Children's Home run by West Sussex County Council in West Sussex

Unique reference number SC037454 Inspection date 03/07/2012 Inspector Kevin Whatley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 12/01/2012 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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Brief description of the service

This service is a five bedded mixed gender children's home for young people between the ages of 12 and under 17-years-old who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a local authority.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive outstanding levels of care and make significant progress in their lives. A can do culture supports young people in every aspect of their lives with innovative and creative approaches ensuring they receive constant advice, guidance and care to match their ever changing and often complex needs. Approaches to care planning are extremely effective with the individual needs of young people being expertly assessed and incorporated into holistic programmes of care and intervention. Young people play an active role in all aspects of life in the home and contribute fully to the way it is run. Young people have their views listened to and are encouraged and supported to consider the needs of others in the home and the wider community. A core strength of the home is the quality of relationships between young people and staff with young people benefitting greatly from a positive and committed staff team who display clear aspirations for the young people in their

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Overall effectiveness

care. Young people say they feel safe with robust and individualised intervention programmes and strategies significantly reducing their risky and inappropriate behaviours. Comprehensive and objective monitoring procedures ensure high standards of care are maintained and improved upon. An excellent managerial approach ensures the home is run in an outstanding manner with the needs of young people being of paramount importance. The one requirement made at the last inspection has been met and no requirements or recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding . Young people make exceptional progress at the home and are enabled to significantly develop and improve their social, behavioural and educational skills. Parents, social workers and young people state that staff go above and beyond in their duties often undertaking additional work to ensure the highest standards of individual care are maintained.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are taught to appreciate their individual cultures and to be respectful towards others within an environment where mutual respect is of paramount importance. Young people are assisted to appreciate and celebrate difference such as through trips to London to experience the Chinese New Year at first hand from the perspective of a large and established ethnic community. Young people display an appropriate respect for others with incidents of a racial, discriminatory or prejudicial nature being extremely rare. Young people said bullying was not a problem in the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people always have their views, opinions and wishes incorporated into the day-to-day running of the home and say they feel listened to. Young people noted that staff are around day and night who they can talk to. Young people contribute fully to their care plans, reviews, intervention strategies and risk assessments. The open nature of the home allows for young people to voice their issues easily. For the most part no doors are kept shut, including the staff and managers office thus encouraging a uniquely open care environment. Young people are supported to engage with the local community and recently became involved in raising money for a charity nearby. This entailed the whole staff and young person group completing a gruelling army assault course together. This impressive event was a direct result of a young person's request and is indicative of the closeness and community feel of the home; many staff participated during their day off.

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Outcomes for children and young people

A positive learning culture ensures young people attain extremely good attendance rates at school or college and make exceptional progress in their educational achievements. Given the starting points of many young people the progress they make is remarkable. Young people who had not attended schools for long periods of time before moving into the home have recently received educational achievement awards for the outstanding progress they have made. Feedback from parents, social workers and schools confirm that young people make, 'unbelievable progress in their learning', with, 'superb' staff support, enabling them to remain and engage in education when previously other attempts had failed. Young people note that, 'I never used to go and hated school…and would never have stayed there without the staff being there for me'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have been assisted to understand how to respond appropriately to crisis and trauma in their lives and to develop the skills that are required to manage conflict positively. The offending behaviours of young people have decreased significantly as have incidents when they go missing. Young people have gained invaluable insight into the reasons behind their lifestyles, behaviours and attitudes and in doing so are enabled to take responsibility for their actions and to learn the most appropriate way to deal with their feelings. An excellent approach ensures young people enjoy contact with their family members and other significant people in their lives. They keep in touch with family members and are helped to maintain constructive relationships with people who can provide them with support as they move towards independence. A number of young people who had been estranged from their families have now established regular and

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Outcomes for children and young people

positive contact with them. Parents commented that staff had, 'helped us build our relationship from not talking at all to having home visits and overnight stays'. Some young people feel improved relationships with their family is the most important thing to have happened and stated, '…being able to talk to staff about feelings about my family…helped me make sense of things…now it is really good'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive outstanding support as they approach adulthood. Young people have been assisted to learn a range of skills that will prepare them for life as confident and independent adults. These include cooking, household chores and financial management. Staff offer informed and realistic advice and guidance for older young people of the circumstances of looking after themselves more interpedently. The home's burgeoning outreach programme plays a vital role in supporting young people after they have moved on. This valuable service enables young people to request support through the difficult transition period of leaving care and beyond. Young people themselves choose who they wish to have as their outreach worker to ensure the most positive and meaningful relationships are utilised to support them in the community.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people share excellent and positive relationships with staff which enables them to make significant progress. A fundamental aspect of the home is to build constructive relationships between staff and young people with staff able to encourage progress through appropriate aspirations for their futures. Staff are acutely aware of the individual needs of the young people in their care with the culture of the home being open, caring and inclusive. A key worker system is well entrenched in practice, although it is clear all staff share responsibilities for all young people with excellent communication across the team ensuring programmes of care are implemented consistently. Young people categorically spoke most positively about the relationships they share with staff and the importance they attach to them. A prime example of this is the number of young people who choose to access outreach support once they have moved on from the home.

