Children's Home run by Child First Limited in West Sussex

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:

 Staff form good relationships with young people, working alongside them to understand the risks they may be at when they are away from the home, including the risks of offending, substance misuse and exploitation by members of the community.  Young people learn essential skills for independent living. The comprehensive package supports them in daily tasks such as cooking and cleaning. They also learn essential information and skills including writing CV’s, how to source household utilities companies and banking.  Good joint working with partner agencies, such as social workers; police and youth offending teams ensures joint working and consistency in approach to meeting the needs of young people.  Recently implemented pre-placement assessments are thorough and focus on how individuals may impact on the group already living in the home and the services required to help the placement to be successful.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people who have recently moved on from the home remain in contact with staff. They are mostly doing really well living independently and still seek advice and guidance form those who cared for them.  There is currently no registered manager in post. The home is being well run by the former deputy manager, who is in the process of applying to be registered with Ofsted.  Risk assessments are in place, but do not always reflect current practice. The home manager rectified this during the inspection. 

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must:

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health: in particular maintain sash windows so they can open safely.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children's home: specifically purchase the type of fire extinguisher as noted in the recent fire audit.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children's home if that individual has the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. The individual must attain the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date in the case of an individual, who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, is 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 2(a) 3 (b) 4 (a)(b) 5(b)) 31/08/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The policy for the protection of children from abuse or neglect should be available and explained to children and their families as well as to all staff, whatever their role. The registered person must make sure that all staff are familiar with this policy and act in accordance with it, in particular how to use it to report a concern. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, Page 44, paragraph 9.21)

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, Page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned and run by a private organisation that also have another home and school in the local area. It provides acre and accommodation for up to 6 young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

28/01/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

31/10/2013 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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good

Young people live in a consistent and stable environment. They say they like the home and the staff who care for them. A social worker commented positively about the home and the difference it has made for the young person she has placed. Staff work cohesively as a team, despite several changes in personnel in recent months. They support young people to make positive choices, and reinforce this when individuals have not been able to follow advice.

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good

Young people’s care plans are comprehensive and clearly demonstrate the progress they have made. Staff follow plans, and this consistency ensures young people understand what is expected of them and know how staff will respond in different situations. Pre-placement planning is much improved and focuses on individual needs, compatibility within the current group and to ensure all services are in place prior to placement. When moving in, all young people receive a welcome pack including information, advice on how to keep their room tidy and a basket of toiletries.

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good

Young people learn about healthy lifestyles and what this means for them, both physically and socially. One individual is currently involved in a ‘water and fruit challenge’. Each day staff encourage him to have at least one bottle of water and a piece of fresh fruit. He said he is not doing too well at this, but it has made him ‘think’. All attend routine medical appointments and when programmed, sessions with emotional well-being specialists.

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good

Young people are actively encouraged to share their views on their placement and the home and environment. Staff help them to understand when their views cannot be acted upon and the reasons for this. Young people understand how to complain and who to complain to. A young person said they were ‘very pleased’ with the support they have had recently and the managers response to a complaint he had made.

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good

Young people are prepared to engage in education, with those in placement planning to start college in September. Where educational placements have been difficult to source, staff have liaised with specialist agencies to secure appropriate education. In addition to formal learning, young people have the opportunity to access a range of socially and emotionally stimulating activities. These include mountain biking days; visits to museums and arts and crafts. When young people decline to attend activities, staff continue to encourage them to participate, including calling them when they are out in the community to offer other options. Contact is facilitated as agreed. A parent stated that staff are ‘brilliant’ and support her son to make appropriate friendships in the community. If there are any concerns over new acquaintances, staff contact the local police community support officer (PCSO) for guidance.

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good

Young people who are approaching adulthood have an excellent opportunity to learn key skills and resilience. The preparation for independence programme includes staged approaches to learning new skills such as cooking meals; completing CV’s; sourcing housing and how to pay bills. Staff model these skills in order for young people to learn effectively. The activity room has displays of famous people who have lived in care, to inspire young people and to think positively about their futures. Those who have recently moved remain in contact with staff, who continue to offer advice and guidance.

