Children's Home, Residential special school run by Mayne Enterprises Limited in East Sussex

Unique reference number SC413992 Inspector Liz Driver Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

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Registered person Mayne Enterprises Limited Registered person address 267 Preston Drove BRIGHTON BN1 6FL

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Responsible individual Sarah Hawke Registered manager Leon Creenan Date of last inspection 26/11/2013 2 of 12 Inspection date 23/10/2014

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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 outstanding Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

This is a good service that is keen to develop. The senior management team show a commitment to ensure they implement changes in line with changing regulation. As a result young people receive very good, consistent standards of care, support and guidance.

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Overall effectiveness

The care provided is focused on ensuring young people’s individual needs are placed first. A real strength of the home is the nurturing relationships young people develop with the staff and management team. As a result they make good to excellent progress in addressing their behaviour, improving their self-esteem and achieving in their education. Many young people have been at the setting for numerous years and are clear about the progress they have made and the impact of being at this service has had on their life chances. The on -site school provision supports their education needs and works closely with the care provision to provide daily stability across the whole day.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive well planned and individualised care and their views are central to the operation and practice of the home. Staff are committed to providing high quality care and this promotes positive outcomes for young people. Relationships between staff and young people are respectful, professional and trusting. Young people respond well to the relationships they form with staff and 3 of 12 clearly enjoy their presence. Young people say the staff team are `cool` and `they know us well` and `really do work hard to help us`.

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Overall effectiveness

The leadership and management team are visible on a daily basis, and offer much support to both young people and staff. Quality assurance is robust which enables staff to have a good understanding of the many strengths and the few weaknesses of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people said they feel safe and identify how they have made progress with their problematic behaviours. This home’s robust approach toward safeguarding ensures young people are as safe as can be expected, without limiting their opportunities to engage fully in the things they enjoy.

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Overall effectiveness

The three requirements made at this inspection relate to, informing the local authority of when young people from out of area arrive or depart the setting; ensuring the recording of fire drills contain more detail as to their effectiveness and recording more detail in records of behaviours that may lead to a physical intervention. The three recommendations made relate to, increasing the views of the young people in monitoring reports; making sure, following checks completed, that a record is kept of the therapist's accreditation to the body she is regulated by and to include in the home's current missing persons policy information as to how the service will prevent young people going missing as well as how they will manage it. 4 of 12

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Information about this children’s home

This service is registered with Ofsted to provide education and care to a maximum of 11 young people. It is a small privately owned independent residential school and children's home for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties, often combined with moderate learning difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2013 Interim good progress 10/07/2013 Full outstanding 21/03/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 14/06/2012 Full good

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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

12B (2001) the registered person shall notify, in writing, the local authority for the area in which the children's home is located without delay of the admission and discharge of a child into and from the children's home (Regulation 12B (1) and (3)) 28/11/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) the registered person shall ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working at the home and , so far as practicable, children accommodated there, are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire; specifically ensuring their effectiveness is 29/11/2014 5 of 12 better recorded with any areas highlighted addressed as a result (Regulation 32 (1) (e))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) the registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in volume kept for the purpose of which shall include details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure; ensuring records are detailed. ( Regulation 17(B) (3) (b)) 29/11/2014

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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

 include the views and opinions of children more in the home's monitoring processes, specifically in the three monthly reports submitted under Regulation 34 (NMS 21)  ensure when cheeks, such as professional bodies accreditation, are completed on specialist professionals, such as the therapist, that these checks are then recorded (NMS 18)  ensure the home's missing person's policy includes sufficient detail as to how they will prevent young people going missing. (NMS 5) 6 of 12

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good to excellent progress while living at the home. For some their progress made given their starting points at the time they moved in, is excellent; for others they continue to make good progress. Young people say they are very well cared for with a large number of placements being stable and long term. This promotes a strong sense of community with good routines, good parenting and consistency of care.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are supported to understand their backgrounds and to develop positive self-views and resilience. The strong and stable staff team and the excellent relationships developed, enables young people to reflect on their past without fear and in a safe environment. Young people are supported to become confident and establish and maintain appropriate relationships with others. Young people appear, and say they are happy at the home and engage comfortably with staff. The key- worker system enables young people to focus on their goals and to make progress. Regular key work sessions provide an opportunity for them to discuss their feelings, thoughts and aspirations. Staff are fully aware of young people's strengths and vulnerabilities and work hard to nurture their talents and interests. Young people feel valued and are supported to make the right life choices which are also captured in the close relationships between the school and care staff. This enables young people to