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Quality of care

Expectations of behaviour are appropriate and are implemented consistently in practice within an environment where mutual respect is promoted as the norm. Staff acknowledge that young people new to the home may require a period of transition to fully understand the ethos of the home and are sensitive to their needs and behaviours. The inclusive culture of the home often means that in such circumstances more established young people will also encourage appropriate behaviour for the benefit of the whole home. Young people have individual plans of care that are completed to the highest standard which take into account their cultural background and personal identity. All plans are compiled in line with the aims of the placing authority and take into account all available information and the views of parents and carers and most importantly those of the young person concerned. Expert advice is gained from a

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Quality of care

child psychologist with care plans being holistic in nature and comprehensive covering all aspects of care. Reviews of care occur routinely with monthly reports providing a detailed overview of the progress of young people against the aims of their particular care plan. Young people read each review and are encouraged to add their own comments. Similarly young people are enabled to participate fully in statutory reviews and are supported to express their views meaningfully.

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Quality of care

The health care needs of young people are well met with their emotional well-being addressed with the utmost importance. Health care plans guide staff in how young people have their physical and medical needs met including assisting them to attend routine doctor, dentist or optician appointments; a vast majority of staff are trained in first aid. Staff have also undertaken smoking cessation courses to help young people reduce and give up smoking.

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Quality of care

The emotional well-being of each young person is a cornerstone of practice with the development of self-esteem and confidence incorporated into all areas of care provision. Excellent joint working arrangements, coupled with very regular expert psychological input, ensures that young people who require more targeted and specialised interventions have these provided.

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Quality of care

The close scrutiny of the success of strategies and interventions ensures young people receive individual packages of care that matches their specific and changing needs and wishes. All young people placed at the home have made significant progress since being there and are able to acknowledge that staff provide, 'outstanding care and support…and really care'.

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Quality of care

An outstanding approach ensures the educational needs of young people are given a high priority which in turn leads to significant progress being made in their learning. All young people have personal education plans in place which dictate the type of educational programme they should be receiving. The culture of the home promotes education with staff supporting young people in the school environment when necessary to secure their attendance and encourage participation. Where issues arise the home is unstinting in their efforts to ensure young people are provided with appropriate placements and in good time. Recent challenges to decisions of exclusion resulted in young people being re-admitted to education. Where education placements are being identified, key workers visit schools with social workers to ensure they are fully involved in the process to find the best possible options and to immediately build up working relationships with the educational establishment in

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy a wide range of activities which are purposeful and linked to their wishes and interests. Regular trips are undertaken to local leisure centres and places of interest which helps them to engage in healthy physical pursuits such as swimming. Individual choices have seen young people attend horse riding classes and leadership courses. The home encourage young people to involve themselves in the community as much as possible and to experience situations the same as for any young person. A holiday is planned for this summer which will see all young people going abroad; the young people are clearly excited about going and were very keen to view their new passports.

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Quality of care

A good environment is provided for young people which offers them suitable comfort and space. Young people are assisted by staff to personalise their own rooms and help with the decoration which allows them to feel they have invested in their own living space. The building is well maintained with communal areas appearing homely, with a garden offering reasonable outdoor space. Since the last inspection the stairs and landing have had new carpet fitted.

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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

The home is successful in keeping young people as safe as is feasibly possible with young people feeling they are kept safe themselves. Robust protocols are followed in practice with staff displaying high levels of competency and knowledge in dealing with all situations of potential risk or concern. Staff are fully trained in child protection matters with clear lines of responsibility in place to deal with safeguarding concerns. Excellent standards of practice ensure all parties are kept informed of any issues that occur including parents and placing authorities who work together for the benefit of the young person concerned.

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Safeguarding children and young people

A comprehensive recruitment process ensures no staff work with young people unless all required checks have been confirmed. As a result of the stable staff team, no new staff have been appointed since the last inspection and indeed for some two years.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Swift and vigilant responses are made to address situations when young people leave the home without permission, with robust procedures drawn up with local police. All young people have comprehensive risk assessments in place which highlight their vulnerabilities when away from adult supervision. The levels of such behaviour are generally low with young people confirming that, 'staff continually contact us…to make sure we are ok', if they are late back from agreed periods of free time. An innovative approach toward ensuring young people are safe when away from the home without permission includes the use of texting which some young people find easier to communicate by. This approach ensures communication is maintained extremely regularly with records kept to track details. Young people who have moved into the home with entrenched histories of running away have been assisted to significantly reduce their need to do so and say they have been

