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

Unique reference number SC359832 Inspector Stephen Collett Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person My Choice Children's Homes Limited Registered person address My Choice Childrens Homes Ltd, Unit 3/A Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road HAYWARDS HEATH West Sussex RH16 1XQ Responsible individual Peter Christopher Kazmarski Registered manager Edward Lloyd Glaves Date of last inspection 17/02/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 28/07/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides a good overall standard of care for young people, paying particular attention to their individual needs and reflecting these in the planning process. Consequently, in the majority of cases young people make good progress towards meeting their goals and experience positive outcomes. Young people form good relationships with staff and gain a sense of stability and security. This helps improve self-esteem and self-confidence, making young people more resilient and able to take on new challenges. Young people who have experienced several care placements and disrupted schooling begin to form attachments and engage with education.

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Overall effectiveness

Occasionally, well written placement plans are not fully implemented in day to day practice. Consequently, when young people face new and difficult challenges, they do not always benefit from the level of support outlined in their plans. The quality of care given could be improved in this respect. In order to meet the needs of all young people, the quality of care could be further improved by providing a stimulating environment in the home and implementing processes to ensure young people fully participate in the running of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people respond well to the support and advice given by a skilled and committed staff team. As a result they engage with external specialist services and 3 of 11 this has a positive effect on the young people's emotional wellbeing and their physical and mental health. Young people become more aware of their own vulnerabilities and gain a better understanding of risk in areas such as sexual exploitation and substance misuse.

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Overall effectiveness

The home takes a pro-active approach to keeping young people safe and works with external professionals in this process. Young people living in the home generally feel safe and are able to identify staff they would speak to if they had concerns. Staff take a creative approach to problem solving and this has been effective in reducing the frequency of young people going missing from the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is well managed and staff feel supported. Improvements could be made to create a more homely environment for the young people. This issue has been identified by the Registered Manager and is referred to in the home development plan, but not in great detail. Generally, the Registered Manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and demonstrates a commitment to seeking continuous improvement. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

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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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/02/2014 Interim good progress 04/07/2013 Full adequate 25/02/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 13/09/2012 Full good

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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

 Children develop skills and emotional resilience that will prepare them for independent living (NMS 2.6).  Each child's placement plan is monitored to ensure the requirements of the pl are implemented in the day to day care of that child (NMS 25.2).  Children develop their emotional, intellectual, social creative and physical skill through the accessible and stimulating environment created by the home (NM 7.1).  All children communicate their views on all aspects of their care and support (NMS 1.3).  The home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated (NMS 10.3). 5 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people at the home make good progress in many aspects of their lives. A skilled staff team assist young people to build positive relationships and form appropriate attachments. As a result, young people develop a sense of security and increased ability to reflect on negative life experiences and become more emotionally resilient. Young people who have experienced numerous changes of placement have settled well in the home and benefitted from stability and consistent care.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

All young people have an educational placement and where appropriate, have secured future college placements. Attendance is generally good, and when this has decreased, young people have been able to work through the issues making them reluctant to go to school. The majority of young people make reasonable progress in terms of educational achievement, taking into account previous negative experiences.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The importance of living healthy lifestyles is understood by the young people, and although not all have been able to take full advantage of the advice and guidance given, all the young people have been pro-active in seeking professional help. This has included engagement with substance misuse services, a nutritionist and stop smoking clinics. Some young people have experienced significant improvements in their mental health and wellbeing while living at the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

For some young people, progress made in developing independence skills has not been consistent, and they have reverted to depending on staff to complete basic chores, such as laundry. Similarly, not all young people have developed age appropriate self-care skills. A recommendation is therefore made in relation to the progress young people make in developing independent living skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Overall, the frequency of young people engaging in unsafe and offending behaviour decreases over time. At the time of this inspection, however, the circumstances of a resident had unexpectedly changed, resulting in a reversal of the progress made relating to unsafe and offending behaviour.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Many of the young people have experienced improved relationships with family members, and this has resulted in good quality contact. As a result, young people have benefitted from a better understanding of their identity and self-worth. Increased self-confidence enables young people to take part in a range of community activities, such as volunteering and sporting activities.

