Children's Home run by Anderida Adolescent Care Ltd in East Sussex

Unique reference number SC028536 Inspector Janet Hunnam Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Anderida Adolescent Care Limited Registered person address Anderida Adolescent Care Neville Mews, 6A Neville Road EASTBOURNE East Sussex BN22 8HR Responsible individual Erica Jane Scott Registered manager Emma-Louise Parslow Date of last inspection 15/01/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 12/11/2014

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

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Overall effectiveness

This home provides young people with good standards of care, support and guidance enabling them to make good progress over time. Young people experience positive, trusting relationships, within a safe and nurturing environment. This helps them develop their confidence and self-esteem and allows them to accept the support staff offer. Young people are consequently improving their behaviour and social interaction with others.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s individual needs are promoted through a high standard of care planning. Support strategies are very detailed and comprehensive and guide staff in providing consistent support for young people. Input from a clinical psychologist and cognitive behaviour therapist helps staff understand young people's behaviour and implement successful strategies to develop young people's emotional resilience and coping strategies.

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Overall effectiveness

Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and up-dated with staff taking a proactive approach when intervention strategies and programmes are not successful in reducing young people's risk-taking behaviour. Staff work closely with external agencies and placing authorities so that all professionals involved with a young person are actively involved in plans to protect their welfare. 3 of 9 The Registered Manager is working effectively with the dedicated and committed staff team to develop and improve standards of care to enhance young people's outcomes and future life chances.

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Overall effectiveness

Two requirements are made as a result of this inspection. These relate to ensuring the Statement of Purpose is sent to Ofsted following its revision and ensuring that a robust system is in place for notifying the relevant authorities of a significant event without delay. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

The setting is registered to accommodate two young people, of either sex, with emotional or behavioural difficulties. It is owned by a private company.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2014 Interim good progress 26/07/2013 Full adequate 15/03/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 07/06/2012 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

5 (2001) ensure that the registered person notifies HMCI of any revision of the statement of purpose within 28 days (Regulation 5(b)) 09/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if, in relation to a children's home, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 30(1)) 09/01/2015 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are helped to develop trusting relationships with staff through highly individualised support. This increases their self-confidence and self-esteem so they feel valued and respected. This approach provides opportunities for staff to talk through issues with young people and consequently reduces the incidence of risk- taking behaviour over time. Some young people are making good progress showing improvement in their social skills and a reduction in their risk-taking behaviour.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from close attention to their health needs. Staff support them to lead healthy lifestyles and they receive specialist guidance and intervention when necessary. The emphasis on young people’s emotional health is enabling them to gain a more positive self-view and develop stronger emotional resilience resulting in improvements in their behaviour and interactions with others.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people gain from living in an environment where education is valued. Staff support them to attend school or college with individual strategies for young people who are reluctant to attend. Young people are making progress in their education. Young people interact positively in day-to-day matters within the home, enjoying their time with staff and helping out with shopping and cooking.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from the home’s proactive support in helping them stay in contact with their families in accordance with their placement plans. A strength of the home is staff’s commitment to work with young people’s wider families so that they benefit from consistent boundaries and improved family relationships.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Staff prepare young people for their transition to independence or moving on from the home. Effective support enables young people to develop their daily living skills in preparation for adulthood. Staff encourage and support young people as they approach their transition from the home to work part-time, allowing young people to establish appropriate routines and attitudes to sustain employment in the future.

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Quality of care good

Relationships between staff and young people are positive. Professionals note the strength of these relationships stating a young person ‘gets on really well with staff.’ Staff value young people as individuals and are responsive to them allowing young people to trust staff, develop their confidence and benefit from the support staff offer. Young people have frequent individual sessions with their key worker giving them opportunities to put forward their views and contribute to day-to-day matters within the home. This responsive approach from staff results in young people feeling 6 of 9 their views are valued and respected and thus develops their self-esteem.

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Quality of care good

Staff are committed to promoting positive outcomes for young people and work tirelessly to find strategies that will support young people. Care plans are detailed and comprehensive. They identify young people’s individual needs and the support they require to make progress in all aspects of their lives. Guidelines for staff are thorough and up-to-date ensuring staff are consistent in their approach to young people and have current information. Staff review young people’s progress monthly and young people are fully involved in this process.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in an environment where staff closely monitor and promote their physical and emotional well-being. Staff ensure that young people’s health needs are met in line with their health plan. Young people have access to the organisation’s clinical psychologist for therapeutic input and the organisation’s cognitive behaviour therapist to support their emotional health. Young people receive support from external health specialists when necessary. Staff encourage and support young people to have a healthy lifestyle through nutritious meals and physical exercise.

