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

The children's home provision is good because:

 This children’s home is managed well and has a staff team who genuinely care for the young people.  Liaison with key professionals is of a good standard and ensures good communication and collaborative effective partnerships. This means that professionals work well together to improve outcomes for young people.  Young people make good progress in their lives, especially when bearing in mind their starting points. Support for young people to achieve in education is well planned and nurturing.  Effective care planning ensures that young peoples’ needs are met to a good standard and that they receive the support they need. Staff ensure that young people take part in activities which they enjoy; which boost their confidence.  Young peoples’ views are valued and respected and this enables them to feel they have a say in the day to day running of the home. For example, young people have a say in the décor, furnishings and choice of activities.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Warm, caring relationships between young people and the staff enables trust to build and helps young people to reflect on their lives and behaviours.

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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

5. The engaging with the wider system to ensure each child’s needs are met standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet to meet the engaging with the wider system to ensure each child’s needs are met, with particular reference to contact with the Looked After Children’s Nurse, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(5) (d) seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. 30/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with specific reference to written behaviour plans, and review of the effectiveness of sanctions, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

13 (2) (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided by the home. 30/07/2015

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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 all members of staff understand that restraint also involves restricting a child’s liberty. Restrictions such as these, and all other restrictions of liberty of movement, should be recorded as restraint. (This is with particular reference to reviewing the practice of locking the lounge at bedtime.) (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 47, paragraph 9.42)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home which is registered to accommodate one young person who has emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Young people receive good quality care which helps them to benefit during their time at this home. Care plans are detailed and inform staff and other professionals how they should support each young person. The detail in these plans gives staff key information on how to manage the young person’s behaviours and make them safe.

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people living in the home are

Warm and trusting relationships are in place between young people and members of staff. ‘I just love my key worker, I would give this home nine out of ten’ says a young person.

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people living in the home are

The good levels of trust built between young people and staff means that they feel settled and have a sense of belonging. A young person reports that ‘it’s like it’s my own house’.

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people living in the home are

Young peoples’ views are central to the running of the home. They influence issues such as menus, décor and activities. ‘Of course they listen to me here, it’s my home,’ says a young person.

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people living in the home are

Members of staff know each young person’s what types of activities and interest. They ensure that these are made available and support them to attend. For example, members of staff have enabled a young person to attend a martial arts club three times a week. The young person thoroughly enjoys this and says she is fitter now than she has ever been in her life.

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people living in the home are

The staff work effectively with each young person’s education provision. They maintain close liaison and assist young people to attend if they are struggling to do so. This has meant that attendance has increased for the young person. This is a significant improvement, especially when considering the young person’s past attendance.

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people living in the home are

There is good promotion of young people’s health. They arrange all necessary appointments for the young people and help them to attend if they are anxious. In one case, members of staff have waited for a social worker to contact the Looked After Children’s Nurse to carry out a medical assessment. Staff should have made direct contact with the nurse rather than waiting for the social worker to action. This would have ensured that the assessment takes place in a timelier manner.

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people living in the home are

Close liaison with therapists not only ensures good promotion of young people’s emotional wellbeing but that key professionals are aware of how the young people are feeling and progressing.

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people living in the home are

Well thought out transitions into the home are in place. Young people have the opportunity to visit, choose their own décor and to meet staff. This enables young people to move into the home in a structured manner.

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people living in the home are

The good quality care panning and genuine care from members of staff enables young people to make good progress and to experience living in a home where their views are valued and their safety seen as paramount. Young people gain better understanding of their behaviours and past history and know that staff are genuinely concerned for their safety and wellbeing.

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people are helped and protected

Safeguarding of young people is good. Members of staff have a sound knowledge of policies and procedures and know each young person’s vulnerabilities.

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people are helped and protected

In turn, members of staff and the manager have a good working relationship with local safeguarding authorities. This means that information sharing is prompt and effective. Strategies put in place combined with members of staff genuine concern for the welfare of any young person in their care, results in young saying that they feel safe and cared for.