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Quality of care adequate

6 of 11 The home is set in a rural location and young people live in a period house that has been refurbished and modernised. Extensive grounds surround the property and young people have access to well maintained gardens and the countryside. An outbuilding serves as a recreation room for the young people, but at the time of the inspection this was largely being used for professionals meetings. There is sufficient space and facilities for the young people in the home, and young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. An education room on the ground floor of the home is currently used by young people as a computer room, where telephone calls to family and other significant adults can also be made. All the young people at the home currently attend external education provision, and the room is not being used for lessons.

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Quality of care adequate

Many communal areas in the home are in need of redecoration and some of the furnishings are worn. Cleanliness could also be improved in the kitchen and bathroom facilities. These issues are addressed later in this report.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people benefit from having positive relationships with staff, who are committed and clearly want the best for the young people. One young person commented that 'staff respect me and that is why I respect them too'. Staff contribute towards comprehensive placement plans for the young people, but there are occasionally shortfalls in how the plans are implemented in practice. Consequently, some young people are not always provided with opportunities to engage in positive activities with staff, to the degree proposed in the placement plan. A recommendation is made to improve practice in this area.

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Quality of care adequate

Although many of the young people take advantage of the opportunities to engage in purposeful leisure activities, they are not motivated to engage in stimulating alternatives when they lose interest. Some staff occasionally become despondent when a young person declines to engage in an activity. As a result, some young people prioritise free time away from the home and become involved in anti-social behaviour when unsupervised. A recommendation is therefore made regarding the provision of a stimulating home environment.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people spoken to during the inspection felt they could influence how the home is run, and gave menu planning and the television rota as examples of this. None of the young people identified young people's house meetings as a way of making views known, and staff confirmed that these meetings were no longer viewed as positive by the young people. Minutes of the meetings indicate that young people are not influencing the running of the home through this process.

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Quality of care adequate

Relationships between young people in the home are not always positive. Management and staff are aware of these issues and are pro-active in seeking solutions. Mediation has been facilitated by staff where conflict has arisen. There is no forum for the collective views of young people to be heard, and this is not currently seen as a tool that could be used to resolve differences. A recommendation is made in relation to hearing the wishes and views of young people. 7 of 11 Young people who have used the complaints procedure feel that it was an effective way of addressing the issue. All young people are provided with a guide which clearly sets out the complaints process, and also contains information about advocacy services. One young person spoken to during the inspection felt that staff could be more supportive when a young person wants to make a complaint to an outside agency.

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Quality of care adequate

The staff prioritise the wellbeing of young people and encourage and support them to access external agencies. Consequently, young people have benefitted from specialist support in relation to sexual exploitation, internet safety and nutrition. Staff advocate on behalf of young people to ensure referrals made to specialist agencies are responded to and communication with other professionals is productive. During the inspection it was noted there had been some delay in making a necessary appointment for a young person in order to progress a referral to the child and adolescent mental health service, but practice is generally good in this area.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people's records indicate that staff have considered the cultural needs of the young people, and these are reflected in placement plans. Staff recognise young people's individuality and acknowledge and respect their developing self-identities. Equality is promoted, and placement plans reflect a need to challenge discriminatory attitudes displayed by young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Good safeguarding practice is maintained in the home, and all young people indicated that in general, they feel safe. Some young people report that feeling safe is sometimes compromised when residents display challenging behaviour, but there is a unanimous view that staff handle these situations effectively and are skilled at calming young people when they are feeling angry. All young people can identify staff they could talk to if they were feeling unsafe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Behaviour management strategies are in place for all young people, and these are applied in practice. An independent reviewing officer, spoken to during the inspection, expressed the view that staff engage young people effectively when they are being challenging and have managed behaviours which have caused previous placements to break down.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Behaviour management plans have associated risk assessments which are reviewed and amended where necessary, following an episode of challenging behaviour. Sanctions are used on occasions, but a reward and incentive process is more likely to be used to encourage positive behaviour. All young people spoken to during the inspection feel that sanctions are fair, but some question whether the severity of a sanction is affected by gender. The Registered Manager and staff are able to 8 of 11 demonstrate that the needs of the young person are the primary consideration made when applying sanctions.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There have been no incidents of physical restraint of young people since the last inspection, but during the inspection this method of behaviour management was used on one occasion. It was clear that restraint is only used as a last resort and is carried out in accordance with the regulatory framework. Young people commented that when restraint is used it is for a good reason and young people are always supported by staff following an incident. The recording of incidents of restraint is detailed and the information is shared with the young person's social worker.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home has a good track record of effective intervention to minimise incidents of young people going missing. Management and staff have worked creatively with young people, professionals and families to identify the reasons for a young person going missing. Some young people have made significant progress and attribute this to contact arrangements negotiated and initiated by the staff team.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