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Quality of care good

Staff actively support young people’s education within a culture that encourages learning. Appropriate links with educational professionals ensure young people access the support they require to improve their chance of achieving their education capability and enhance their future opportunities in adulthood. Staff encourage young people to pursue their individual interests during leisure time and use their time positively to widen and enrich their social experiences.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a comfortable home close to local amenities. The home is well- maintained, with young people involved in decisions about redecoration and purchasing items for the home. Young people have opportunities to personalise their bedrooms helping them develop a sense of belonging and self-identity.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Strong relationships between staff and young people underpin young people’s safety. In a calm and relaxed atmosphere, young people interact with staff in a friendly and good-humoured manner. Routines, structure and boundaries are in place to provide a sense of safety and security for young people. Concerns relating to safeguarding issues are well-recorded and appropriately followed up, with evidence of effective liaison with external agencies and notifications to the relevant authorities. Staff work collaboratively and proactively with key external agencies so that all professionals involved with a young person are actively involved in plans to protect the welfare of young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Individual risk assessments are linked directly to support plans for young people. These support plans note specific measures to keep them safe, minimise potential harm and reduce their risk-taking behaviour. There has been only one incident of 7 of 9 physical restraint since the last inspection where a young person was restrained for his own safety. Staff receive training in the use of physical intervention but strategies are effective in de-escalating challenging behaviour without resort to physical intervention. Sanctions are used appropriately and young people have opportunities to discuss restorative measures with staff enabling them to appreciate the consequences of their actions. Staff reward positive behaviour and young people having clear incentives to make positive changes.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Clear procedures are in place if a young person is absent from the home without permission. Staff are proactive in their actions to keep young people safe and support them individually to reduce the risks they face if they are away from the home without permission. When a young person is frequently missing from home, strategy meetings are held with the police and the placing authority to review the young person’s placement and discuss plans to keep them safe. The home has access to a registered home in Scotland, which is used as an opportunity to break young people’s patterns of high-risk behaviour. This allows young people to benefit from intense support from staff thus promoting positive outcomes. The home has an effective relationship with local police to protect young people if they are absent without permission.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff receive training in child protection and safeguarding. Managers are keen to ensure staff receive high quality training in all areas of safeguarding to protect young people. This includes training to raise awareness in relation to child sexual exploitation and keeping young people safe on-line.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Comprehensive health and safety measures are in place to protect young people and staff from the risk of harm. Regular checks, tests and routine servicing of equipment are completed. The home follows robust recruitment procedures thus protecting young people from unsuitable people working at the home.

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Leadership and management good

The manager of the home has been post since 2012 and is registered with Ofsted. She works closely with the staff team ensuring that all staff have relevant, up-to-date information and that staff work consistently and cohesively to implement strategies to support young people.

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Leadership and management good

No requirements or recommendations were made at the last inspection. Recent improvements include a more focused approach to reviewing staff performance, linking these reviews to staff appraisal and personal development plans. This allows managers to monitor staff’s training and development so that staff are competent and confident in meeting young people’s needs and promoting positive outcomes. Managers are keen to recognise and show they value staff’s endeavours to support young people with dedication and commitment. Other developments within the home include fostering young people’s knowledge and understanding of other cultures 8 of 9 through a creative, interactive computerised approach directing staff and young people to interesting, diverse information. Managers have introduced a new saving scheme for young people with them receiving monthly statements. This helps young people establish good financial practices and prepares them for adulthood. A

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Leadership and management good

development plan is in place to improve the environment and recruit additional part- time staff. The plan includes fully utilising the services of the consultant psychologist to support staff and embed the practice of non-violent resistance as a strategy to address young people’s risk taking and anti-social behaviours. Such developments demonstrate the home’s commitment to continually improving the quality of care for young people.

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Leadership and management good

Effective monitoring practices are in place to maintain high standards of care. Monthly monitoring visits result in detailed reports, which highlight any specific shortfalls. The Registered Manager undertakes monthly reviews of all aspects of the service with detailed action points ensuring a thorough evaluation of the service and prompt action to address any shortcomings. The home submits quarterly reports to Ofsted. No formal complaints have been received by the home since the last inspection. Managers are proactive in obtaining feedback from external professionals as another component of their quality assurance process. A social worker commented ‘communication is very good always.’

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager reviews the risk assessment for the location of the home monthly and this is incorporated in the home’s statement of purpose. However, the Statement of Purpose has not been sent to Ofsted following its revision.

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Leadership and management good

The home has employed new staff and there are sufficient staff to provide consistent support for young people. Staff receive appropriate training to work safely and effectively with young people and meet their specific needs. Support systems are in place for staff including individual supervision sessions. Monthly staff group meetings, with the consultant psychologist and cognitive behaviour therapist, extend staffs’ knowledge and understanding and assist them in developing appropriate strategies to meet young people’s individual needs. Staff report that they feel supported by the manager and senior staff.

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Leadership and management good

Notifications are being made appropriately to the relevant authorities but there is not a sufficiently robust system for ensuring these notifications are made without delay. 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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