Children's Home run by Child First Limited in West Sussex

Unique reference number SC044259 Inspector Jennie Christopher Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Child First Limited Registered person address Child First Ltd PO Box 2050 Steyning West Sussex BN44 3XQ Responsible individual Terry Goble Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection 31/10/2013 2 of 10 Inspection date 20/06/2014

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Previous inspection satisfactory progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe adequate Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make progress in many areas of their lives while living in the home. Young people enjoy some excellent relationships with staff, who they feel listen to what they say and act upon their views and ideas when possible. Young people are involved in consultation and service development questionnaires, ad hoc group meetings and one to one sessions.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people learn build solid relationships with staff and each other in a supportive environment. Young people say they feel safe in the home and know that staff are concerned for their well-being. Staff have strong working relationships with parents, education and a range of specialist services to promote consistent care planning.

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Overall effectiveness

The home currently does not have a Registered Manager; however it is effectively managed by a team who recognise most of the strengths and weaknesses within the home. The team is currently identifying areas for improvement in care and the physical environment to be included into a development plan. Staff say they are well trained and supported through regular supervision. Young people benefit from continuity in staffing and in turn, a consist approach to care.

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Overall effectiveness

Areas identified as requiring improvement as a result of this inspection include: reviewing the use of financial based sanctions to ensure they are effective; gaining 3 of 10 formal consent for the use of external CCTV and bedroom door alarms and being more proactive in response to bullying, among others. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation. It is registered to accommodate up to five young people of either gender who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and who are unable, for the moment, to live in a family setting. The home aims to support young people to return to family, move to foster carers or to move on to independent accommodation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/10/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 30/05/2013 Full adequate 03/12/2012 Interim good progress 20/07/2012 Full inadequate

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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) review sanctions to ensure they are appropriate and do not solely focus on the imposition of financial penalties, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation or withholding money (Regulation 17(2)(g)) 31/07/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the use of electronic monitoring devices for the surveillance of children are not used except for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children 31/07/2014 5 of 10 accommodated in the home. Furthermore ensure the placing authority consents to the use of the measure in question and it is provided for in the child's placement plan (Regulation 22(1)(a)(b))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children’s home used by children are of sound construction and kept in good structural repair externally and internally; and kept reasonably decorated and maintained. (Regulation 31(2)(d)(e)) 31/07/2014

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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 staff in the home recognise and deal with any indications or incidents bullying promptly and intervene positively, engaging with those who bully as w as those who are bullied (NMS 3.12)  ensure sufficient staff have training in first aid (NMS 6.7)  ensure young people have access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which will promote their development, with particular regard to inter access, where appropriate (NMS 10)  ensure there is written confirmation that telephone enquiries regarding an applicants suitability to work with children have been made alongside written references. (NMS 16.1) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people develop an increasingly positive self-view while living in the home. In addition they are supported to understand their personal history and how this impacts on their current behaviour. Emotional wellbeing is central to young people’s plans with some excellent support form external mental health professional. However funding decisions by a placing authority has hindered access to appropriate therapies for one young person. The home has challenged this decision and along with Youth Offending professionals support the young person as well as they are able.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people generally enjoy good physical health and staff support young people individually to understand what healthy lifestyles means to them. The majority of young people in the home cook independently as part of independence programmes. On occasion they cook for the group, with a continued focus on homemade foods. Young people are involved in a range of physically and emotionally stimulating activities in the home and community, such as gym memberships, swimming and art.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are involved in making decisions about their lives and the content of their care and behaviour management plans. Young people make a positive contribution within the home through ad hoc house meetings an individual sessions.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Education and training is tailored to individual needs and blends formal lessons with support from specialist services including Youth Offending Teams and court imposed sessions. All young people have plans for the forthcoming academic year and have been accepted onto college and training courses.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have excellent support to learn skills for independence and adulthood. Individualised plans ensure young people are able to budget and make meals in addition to gaining skills for everyday issues, such as completing forms and applying for jobs. Young people are extremely positive about their skills and ability to cope in the future. However they suggest that lack of internet access within the home has hindered some of their activities.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy mostly excellent relationships with staff and appear comfortable in their company. Staff are clearly concerned about all aspects of young people’s lives and wellbeing. Despite young people suggesting staff do not listen to their ideas, observations demonstrate that staff have good communication skills and ensure all young people are listened to and able to share their views. In addition, staff effectively communicate to young people when their views and wishes cannot be 7 of 10 acted upon and the reasons why. Young people’s complaints are responded to promptly and it is clear their contributions are welcomed.

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Quality of care good

Young people actively contribute to their reviews and care plans which reflect agreed decisions and future goals. Individualised behaviour management plans promote consistency in approach to unwanted behaviour. Sanctions are generally fair and appropriate. However the focus on financial penalty, supervised spend or delay in young people receiving money is not always reflective of the behaviour the sanction intends to modify. Positive behaviour is rewarded in ways appropriate to individual young people, including ice creams for completing a task without staff support and financial incentives.