At the time of the inspection there had been a recent increase in the number of missing and unauthorised absence episodes recorded at the home, in relation to one resident. Staff intervene when they suspect a young person may go missing, and will stay with them and try to persuade them to take another course of action as they leave the home. Agreed protocols with police are followed once it is established that the young person is missing, and senior management will challenge other agencies if it is felt that appropriate action has not been taken.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff take active steps to keep in touch with young people who go missing and gather intelligence to try and establish the whereabouts of a young person and any potential risks. A social worker spoken to during the inspection identified the positive relationships between staff and young people as the reason why young people who are missing will keep in touch with staff, and described this as a 'protective factor'.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Any child protection concerns are reported promptly to the appropriate authorities and follow up action is taken to keep young people safe. Staff are knowledgeable concerning the risks associated with child sexual exploitation and skilled at identifying young people's particular vulnerabilities. Consequently, young people benefit from being referred to specialist support agencies. Many of the young people take the opportunity to discuss the specialist support they are receiving in key work sessions undertaken at the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are vigilant and quickly recognise any signs of bullying behaviour within the group of young people. Individual young people are supported to confront and address any negative behaviour they demonstrate towards others in the group, but practice could be developed in this area by facilitating young people's group discussion. Young people's meetings are not currently an effective forum for addressing this issue. 9 of 11 Recruitment documents for two new members of staff were seen during the inspection, and all necessary checks to ensure suitable persons are employed in the home have been carried out. Safer recruitment processes are in place and staff are aware of the organisations whistle blowing policy.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home is a physically safe environment with appropriate security measures in place. Equipment, including the fire alarm system, are regularly tested. Young people are familiar with the fire evacuation process and take part in regular fire drills. The home is in an isolated rural location with no street lighting, but security lighting has been installed in the grounds of the home.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has been in post since January 2013 and holds the level 3 national vocational qualification, children and young people. He is currently studying for the level 5 qualification, and expects to achieve this within three months.

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Leadership and management good

Services provided by the home meet the objectives set out in the statement of purpose. Action has been taken to address all issues arising from the last inspection, when the home was judged to be making good progress. One complaint has been made by a young person since the last inspection. The young person concerned confirmed at this inspection, that the complaint had been resolved satisfactorily.

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Leadership and management good

Where any concerns arise regarding staff practice, the issues are investigated thoroughly and in a timely manner. Action is taken to support staff where improvements need to be made and monitoring arrangements are put in place.

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Leadership and management good

Not all areas of the home are well maintained. The furniture in the young people's lounge is worn, and graffiti was observed on the coffee table. There are few soft furnishings and some windows have no curtains. One window was seen to be boarded over with a clear Perspex sheet. Where door sensors have been replaced, the disused casings have not been removed. Some areas of the home have not been cleaned sufficiently well. The Registered Manager has a development plan which makes reference to maintenance issues, but this is not detailed and timescales for improvement are not given. A recommendation is therefore made in relation to the provision of a homely environment.

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Leadership and management good

Leaders and managers act as good role models for the staff team and young people. A settled staff team share a common goal of meeting the needs of the young people and supporting them to achieve positive outcomes. The Registered Manager and the staff team feel well supported and commented favourably on the quality of supervision they receive. Specialist advice on how to meet the complex needs of the young people is available through the organisations consultant psychotherapist.

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Leadership and management good

The organisation provides a comprehensive training programme. All staff have 10 of 11 completed mandatory training in child protection, and this is enhanced by accessing specific training modules on issues such as child sexual exploitation. Staff spoken to during the inspection were able to reflect on how training has been incorporated into their day to day practice.

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Leadership and management good

Systems are in place to monitor the progress young people make and the home can evidence the positive impact of the care given, particularly in relation to missing episodes and self-harming behaviour. Through key working sessions, staff also monitor the impact external services have on young people. Effective communication with other agencies ensures that young people receive consistency in the care they receive.

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Leadership and management good

All health and safety risk assessments are regularly reviewed and amended when necessary. Safety checks of equipment are kept up to date. Young people's records are well maintained and stored securely within the home.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home, and seeks to build upon improvements already made to ensure the complex needs of the young people living at the home are met in a safe, caring environment. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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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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