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people are helped and protected

Young people have a number of adults available to them who they can talk to about any concerns. These include an independent advocate, Independent Reviewing Officer and social worker. Additionally they have the contact details of external helplines and agencies such as Childline and The Office of the Children’s Commissioner. This means that young people are not at risk of isolation and have routes outside of the home to voice concerns. Young people are aware of the different adults they can speak to if they wish.

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people are helped and protected

Good contact is maintained with all professionals especially where it is determined that a young person is at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE). This includes liaison between the Registered Manager and the police missing person co-ordinator where a young person at risk of child sexual exploitation is to be admitted to the home. Meetings are held and strategies shared between the agencies. As a result of implementation of these strategies incidents of young people missing from the home overnight have declined considerably. ‘The staff try very hard to keep me safe’ says a young person. Awareness of each young person’s vulnerabilities means the implementation of carefully planned individualised programmes. For example, young people earn increased unsupervised time away from the home if they manage to return at agreed times and are not absent without permission. This leads to a development of trust between the young person and members of staff.

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people are helped and protected

Each young person has an individual behaviour management plan. These outline specific strategies to support the young people. The young person Young is involved in developing their own plan of how they wish to be supported. The plans are effective with evidence of impact on change of behaviour. However, plans are not always signed or dated and so it is not always clear who completed the form or when. This means that the plans may be out of date.

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people are helped and protected

The home has alarms fitted to a window at the rear of the premises, which when triggered would alert staff if someone was attempting to leave or enter However, the window to the lounge on the ground floor has no such alarm. This door is locked at night. Although this is not a restriction of liberty as the young person can leave via the front or rear doors, it does restrict movement around the home. This inconsistent practice compromises young peoples’ ability to move freely within the home.

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people are helped and protected

The organisation carries out robust checks on members of staff before they start work at the home. The recruitment process ensures that only adults with safe backgrounds work with the young people.

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people are helped and protected

All managers and members of staff receive safeguarding training. This means that they know who to contact if they have concerns about a young person’s wellbeing. Records are clear about how issues have been pursued and resolved. This evidences that staff and managers share key information appropriately and efficiently.

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leaders and managers

A suitably qualified and experienced Registered Manager has been in post for over four years. He provides consistent strong leadership.

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leaders and managers

Staffing levels are maintained so that young people receive the guidance and care they need in order to be safe and to make good progress. Staff are provided with a wide range of training. This enables them to develop their skills and knowledge.

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leaders and managers

The Registered Manager and his deputy assess the quality of care regularly. They seek the opinions of young people and stakeholders such as parents, social workers and police officers, so that they can assess their performance and effectiveness. They are also aware of practice in the home and how young people are benefitting from their time there. As a result of this, care planning is individualised and tailored to meet each young person’s specific needs. Examples of improvements made include improved communication with key agencies such as the police missing person co-ordinator and regular visits from the police community support officer. It feels like we are working as part of a team together’ says a Police Community Support Officer.

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leaders and managers

Regular external monitoring visits provide the home with a robust assessment of its practice. This enables the Registered Manager to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and to drive improvement.

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leaders and managers

The detailed care plans support members of staff to have an in-depth knowledge of each young person. They also outline the targets for each young person. This means that staff and other professionals are clear as to what they need to do in order to help the young people to thrive while living in the home. Young people are aware of their targets and make efforts to achieve them with staff guidance and help.

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leaders and managers

As a result of the good communication achieved, managers report significant incidents promptly to the appropriate authority. This means that any issues are effectively addressed, plans put in place to protect young people and managers and staff are transparent in their practice.

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leaders and managers

Members of staff report good levels of support. Monthly supervision sessions enable staff to reflect on their performance as well as the impact of working with young people who can be challenging. A psychologist leads group supervision session and this supports staff approach to their work. As a result, staff members are able to reflect on their practice.

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leaders and managers

Good contingency arrangements are in place to take account of the departure of the current Registered Manager. The deputy manager will take on this role. This means that there will be no interim period where the home does not have an experienced manager in post.

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leaders and managers

There is a clear and up to date statement of purpose and this accurately reflects the service provided. Members of staff are aware of this document and know what they are striving to achieve for the young people.

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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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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