Children's Home run by Lioncare Ltd Operating as The Lioncare Group in Brighton and Hove

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 An experienced and enthusiastic Registered Manager leads this home. She demonstrates a commitment to good practice which results in good care for young people.  Motivated staff value young people and have established trusting relationships with them. A culture of open communication enables young people to share their concerns with staff and to receive advice and support.  Warm caring interactions observed between staff and young people allow young people to feel cared for and secure. There is a sense of family and young people describe staff as their extended family members.  Good planning effectively supports young people through periods of vulnerability and transition. Supportive staff help young people to manage change and to settle, as a result young people do not go missing and there has been no use of restraint.  Young people try out new experiences and attend clubs. They develop a sense

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The children's home provision is good because:

of belonging in their community and new achievements build their self-esteem.  Staff listens to young people and their ideas influence the running of the home. Young people have been instrumental to the décor and furnishing of the home. They impact day to day decision making and have recently selected their summer holiday destination of Zante.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the home from abuse or neglect, particularly in respect of online safety (Regulation 34 (1) (a)) 24/07/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health, in particular smoking (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide accommodation for five children with emotional or behavioural difficulties. The home provides therapeutic residential childcare.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

good

The home is modern, well equipped and homely; young people have been fully involved in its decoration and furnishing. Bedrooms are large, bright and personalised and young people take pride in them. The garden offers opportunity for young people to take part in growing vegetables, an experience that some young people particularly enjoy.

p.6

good

This is a new home; however young people and staff are from existing homes within this organisation and have well established relationships. Staff respect and value young people; the inspector observed warm caring interactions between them. Staff members comment ‘there are absolutely positive relationships between the kids and adults. The adults feel lucky to know these kids and have seen them grow up’.

p.6

good

Young people say that they like living in this home ‘I love it here, they help me out with a few issues, it’s a really nice place. I like my keyworker, he is a guy that I go out all the time with, talk to and he gives good advice. Staff are very kind and warm hearted and understand my views and we have good conversation’.

p.6

good

Transition planning is effective. Young people visit the home frequently and are able to choose the decoration and furnishings for their bedrooms before moving in. Individualised transition planning allows young people to settle effectively. A social worker comments ‘they managed the transition really well, also working with her therapist and closely working with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). They really made her part of the transition; she was involved in making decisions about the home before she moved in’.

p.6

good

Young people build self-esteem and develop a sense of belonging in their community by taking part in a range of activities including sailing, surfing, inventors club, youth club, baking and singing. They develop positive peer relationships, invite friends to ‘take-away’ night and have overnight stays with friends. Young people have also chosen Greece as the destination for their summer holiday.

p.6

good

All young people are attending education full time and are making progress. Staff link with schools daily and work in partnership to encourage young people’s learning. School leavers receive support to explore and apply for college courses; young people talked proudly of gaining a place on their chosen course. Staff equip young people to be practically and emotionally ready for independence. For example, they take part in household chores, learn to budget and learn how to effectively relate to others. In addition, direct therapy offers young people individualised emotional support provided by a qualified therapist.

p.6

good

Young people in general receive the health services that they require, including specialist provision, for example dental care for young people with dental phobias. However, young people who smoke have not received access to specific information or advice services. This limits their ability to reduce or stop smoking.

p.7

good

Young people are settled; there have been no incidents of young people missing, offending or restraint. Well recorded significant incidents result in updating of risk assessments and care plans with strategies to minimise areas of risk.

p.7

good

Individual behaviour plans are in place and include known triggers and intervention strategies. Wherever possible young people contribute to their behaviour plans and guide staff in how they can most effectively support them. Clear staff handovers and shift planning mean that staff work consistently and provide young people with clear boundaries, enabling them to feel contained and safe.

p.7

good

A culture of open communication minimises conflict, encouraging young people to talk about their feelings and emotions rather than acting these out. Observation of the daily young people’s meeting showed this well attended group to be a place where young people discuss and resolve issues, with the support of staff as required.

p.7

good

Staff support responds to young people’s need. One to one supervision is in place as required, long term, or as a short term intervention to support young people through a difficult period.

p.7

good

Young people requiring additional services receive help quickly. Referrals to CAMHS are without delay, and followed up by a Registered Manager who is committed to young people receiving the services that they require.

p.7

good

Trusted relationships with staff mean that young people share their concerns. Staff comment ‘It’s really good here, relations with young people are good; we have worked with them for a long time’. Young people agree and say ‘I talk to staff as I’ve known them for years; I’m building up trust with adults’. Established links with community services mean that young people gain specific support and advice. The Registered Manager communicates proactively with the local Police Community Support Officer who visits the home and provides advice to young people.

p.7

good

Arrangements for recruiting staff are safe and effective. Clear safeguarding policies are in place; all staff receive comprehensive safeguarding training and have a good understanding of safeguarding issues. Communication about keeping safe is an ongoing discussion between staff and young people, enabling young people to share any concerns and to develop their knowledge regarding personal safety.

p.8

good

Staff and young people have a good understanding of online safety and all young people sign online safety agreement prior to having internet access. Day to day practice around online safety is good, however, there is no online safety policy in place in this home, this means that staff have no cohesive guidance to underpin their work.

p.8

good

A committed and suitably qualified Register Manager leads this home with drive and enthusiasm. She has a full knowledge of the home and young people to equip her oversight, and strives for best practice.

p.8

good

The Registered Manager is committed to her ongoing professional development; she receives regular therapeutic supervision with a qualified therapist and is undertaking a specialist therapeutic childcare course to enhance her leadership of this therapeutic setting.

p.8

good

A full permanent staff team is in place, providing stable and consistent adults who know the young people in their care. Five staff members have achieved their level 3 childcare qualification and all other staff are due to start this training. Staff receive effective supervision and a robust appraisal system reviews staff performance.

p.8

good

The Registered Manager has worked hard to build a strong well-functioning staff team. Staff enjoy their work and comment ‘I really enjoy it, it has the feel of a home and a family. Staff work well together with the same boundaries’.

p.8

good

The Registered manager undertakes effective monitoring of the functioning of this home. External independent scrutiny supports internal monitoring and is used by the Registered Manager to further improve standards in this home. Care plans for individual young people comprehensively address their needs. They are subject to regular review and underpin the assessment of young people’s progress. Areas in which young people are failing to progress are addressed without delay. For example, by partnership working with schools to enable young people to access additional educational support or convening professionals meetings to address concerns.

p.8

good

The Registered Manager and staff work positively and proactively with professionals and parents. Parents and social workers receive weekly updates about their child; their feedback states that communication with the home is regular and valued. Social workers comment ‘I have very good communication from staff. My experience with them has been excellent. They are focussed on the young people’s needs and hold the young person at the centre of planning and thinking’.

p.9

good

Proactive staff links within the local community encourage young people to try out new activities. Where required staff attend community groups with young people, enabling them to settle and feel safe.

p.9

good

Partnership working with other professionals is effective, including CAMHS, therapists, medical and specialist dental services and the local police community support officer. This allows young people to receive the support that they need and enables staff to access specialist support and advice.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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