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Outcomes for children and young people good

make good progress whilst understanding how the right choices can alter their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people receive the routine and specialist services they need that ensure they are kept healthy, emotionally and physically. They are supported to lead a healthier life style with staff guidance and encouragement in eating a healthy diet to participating in sport activities. Young people are supported to have their emotional needs met with external professional help if necessary. As a result young people make considerable progress in developing their feelings of self-worth.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from living in a home where the value of education is promoted and encouraged. Young people's educational needs commence once they wake up, with careful consideration given to ensuring their day starts positively. All young people attend the organisations on site school, or local colleges. Attendance levels are excellent. Any young person not able to engage in the school is supported in the home by school staff until they can re-engage; this may be for a few minutes or longer. Young people benefit from good levels of support during the school day and after, at the home. Staff in both education and care communicate throughout the day and support each other so young people receive consistency and the same messages of expected behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people regularly contribute to the way the home is run through daily meetings that take place every afternoon between all the young people and staff following their 7 of 12 return from school. This enables young people to reflect on their educational day, their behaviour and that of others and to plan for their evening activities. Additional meetings take place between the registered manager, the responsible individual, the director and key workers to discuss goals and issues affecting the home. Recent changes made as a result of such meetings include the development of a cinema room and a change of activities on offer.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are readily able to contact families and friends. They are supported to visit family who may live some distance away. This enables young people to maintain and improve family relationships safely and with confidence. Staff are very well informed of any restrictions of contact and support the young people to understand the reasons why.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Despite much communication and challenges with placing authorities, transitions can vary considerably. The management team work tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition takes place for all young people; however this is not always fully supported by the local authority's action. These result in frustrations for the manager and poor outcomes for the young people involved. It must be noted the vast majority of transitions are good, however at times they have been poorly planned and/or rushed by the specific local authority.

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Quality of care outstanding

A real strength of the home is the relationships staff achieve with the young people. Relationships are both constructive and positive, with clear and sensitively managed boundaries. Highly detailed day to day planning, with the needs of the young people at the heart of staff practice, provides young people with stability, a sense of security and feeling very well cared for. Young people clearly feel cared for as they say `I love it here` and `staff are amazing,

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Quality of care outstanding

The stable staff team consistently assist young people to learn and develop in an environment that is safe and caring. Many of the young people have lived at the home for long periods of time leading to them building meaningful relationships with each other. Behaviour was seen to be good throughout the inspection, with much positive reinforcement from the staff. Feedback from placing authorities and families confirm that the whole staff team work exceedingly hard to assist young people to make progress in their lives.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people are encouraged to voice their views and opinions in numerous ways such as daily interaction with staff, key worker meetings and therapy sessions. Any concerns or worries are directed to the staff, manager or director and as a result young people are supported in challenging one another, or staff, and in voicing their feelings if they are not happy about something. Formal processes for making a complaint are in place, with information clearly visible in the home. Young people are fully supported through the complaints process and know their complaints are taken 8 of 12 seriously.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people are provided with care that is consistent with the specific needs of their placement plan. Their individual needs are fully assessed and incorporated into plans of care in line with the overall placement objective. Such plans guide staff in effectively implementing the individual aims and objectives in practice. Young people are involved in contributing to the development and review of their own plans and encouraged to attend and participate in all reviews. The home ensures detailed reports are provided for statutory reviews. Professionals are complimentary about the quality of these reports.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people make very good to excellent progress in education. The home has its own school, situated in the same grounds, which all young people of statutory school age attend. Older young people successfully attend local college's. Excellent communication is maintained between school and care staff resulting in a very consistent approach to meeting individual needs. Care staff are available to assist young people during the school day when necessary, which ensures their continued engagement.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home provides a healthy environment where young people are able to access the services and support they need to meet their physical, emotional and psychological health needs. Young people receive very good quality healthy food, provided by a cook with excellent knowledge of individual likes and dislikes. The cook also engages young people in baking which was seen as a calming behaviour management strategy, and used very effectively. Young people enjoy a wide range of activities which they have a voice in choosing, from on site bikes to clubs in the local community. The home itself provides an excellent place in which to play in the grounds and enjoy an array of computer consoles, indoor games, pool table, cinema room or televisions. Staff supervision is high, ensuring their safety at all times. Risk assessments of activities are undertaken to lessen the risks identified. Sound medication procedures are in place, providing safe administration.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home is comfortable, spacious and maintained. Young people personalise their bedrooms and this gives them a sense of belonging. The home has a warm and inviting feel which provides a nurturing home for young people to grow and develop. There are a number of communal areas available to allow them to rest, relax or play. Older young people have been provided with rooms which are deemed 'flats' with en suite facilities, thus allowing them the opportunity to live more independently. The outside of the home is particularly spacious being well maintained with gardens, lawns and patios.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

9 of 12 Pro-active safeguarding practice means that young people have a strong sense of safety and well-being. Young people report they feel safe at the home. `I feel safe here, I like the staff and they keep us safe’ was a comment received from a young person. The individual vulnerabilities of young people are assessed on arrival and reviewed regularly with staff displaying a sound knowledge of how to keep them as safe as possible.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