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Safeguarding children and young people

helped to learn to keep themselves, 'much safer'. Positive behaviour is constantly encouraged and promoted with young people making significant progress in reducing their challenging and risk taking behaviours. Behaviour management plans are compiled which provide an excellent and individualised approach to meeting specific areas of care including issues of anger, violence or self-harm. The child psychologist assists the whole staff team in developing and reviewing intervention strategies with staff relationships, communication and each young person's motivation fully considered in a holistic sense. The atmosphere of the home is lively with staff providing firm and fair boundaries in a calm and responsive manner. Young people say they understand the rules and the reasons for them being in place. The use of sanctions is appropriate, with the home's monitoring procedures highlighting their successful implementation

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Safeguarding children and young people

and subsequent reduction in inappropriate behaviours. Wherever possible creative and restorative ways are sought to address unacceptable behaviour and to seek resolution. For example, young people have gone out with staff who they may have been verbally abusive to and have engaged in positive activities or a shopping task which benefits the whole home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff are trained in restraint with circumstances necessitating the need for physical intervention being very low. Each young person has a positive handling plan in place which details exactly what methods of physical intervention can be used, with the individual views of young people taken into account. The high levels of communication and dialogue between staff and young people clearly encourages reflection and thus avoids unnecessary conflict. Parents and social workers note that young people have made, 'brilliant strides', and, fantastic progress', in reducing their problematic behaviours, notably violence, leading to much healthier relationships with parents and carers. Young people state that, '…I was a nightmare when I first came…I am now much calmer and staff have taught me how to control my angry feelings'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

An appropriate approach ensures the health and safety of young people and staff is suitably considered. Weekly checks are completed on the whole environment, with expert assessments completed on an annual basis. Fire safety is taken most seriously with young people joining with staff in undertaking recent training. Fire drills and tests are completed regularly, while all other appliances being checked and serviced as required.

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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 and staff alike benefit from living and working in a home that is run efficiently and effectively and in an excellent manner. The Registered Manager displays a wealth of knowledge and skills and leads by example in guiding and supporting staff to consistently provide outstanding levels of care. The culture of the home is young person centred with all aspects of care provision aimed at helping young people to engage with staff, build positive relationships, address their own issues and move forward in their lives. Placing authorities and parents comment most positively on the overall running of the home and the significant progress made by young people.

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Leadership and management

A dynamic and inventive management approach ensures the changing needs and challenges of those being cared for are consistently meet with vigour and ingenuity. The Registered Manager has recently received an award from the local authority for 'making a difference', in recognition for continually running a home that assists young people to make progress in their lives; most notably given the poor starting points many young people have at the point of admission. The Registered Manager was keen to state that the award was a result of the efforts of the whole staff team.

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Leadership and management

A robust complaints policy is in place which is enacted in practice. No young person has made a complaint since the last inspection, but all confirmed they knew how to do so should they wish.

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Leadership and management

Information regarding the home and the services it offers is comprehensive with care practices clearly meeting the aims and objectives of the home as outlined in the Statement of Purpose. An excellent young person's guide provides all relevant information in an easy to understand and modern format with young people themselves involved in its development.

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Leadership and management

Comprehensive monitoring procedures ensure the standards of care practice are continually and objectively assessed, consolidated and improved upon. Monthly checks are completed on all areas of care provision, while six monthly Regulation 34 reports are compiled which provide a retrospective assessment. The findings of such reports enable the management team to confirm the strengths of service provision and the progress made by each young person and evaluate areas where more emphasis may be required to improve outcomes even further. Regulation 33 reports are completed monthly and provide a detailed and objective review of care. An annual quality assurance audit was undertaken by a research unit on behalf of the authority in April which included consultation with all stakeholders. The results of which concluded that the home scored highly across the board and in particular in regard to meeting health care needs, education and the promotion of equality and

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Leadership and management

diversity with young people said to be at the centre of practice.

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Leadership and management

The one requirement from the previous inspection has been met with robust and forward thinking management practices ensuring that all national minimum standards are met and indeed exceeded. Since the last inspection improvements have been made in a large number of areas including quality assurance, staff and young people undertaking training together and the development of the valuable outreach programme. The home is seen as an exemplar of practice by the local authority with the Registered Manager being involved in their corporate parenting panel and in disseminating models of good practice to its other homes.

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Leadership and management

An extremely stable, committed and experienced staff team provides young people with excellent levels of care which is sensitive, supportive and thoughtful. A good number of staff are available day and night with the team comprising of an appropriate balance of age and gender. Training and induction programmes provide staff with extremely good opportunities to learn and develop their skills with all staff either holding, or close to obtaining, the required care qualification. Staff receive all the necessary compulsory training such as first aid, child protection and fire safety and are enabled to pursue additional training opportunities including counselling. Staff are fully supported to undertake their tasks and have formal supervision regularly. Comments such as, 'brilliant support…fantastic team…always someone to ask for advice…great manager', were indicative of how staff felt about working at the

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Leadership and management

Records are maintained to a high standard and clearly evidence the progress and development made by each young person. Young people are expected to read everything which is written about them to allow them to comment and to ensure they understand how the adults who care for them assess their behaviour, attitude and progress.

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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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