

Quality of care in the home is subject to monitoring. The home does not have a registered manager. The acting manager, while not qualified or experienced enough to become registered, is maintaining an adequate standard of care.

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Overall effectiveness

Systems are in place to assess, monitor and review care needs, ensuring that care delivered is of an adequate standard. There is one recommendation and two requirements made at this inspection. The requirement relates to the management arrangements for the home.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) submit an application for a registered manager (Regulation 7 (1) and (2) and Care Standards Act 2000 (Registration) (England) Regulations 2010 (Part 2, Regulation 3(1)) 30/04/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the manager of the home has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for managing the children's home (Regulation 8 (2) (b) (i)) 30/03/2012

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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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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are satisfactory .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive individualised support from staff which helps them to settle into their new environment. Staff are aware of young people's strengths and vulnerabilities and nurture their interests. This approach reassures each young person that they are valued and cared for.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are given the opportunity to engage in new activities and education that could be useful and create consistency within their lives. Young people benefit from the positive promotion of education and the chance to engage with local courses. Staff encourage and motivate young people to attend courses that are chosen by themselves.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have their general health needs and emotional health promoted to a adequate standard through attending appointments with health professionals such as, opticians and dentists. They are given and receive advice and guidance on issues such as sexual health, self harming and drug awareness to help them understand the risks behind these issues.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is satisfactory .

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from a staff team that offers support and understanding. As a result of this, young people benefit from a consistent approach to their care.

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Quality of care

Young people are able to state their opinions and views, to which the staff listen. They are able to influence decisions relating to their daily lives, such as independent living. Young people make their own decisions however these can sometimes put them in unsafe situations. The staff work with the young people to help them make more positive choices so that the placement can be maintained and further moves avoided.

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Quality of care

A complaints system is in place and supported by the staff team. Young people are able to complain and have their concerns listened to and investigated. Young people are spoken to in regards to outcomes of complaints they make.

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Quality of care

Young people's comprehensive care plans clearly identify their individual needs. Staff are able to adapt plans quickly when needs change. Young people are able to have an opinion about their future and what is currently happening to them.

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Quality of care

Young people have health plans in place, which are supported by staff, in regards to any needs they may have. Young people are able to access health related appointments with the support of staff if required.

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Quality of care

Young people are able to follow their individual cultural and spiritual needs. They are supported in this through staff experience and guidance.

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Quality of care

Young people are offered a varied plan of activities, from which they can choose, or find alternative activities which staff can arrange for them.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from living in a home which is well maintained and comfortable. They are encouraged to personalise their rooms.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people at the home are taking risks and endangering themselves in the local community. Members of staff are trying to keep the young people safe by offering other more positive alternatives and strategies and this is seen to work on some occasions. Staff are aware of what to do in the event that they have concerns about a young person’s well being.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are aware of protocols in regard to child protection and have good connections with the local safeguarding board. Any incidents regarding the young people have been clearly investigated and reported.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people have an individual protocol in place as to what course of action needs to be followed in the event that they are missing from the home. Strategies are in place with the local police to help support the young people's safety when they go missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff try to manage the young people's behaviour effectively. However, as in previous placements, young people are putting themselves at great risk. Behaviour management plan and risk assessments have limited success. This is partly explained by previous placement history and the limited time that the young people have been in this placement. Staff, however, take appropriate actions to keep young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff continue to update and change behaviour management plans and work imaginatively with the young people in an attempt to change behaviour. The staff as part of the behaviour management protocols do use both restraints and sanctions which are well managed and monitored by the management for their appropriateness and effectiveness.

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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.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are physically safe and appropriately secure within the home’s environment. Health and safety risk assessments are in place within the home, including fire safety. The young person has undertaken a fire drill.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

Since the home recently re-opened, an acting manager has been put into place. The acting manager has not submitted an application to Ofsted to be registered and does not have the required amount of experience or qualifications to be registered as manager of the home.

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Leadership and management

There is a statement of purpose in place and the organisation and staff are working to ensure that the aims and objectives of the statement are met. The home has an appropriate young people’s guide in place.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive regular training which enhances skills and knowledge for both individuals and the team as a whole. Training is also based on staff gaining qualifications appropriate to working in the home. Staff receive supervision and appraisals within the organisation due to the home which has only recently re- opened, being staffed by a team made up of staff from the organisations other homes.

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Leadership and management

The home did not have young people in placement for six months. During this time, it continued to monitored that it would be fit for purpose when a young person was referred. Since the home re-opened, the quality of care is being closely overseen by the organisation’s management team.

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Leadership and management

There was one recommendation made at the last inspection. The recommendation related to ensuring that the home and garden was well maintained. The home has been maintained to a good standard and the garden is now being prepared for the summer months.

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Leadership and management

The staffing compliment ensures that there is always sufficient staff on shift to be able to respond to young people's needs. The home completes and notifies appropriate agencies when significant events happen. The staff ensure contact with professional bodies is undertaken and have close links with local police and local safeguarding teams.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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