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Quality of care good

Staff support young people with their education both in the home and through close consultation with education and training providers. As a result young people benefit from continuity in approach to reach their goals and succeed. In addition to education and training, young people have tailored weekly plans, meeting their social and emotional needs. Activities include various therapies, work with the fire service and youth offending teams alongside gym and swimming memberships.

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Quality of care good

Young people are encouraged to recognise equality and diversity beyond their own culture and beliefs. Young people are supported to explore other cultures and beliefs through themed nights, but as young people become more independent these have been less practical. Staff facilitate agreed contact with family and significant other people and liaise effectively with parents, carers and social workers to ensure contact remains beneficial to young people.

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Quality of care good

the home is spacious with areas for individual or group interaction. However some areas are tired and require redecoration and maintenance.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people say they feel safe in the home and identify staff they can go to if they are worried or upset. Staff are confident in processes to follow should they be concerned for a young person’s safety or welfare. Staff understand each young person’s vulnerabilities and work proactively to protect them. Bullying has been a concern and issues within friendships have not always responded to promptly or proactively.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Policies within the home are updated in response to lessons learned locally and nationally; including identifying signs of exploitation and gang awareness. Safeguarding investigations are managed promptly and in line with local procedures.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Some young people continue to go missing from care, while for others the behaviour has dramatically reduced. If young people leave the home without permission, staff search the local area for them, when it is safe to do so. A concern from the local 8 of 10 police that staff did not collect young people who had been missing was thoroughly investigated by managers, and there has been no reoccurrence of this. Robust measures are in place should a young person be missing or not home at the agreed time. Staff are aware of the factors that may lead to a young person going missing and work proactively to engage individuals to prevent this happening. Including extra one to one tome before bed and engage them in art. Other behaviours that place young people at risk, such as offending, are well managed and the home works closely with youth offending teams to reduce risky behaviours or support young people to understand why they continue to take risks. Individual files contain up-to-

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

date photographs of young people in case of emergency. Young people’s risk assessments are robust, ensuring young people are able to take age-appropriate risks in line with individual abilities and vulnerabilities.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Positive behaviour plans identify key aspects to de-escalate incidents and support individuals through times of emotional crisis or anger. Young people are encouraged to consider how future responses could be different and staff facilitate reflective discussions. Generally proactive response to unwanted behaviour results in limited use of restraint. However, an incident where de-escalation was not effectively implemented lead to a necessary, but potentially avoidable restraint.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people are safe from fire and other hazards as a result of regular checks and procedures. The use of external CCTV and alarms on bedroom doors has not been authorised by the placing authority or included in placement plans to ensure they do not restrict movement while considering safety. The organisation’s recruitment policy is thorough, including robust personnel checks. Telephone verification of references are not consistently recorded in staff files.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home has been without a Registered Manager since May 2014. The home manager is completing the application process to become registered. The home manager has a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses within the home and care practice. Evaluative monthly monitoring of the building and records highlight any new areas of concern. However, there have been failures in identify non-compliance with the requirements of regulation; lack of consent for the use of bedroom door alarms and external CCTV; maintenance and decoration in some areas of the home and failure to ensure behaviour management within the home is effectively implemented.

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Leadership and management adequate

Reports in relation to visits made to the home to monitor its conduct in line with Regulation 33 are sound. In addition evaluation of the manager’s monthly monitoring highlights trends and patterns and identifies areas to be included in the development plan, which remains a work in progress. Within these processes, the views of young people, their families and other stakeholders are considered. Additionally, questionnaires completed by young people, family and social workers help identify 9 of 10 areas of strength and weakness within the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Statement of Purpose is individualised to the home and reflects the service provided. Staff understand the aims and ethos of the home. The young people’s guide is in a simple format which can be easily adapted. The document contains information on both internal and external advice and advocacy services, which young people are actively making use of.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home demonstrates a good level of multi-agency working to improve outcomes for young people. Close working relationships with specialist emotional wellbeing services, the looked after children’s nurse and youth offending practitioner sin particular, help ensure positive outcomes for young people. Services that are not performing are challenged when required. There have been no complaints regarding the home from the local community and relationships are generally positive.

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Leadership and management adequate

The staff team are consistent and have an excellent understanding of the young people they care for. Staff feel they are supported by the management team and say they receive training they require to complete their jobs effectively. The training calendar for the year includes both mandatory and additional training. First aid training is a priority as it cannot be guaranteed there is a first aid trained member of staff on site at all times. Supervision of staff is regular provides sufficient challenge to continually improve practice. Annual appraisals include the thoughts of young people and identify training needs for the coming year. The disciplinary process is clear and rigorously challenges poor practice. Newly appointed staff complete an induction programme specific to the service, based on the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s induction standards. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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