Children's Home run by East Sussex County Council in East Sussex

Unique reference number SC031410 Inspector Melissa McMillan Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person East Sussex County Council Registered person address County Hall St. Annes Crescent LEWES East Sussex BN7 1UE Responsible individual Elizabeth Rugg Registered manager Helen Denise Simmons Date of last inspection 30/07/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 05/02/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

Young people make successful transitions to adult services. Staff sensitively plan moves and fully involve the young people. Information sharing with new placements is good. This ensures new staff are provided with accurate data to promote a smooth and successful transition. Young people take part in a wide range of activities which allow them to develop their skills and interests. They have regular trips out and participate in activities such as horse riding and swimming. Young people benefit from an innovative approach to learning about diversity, such as trying different food during themed culture nights.

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This inspection

Young people’s emotional and physical health needs are identified and well met through close liaison with medical professionals and child and adolescent mental health services. This ensures young people’s personal medication needs are regularly reviewed. Young people’s educational placements are successfully sustained through effective working between the home staff and educational professionals. In particular, staff share knowledge and strategies around some young people’s behaviour management. Young people maintain contact with their family through trips out, visits to relatives’ homes or via telephone calls. This maintains young people’s relationships with the people they consider important.

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This inspection

Improvements have been made to the home’s statement of purpose. It now describes the service the home intends to provide. The behaviour management policy has been revised to include guidance on restraining young people for medical purposes. This ensures a consistent and appropriate response from all staff in these situations. The independent visitor has now undertaken focussed learning around the use of restraint. This supports their role in evaluating whether restraints and sanctions are safe, fair and proportionate. Recruitment procedures are improved. All written references are now verified. This ensures young people are supported by a staff team who have had the appropriate checks to provide for the safety of young 3 of 6 people.

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This inspection

Staff provide individualised care and promote the health and wellbeing of the young people. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of each young person’s needs and how to care for them in a personalised way. However, placement plans for some young people lack clear detail about safe working practices for staff to follow. For example, staff are using massage and deep pressure as a calming technique without clear, up-to-date guidance. Some placement plans do not incorporate previous medical histories or known sensitivities. This does not provide staff with all relevant information to ensure consistent and safe working.

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This inspection

The recording of sanctions within the home is improved. Records now capture the effectiveness of measures used. This enables the Registered Manager to effectively monitor how successful sanctions imposed are. Restraint records, although revised, still do not meet regulatory requirements. For example, the methods used by staff to avoid the use of restraint, and any medical treatment administered are not routinely recorded. This hinders the Registered Manager’s ability to monitor patterns and trends of physical interventions and ensure young people are kept safe. Some young people who have been physically held do not have a behaviour management plan within their case files for staff to refer to. This risks inconsistent or inappropriate approaches being used by staff, although no negative impact was identified during the visit.

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This inspection

A previous requirement set in relation to the quality of internal monitoring reports remains unmet. These reports lack thorough evaluation and do not contain consultation with parents and social workers. Advocates do visit young people regularly to obtain their views on the quality of care but these comments are not incorporated within these reports. Consequently, the Registered Manager fails to demonstrate in the report that she is actively seeking and learning from feedback to further develop the home. In addition, the internal monitoring reports do not contain all the information as required by regulation, such as an evaluation of the arrangements for promoting positive behaviour and the effectiveness of the home’s approach to behavioural support. This is a regulatory requirement.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection the night staff continue to receive group based supervision. This is not an individualised approach to staff supervision. A recommendation has been made to ensure a consistency of performance management is maintained across all job roles, whether day or night. 4 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by the local authority. The service is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven young people with learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2014 Full good 12/03/2014 Interim good progress 19/08/2013 Full outstanding 13/03/2013 Interim good progress

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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) ensure that the children’s home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated there; in particular ensure placement plans and behaviour management plans contain all relevant information (Regulation 11) (1) (a)) 02/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure a written record is made of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline, in a volume kept for the purpose of which shall include the matters listed within Regulation 17B (3) (a - i) and (4) (a and b) 02/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) establish and maintain a system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at least once in every 3 months; and improving the quality of care 02/04/2015 5 of 6 provided in the children's home; and the system shall provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing social workers. (Regulation 34 (1))

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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 waking night staff are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff. (NMS 19.4) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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