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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home manager was registered in October 2015. She has made significant changes within the home and monitoring of the service in this time. Young people continue to make some very good progress while living in the home. Social workers are positive about the care provided and the progress young people have made. Most young people are engaged in some form of educational activity. Those who are struggling to engage, due to uncertainty about their future, are encouraged to seek employment and attend short courses in key functional skills. A young person has been supported to gain work experience in their chosen field and a specialist course has been identified for them to realise their goal. In the intervening period they are undertaking voluntary work in local charity shops.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff form some extremely positive relationships with young people, resulting in them making good progress. Young people comment positively about their relationships with staff and acknowledge the progress they have made through their guidance and support. Since the last inception two young people have moved in to the home. Planning prior to young people moving in is sound. Specialist services are sought to be in place at the point of arrival or soon after they are placed. Records are clear in evaluating young people’s progress and areas of continued need. Young people are able to easily identify their progression through their care plans, reminding them of how much they have developed. Strong links with emotional well-being professionals, substance misuse services and specialist police officers ensures young people continue to receive the help they require. Individuals engage with the youth offending team as programmed and while some

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

orders have been escalated, the young person concerned is beginning to understand the impact and consequences of offending behaviour. Impending court cases are however jeopardising the stability of a placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When moving on, young people benefit from clear, well planned transitions, mostly on to semi-independence in the local area. Young people within the home benefit from a thorough approach to preparation for independence, including budgeting and meal preparation. One young person has moved on since the last inspection, but still remains in contact with staff through telephone calls and has sent a thank you card.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people say they feel safe in the home and are comfortable approaching staff with any worries or concerns. Consistency in approach to behaviour management leads to limited use of restraint. Although there has been an increase with a new referral, the cause of incidents is discussed and the team recognise that the young person’s understanding and communication can cause him frustration, resulting in incidents. Sanctions are fair and proportionate with a focus on young people’s views; the effectiveness of the measures are routinely evaluated. There have been no complaints since the last inspection and any issues within the group or with staff are responded to swiftly. Young people do not identify bullying as a concern, and are confident staff will prevent this happening.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection the recently registered manager has made a concerted effort to further improve the quality of care and service provided in the home. She has responded robustly to the shortfalls identified at the last inspection and has implemented change in order to meet the requirements and recommendations set. The issues with the building and safety have been remedied. Sash windows within the home have all been checked and those malfunctioning have been repaired. Suitable fire extinguishers have been purchased in line with fire service recommendations. Staff training has improved in regards to sexual exploitation, radicalisation and female genital mutilation. Further training has been requested in relation to Autistic Spectrum Disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, to support staff with understanding the needs of those in their care. Staff who do not hold a relevant level 3 qualification are now enrolled on appropriate courses and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

are keen to complete these within specified time frames. Risk assessments for young people have been updated and in house care plans reflect all the mitigating factors identified in these assessments.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The Registered Manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses within the home and service provided. They have introduced an incredibly robust monthly monitoring system, which provides a clear audit trail for the home and progression of young people and systems and procedures. The home manager further utilises reports produced by the independent visitor in line with Regulation 44 to identify other areas of development, including those in the homes development plan.

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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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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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