A robust approach toward child protection ensures that staff receive suitable training in safeguarding matters. Policies and procedures are clear and incorporate appropriate safeguarding protocols with staff knowing what to do in the event of concerns arising. Senior managers take the lead in child protection and make appropriate referrals to child protection agencies. Staff follow individual care plans that identify each young person's vulnerabilities and associated risks. Regularly updated risk assessments ensure that the young people are continually guided and supported to be safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Good levels of staffing ensure young people are supervised at all times. As a result there have been very few incidents of children going missing. Suitable arrangements are in place if a young person did go missing. Staff are aware of the dangers relating to the location of the home that young people may face, if they did go missing. Local protocols are in place as well as the setting's own procedures however they do not include how staff will prevent young people going missing. Young people did not raise bullying as an issue; the open culture of the home reduces the risk of such behaviours occurring unknown to staff. No issues were identified that suggests bullying as being a problem in the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Positive behaviour is encouraged and rewarded. Negative behaviours are responded to sensitively and consistently. Detailed behaviour management plans are consistently implemented in practice leading to significant improvements in behaviour, attitude and personal development. Staff are well trained to deal with situations whereby the challenging or risky behaviours of young people may require the use of physical intervention. The use of restraint is appropriate and predominantly relates to young people being guided away from situations. Records of restraint are generally well maintained and reflect the nature of the situation and include a debriefing with the young person concerned. However some records lack detail of the presenting behaviour leading to an intervention. Overall behaviours improve greatly from when young people first arrive at the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are protected by the home's robust recruitment procedures, which ensure that all necessary background checks are carried out before newly appointed staff commence employment. These procedures ensure adults are safe to work with young people whilst being of good character and integrity. Visitors sign in and out and are suitably supervised. It was noted that although regular checks are carried out on staff in relation to active registrations with professional bodies, such as the in house therapist, these checks are not however sufficiently recorded. 10 of 12 Any incident relating to safeguarding or child protection is promptly notified to the correct agency. Child protection agencies report no concerns about the home's management of such incidents.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

All health and safety checks and inspections are undertaken at appropriate intervals ensuring it is a safe environment. This includes checks of firefighting equipment, alarm systems, and electrical installations. Young people know what to do in the event of a fire and regular drills ensures this knowledge is embedded in practice. Records do not show detailed reflection of the effectiveness of fire evacuation drills.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has been in post since July 2013 and has worked at the setting for 18 years. He has a national vocational award level 3 in children's and young people social care and the registered managers award level 4. In addition he undertakes a wide range of other training courses to aid his continued development.

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Leadership and management good

An effective management team is in place, even when the manager is not there. The Responsible Individual and the director are both highly visible on a daily basis and fully involve themselves with the running and monitoring of the home. Relationships between the senior management and registered manager are sound. The service has a suitable development plan that identifies areas to be addressed relating to systems, processes and improving the quality of care. This shows a clear commitment to further develop the service and to building on improvements already made.

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Leadership and management good

Families and placing authorities were very complimentary about the setting and the way it is run, and the significant progress made by young people in their social, educational and personal development.

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Leadership and management good

There is a full, experienced and permanent staff team and this promotes stability for young people. There has been a low numbers of leavers with new staff joining since the last inspection. Staff receive good training and regular supervision. New staff receive support from senior staff. All staff participate in individual and group meetings as part of their supervision. This enables staff to have a thorough understanding of the young people and opportunities to reflect. New staff undertake induction training. They then go onto to undertake further recommended qualifications. Overall staff have very good theoretical knowledge for ensuring the home is a positive experience for young people.

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Leadership and management good

There is a clear and up to date Statement of Purpose for the home which describes what it intends to achieve and deliver. Additionally, there is a young person's guide. The guide ensures young people are aware of what to expect and the support they will receive. These documents enable all relevant individuals to have a clear idea of how the home operates and aids correct placement planning. 11 of 12 Effective monitoring processes ensures every area of care provision is robustly reviewed and assessed. The Registered Manager completes monthly checks with the subsequent three monthly Regulation 34 reports offering a good overview and assessment of standards of care including any areas for improvement. However young people's views and opinions are not consistently reported on in these reports. External monitoring takes place monthly with comprehensive reports that the manager and senior management team reflect on to ensure standards of care remain

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Leadership and management good

No requirements or recommendations were made at the last inspection; however the service continues to address the changing regulations and needs of the young people, showing it has the capacity to continually improve.

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Leadership and management good

All records are stored safely and securely. They are checked regularly to ensure they are up to date and provide a clear and accurate history of each young person's time at the home. There is a lack of procedure in place to notify the local authority of young people placed from out of area moving in and leaving the home.

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Leadership and management good

All significant events are reported promptly to all relevant agencies, to ensure the home is accountable in promoting young people's well-being. 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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