Children's Home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in West Sussex

Unique reference number SC359832 Inspection date 13/09/2012 Inspector Gaynor Moorey 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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Brief description of the service

This setting is registered to accommodate three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. The home is managed by a private organisation.

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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 good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are provided with a good standard of care, support and guidance so that they make positive progress. Care planning and review are of a comprehensive standard and promote the individual needs of young people. Such an approach is effective in practice and promotes good outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from excellent relationships with staff. This helps them gain understanding into their own problems and behaviour and move forward with their lives. The views of young people clearly influence the day-to-day running of the home and they are made to feel part of it.

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Overall effectiveness

The home keeps the young people safe. Staff respond appropriately to negative behaviour. The young people say they feel 'safe and looked after'. Young people are aware that staff help and assist them when they are struggling with their own behaviour and ensure it does not impact on others living at the home where possible.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people live in a home that provides a good standard of accommodation. The staff team work hard to provide positive standards of care. The home currently has a manager who is not yet registered with Ofsted. However, an application to be registered manager has been made.

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Overall effectiveness

One area for improvement is that all documentation is monitored and up to date.

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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 the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulation, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the homes policies. (NMS 21.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are good. Young people benefit from individualised programmes of care and from a committed staff team who work to attain the best for them. Young people enjoy positive relationships, which enables them to look at issues that affect their lives or have affected their lives in order to progress and make positives changes.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say they participate in activities and enjoy horse riding, drama, youth clubs and football. Young people are offered exciting opportunities such as recording songs at a studio. Young people have the opportunity to enjoy activities based around their likes and interests which encourages positive outcomes for them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged and supported to lead a healthy a lifestyle as possible. Healthcare advice and guidance are readily available which ensures that young people receive specialist intervention specific to their individual needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's emotional needs are met. Focused care enables them to gain a greater positive self-view and develop stronger emotional resilience. Young people receive good levels of professional input in relation to their mental health needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home promotes education and learning, and young people make progress. Attendance levels are good. Young people attend school within the home in a separate education room. Young people are supported throughout the day by the staff, who also promote learning and education beyond the school day enabling young people to make progress. Taster days at college are used to help young people experience education in the community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are suitably encouraged to develop their independent living skills. Individual programmes are in place, which encourages them to develop their living skills at a pace they can achieve and sustain. Targets are in place for budgeting, shopping and cooking for part of the week. Young people are involved with their key workers in developing their independence plans. Young people benefit from these programmes enabling them to progress positively towards adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All of the young people, subject to any agreed restrictions, benefit from being able to maintain appropriate contact with family, friends and other people who are important to them. Young people have mobile telephones for their personal use and have ready access to the home's telephone.

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Quality of care

Young people receive a good level of care. Young people benefit from constructive and positive relationships with staff and make progress as a result. Young people are positive about the staff, one young person said, ' I am really happy here, staff listen to me and talk to me.'

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Quality of care

Young people’s views are promoted and valued to a high level. Young people say they are listened to, that they can raise concerns easily and understand how to make a complaint. After making a complaint one young person said, 'I was listened to and things changed.' The staff team ensures that each young person has numerous opportunities to voice their feelings and opinions. Each young person is offered regular key-work sessions and is able to voice their views informally and on a daily basis to the manager and senior members of staff.

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Quality of care

A comprehensive programme of care planning ensures that young people's specific needs are met. Their individual needs are fully assessed and incorporated into plans of care. Such plans match the overall aim of the placement and guide staff in how best to meet their needs. Reviews of care take place regularly and include advice and guidance from mental health professionals. Young people are involved in contributing to the development and review of their own plans and participate in reviews.

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Quality of care

Staff promote each young person's education within a culture that supports and encourages learning. Each young person has an education plan which is set around the school unit in the house.

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Quality of care

Young people's healthcare needs are met. A comprehensive approach to addressing their physical, emotional and psychological needs ensures young people are provided with individualised care. Healthcare plans are completed which provide a good overview of their needs and how staff are to meet them. All young people are registered with local doctors, opticians and dentists and are assisted to attend appointments as and when required.

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Quality of care

Members of staff encourage and enable young people to take part in activities. This approach allows them to develop their self-esteem and confidence and to experience being in the local community in a positive way. Individual choices are well catered for, and young people clearly enjoy one-to-one time provided by staff.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a home that offers them a good standard of accommodation. The building is very old but does provide reasonable amounts of space and comfort. The communal areas are homely and there are extensive grounds for the young people to use and enjoy. Young people personalise their rooms with posters and pictures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say they 'feel safe and looked after and are helped to address their difficult or risky behaviour'. Staff deal with any bullying behaviour or situations where issues occur between the young people by using strategies such as restorative justice.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The approach towards safeguarding is comprehensive and ensures that young people are kept as safe as possible. Staff receive training in child protection on a regular basis. Responses by the management team to safeguarding concerns are swift and in line with local protocols.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff utilise the relationships they share with young people to encourage them to respond in a positive manner when given guidance and boundaries. Clear guidance and protocols are in place in terms of the use of restraint. Staff are trained in the use of restraint, and de-escalation is a core aspect of their practice. Restraint is only used when appropriate and young people say they 'understand why it happens and feel safe with the staff'. Sanctions are used but on a minimal basis.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Robust protocols are in place to address situations when young people go missing. These include individual risk assessments which highlight the young person's risk and vulnerability. Appropriate liaison with the local police ensures that young people are reported missing in good time. Young people are given support to consider the reasons why they leave without permission and the risks they may face.

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Safeguarding children and young people

A suitable recruitment procedure ensures only staff that have been appropriately checked work with young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Health and safety are taken seriously, ensuring the safety of young people and staff alike. Regular checks and tests are completed, including fire drills and fire alarm checks. Routine servicing ensures all areas of the home are maintained appropriately, including the testing of electrical installations and portable equipment.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The home does not have a Registered Manager. The acting manager has been in place since July 2012 when the Registered Manager left. The acting manager was previously the deputy; is experienced within the organisation and displays a clear understanding of the individual and group living needs of young people at the home. An application to be registered with Ofsted has been received and is being processed.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose reflects current practice in the home. The children's guide is in an appropriate format. Young people say they are supplied with a copy on arrival, so they have written information about the home. Staff receive good levels of training and undertake a thorough induction programme when they first join. Staff supervision is regular and they clearly understand the particular needs of young people in their care. The young people are complimentary about the staff and feel safe at the home.

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Leadership and management

Monthly monitoring reports are undertaken and give an overall picture of the home. The acting manager has monitored the home since taking over. However, some documentation has not been kept up to date and some incident records are not signed by all of the staff involved. Although this does not directly affect the young people's care it is pivotal in the monitoring role of a manager.

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Leadership and management

The acting manager ensures that records are generally maintained to a accurate level. All information relating to the progress and development of young people are kept up to date. Minutes of statutory reviews are sought and good care planning and consultation with the young people is evident. Notifications are sent promptly to Ofsted and to all other relevant parties.

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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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