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good

Young people say they feel safe in the home and they identify staff they would go to if they are worried or upset. Staff have a strong understanding of each young person’s vulnerabilities and what may place them at risk. They work proactively in order to reduce risk. Examples include calling young people when they are on free time in the community to check they are safe and to determine who they are with. If there are concerns that young people may be with inappropriate people or those they are not to meet under bail conditions, they inform the local PCSO. Staff are confident what to do should they be concerned for a young person’s welfare and incidents are reported to appropriate professionals in a timely manner.

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good

Young people on occasion leave the home without permission or do not return at agreed times. Staff follow individuals or look for them in known locations, when it is safe to do so. They call young people often and any people they may be with. Staff contact the police as necessary, including when young people are breaking bail conditions. Staff are proactive and ask for individuals to be upgraded to missing if they feel their disappearance is out of character, for example longer than usual. Staff engage young people to determine why the have been missing and what they could do to prevent this happening again in the future. Close liaison with youth offending professionals ensures a joint approach to individuals who go missing and in turn breaching bail their imposed curfews.

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good

Exploitation is not currently identified as a concern. However staff observe young people’s behaviour to note any changes. They are aware that an individuals continued substance misuse leaves him vulnerable to potential exploitation from members of the community. The youth offending service drugs worker is currently engaging this him in focused sessions. As required by court, an individual is engaged with an appropriate behaviour specialist.

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good

Positive behaviour is promoted through staff role modelling and rewards. Sanctions are increasingly meaningful and individualised, and the appointment of a new deputy manager who has specialised in restorative justice will promote this further. Restraint is rarely used and only after other interventions have been unsuccessful. Bullying is not currently raised as a concern and incidents are managed robustly. A young person was pleased with how well staff have supported him when he was recently a victim.

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good

Risk assessments are thoughtful and allow young people the opportunity to take age-appropriate risk in line with their individual needs or court orders. Risk assessments are understood and followed by staff, although one was no longer relevant. The manager amended this during the inspection.

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good

The physical environment is mostly safe, well maintained and decorated, although some sash windows do not open. Young people are safe form avoidable hazards through regular checks of the environment and fire systems. The management have not acted upon a requirement to purchase a specific fire extinguisher set out in the most recent external fire assessment. Staff recruitment is robust and includes a range of pre-employment checks.

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requires improvement

There has been no Registered Manager in post since March 2015. The home is being effectively run by the former deputy manager who is in the process of applying to be registered with Ofsted. She holds relevant residential child care qualifications and is currently undertaking the level 5 qualification in management of children’s homes.

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requires improvement

Staff say they feel supported by the manager, who listens to their ideas. All receive regular supervision which provides a good level of challenge to improve practice. Where necessary, the organisations disciplinary procedure has been used when practice has been below standard or unacceptable. Newly appointed team leaders have benefited from a full induction package including training in supervision. Staff's performance is monitored via annual appraisals where training and development needs are identified. A member of staff who has been in post for several years is yet to complete their level 3 qualification. Recently appointed staff are completing the organisations comprehensive induction and say other staff are supporting them in their roles. They understand their role within the home and are incredibly enthusiastic.

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requires improvement

The home manager has a good understanding of the homes strengths and weaknesses and values constructive criticism from the independent visitor in line with Regulation 44. The manager’s monthly monitoring is robust and quarterly evaluations provide a good picture of the current level of service provided. She is keen to develop the service and is currently bench marking the home against the quality standards. The home’s development plan is updated monthly and includes areas to improve within the physical environment, such as new carpets alongside identifying new training for staff relating to radicalisation.

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requires improvement

Joint working with partner agencies is very good. The manager challenges services which she feels are not performing in the young person’s best interests, such as local colleges providing a place for a young person and chasing missing documents from social workers.

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requires improvement

Records are clear and up to date, and use non-judgemental language. Chronologies of complaints and evidence of calling young people when missing are confusing as they are not held in the same document. The manager is implementing revised care plans and pre-placement risk assessments to provide greater clarity in young people’s records. The recently updated area assessment is robust and completed through liaison with local agencies, including the police. However, the recently updated safeguarding and child protection policy is not yet available for staff to view.

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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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