Children's home run by Springfield Road Children’s Homes Ltd in Eastbourne

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:

 Warm, trusting and supportive relationships enable young people to make significant progress, especially when their starting points are considered.  Young people feel safe and cared for and that the staff genuinely care about their well-being.  The value of education is promoted, and young people feel supported by staff to make progress in this area of their lives.  Each young person has a carefully thought-through care plan. These outline the bespoke service to be offered. Application of the care plans nurtures and supports the young people to grow and to gain in confidence and self-esteem.  Members of staff are trained to a good standard, and this ensures that they have the skills, knowledge and insight to provide excellent support to the young people.  Managers work well together to ensure consistent good-quality care and that the young people feel listened to and respected.  External agencies speak positively about the communication with the

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The children's home provision is good because:

home, the care provided to the young people and the progress that they make.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard with particular reference to protection, risk management, supervising and keeping children safe, the registered person must ensure that staff (2)(v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. This is in relation to carrying out checks on electronic equipment as outlined in risk assessments. 30 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the home’s statement of purpose is up to date and accurate and, in particular, refers to the correct regulations relating to the use of monitoring and surveillance methods (Regulation 16(1)). 30 June 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the home’s missing-from-care policy includes the details and process whereby a young person will have access to an independent person who will carry out a return home interview when the young person returns after a period of being missing (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30).

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording; in particular that records accurately reflect when individual key-work sessions have been carried out and that minutes of staff meetings contain records of discussions about the young people (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home that is registered to accommodate up to three young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

5 January 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

16 December 2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Young people develop warm, trusting and supportive relationships with the adults who care for them. ‘They’re the best thing here,’ a young person said. As a result of the stability that the routines and staff provide, young people make very good progress. They develop confidence in their abilities to communicate and in making their feelings known. This leads to increased understanding and insight into their behaviour and to developing positive coping strategies, especially with regards to areas such as anger management and negotiation. Young people receive very good levels of support to prepare them to attend school or college. Staff strongly advocate on behalf of the young people and work actively with tutors, virtual headteachers and potential education placements so that they have increased chances of stability and success. While no young person was in full- time education at the time of the inspection, there is an active programme in place

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people living in the home are

for this to be achieved. The young people are, for the greater part, engaged in this process and appreciative of the efforts being made for them. Tutors providing education at the home report that the young people are making good progress. Young people are able to take part in a variety of enriching activities that develop their confidence and self-esteem and ensure that they do not become isolated living in the home. They attend activities such as swimming club and horse riding as well as trips with members of staff, shopping, walks, bowling and mixing with friends. Staff provide sensitive support for young people who find the external world to the home a challenging environment. They pace activities at the level with which the young people can cope. This has enabled young people who have previously been very isolated to socialise with new people and to experience new activities and experiences. Young people’s health is promoted to a good standard. Emphasis is placed on

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people living in the home are

healthy eating and exercise. Additionally, the young people are actively encouraged to stop smoking and are offered specialist appointments to support this process. This effort is acknowledged by the young people, although their adherence and application to smoking cessation has not been followed despite staff efforts. Other health needs, such as updates to immunisations, are monitored and met, and young people’s emotional and psychological well-being is supported and nurtured to a very good standard. It is clear that staff value the views of the young people and that the warm and trusting relationships enable young people to be able to voice their opinions and feelings freely. Consequently, the young people feel valued and that their views are taken seriously. Support for young people in maintaining contact with their families is very carefully planned. Staff provide close support if it is needed and will accompany young

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people living in the home are

people on visits if that is required, especially if the young people feel anxious.

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people are helped and protected

Young people say that they feel safe living at this home. They report that there is no bullying and that the staff are caring and, in the words of one young person, ‘make sure we are safe.’ Members of staff know each young person’s vulnerabilities and areas in which they might be at risk. For example, they will follow a young person if they absent themselves from the home without permission. As a result, young people have been extremely well supported at these times, and the number of incidents of this nature has fallen substantially. There has been only one incident since the last inspection. This is a significant improvement, especially when young people’s histories at other children’s homes and prior to admission to this one are considered. Clear guidelines for staff to follow, together with behaviour management plans that have been developed using the young people’s inputs, mean that incidents of

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people are helped and protected

challenging behaviour are managed very well. ‘They have listened to me and know what to do when I get angry’ said a young person. ‘They give me space and I calm down.’ Young people report that the rules are sensible and that the staff are fair. As a result of the depth of understanding that the staff have and the trusting relationships, there is little use of sanctions and there have been no incidents of restraint in the home for over a year. External professionals, such as social workers compliment the staff on the impact that they have had on keeping the young people safe and on reducing their risk- taking behaviours. ‘They look after some very challenging young people and they have done really well there,’ is a comment made by a placing officer. While there have been no incidents that have required to be reported to safeguarding teams, all members of staff are trained in areas such as child protection, recognising signs and symptoms of child sexual exploitation and

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people are helped and protected

radicalisation. This means that they know whom to inform in the event that they have concerns about a young person’s safety. Members of staff are aware of the risks posed by the internet and the electronic world. They have measures in place to monitor the young people’s use of this, to ensure that they are not at risk. A risk assessment relating to one young person states that their use of the internet on their electronic tablet must be checked every day. This has not always been achieved. Although the young person has not been at risk due to this shortfall, the staff have not consistently applied this safety measure. A requirement is made for the staff to make sure that they adhere to the measures outlined in risk assessments. All members of staff have the necessary checks carried out before they commence work at the home. This includes a Disclosure and Barring Service check at an enhanced level as well as contact with referees. This ensures that only adults with

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people are helped and protected

safe working histories work with the young people.

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leaders and managers

The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in 2002. She has over 40 years’ experience of working with young people and has achieved many qualifications, including an MSc in systemic family psychotherapy, a post-graduate diploma in child-focused systemic practice, a BA (Hons) in social policy and administration and the registered manager’s award. The home is well led, and a strong and experienced management team offers good support to the staff and young people. As a result of this good quality leadership and guidance, staff are confident and competent in their roles, and the young people make good progress, especially when their starting points are considered. Members of staff receive regular supervision that not only examines their performance but also examines the impact of working with challenging young people on their practice. This ensures that staff have insight into their conduct and

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leaders and managers

reflect upon their performance, both as individuals and as a team. There is thorough scrutiny of young people’s care plans, which ensures that all members of staff have up-to-date information on how each young person is to be cared for and kept safe. It is clear that all members of staff know the young people very well and know what levels of support they need. Some records are not kept up to date nor evidence the work or discussions that have taken place either between staff and the young people or in team meetings. For example, records of key-work sessions are not always recorded, although there is clear evidence that information that the young people have shared has been noted and addressed in documents such as risk assessments. Additionally, while young people’s progress is discussed at every team meeting, the records of these discussions are scant. The home’s statement of purpose is in need of updating as it refers to some

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leaders and managers

legislation that is no longer in use. This does not affect the rest of the document and has no impact on the service that the home delivers. However, what is written with regards to the use of surveillance and monitoring of young people is based on expired regulations. Additionally, the process regarding return home interviews for young people who have been missing does not reflect current national guidance. Again, this has had no impact on the current young people as they have not been missing, but the information contained in that section of the statement of purpose is not up to date. Additionally, the home’s missing person’s policy is not specific in its guidance for staff about the need for independent interviews to be carried out within 72 hours of a young person’s return after being missing. New admissions to the home are carefully assessed so that the managers are confident that the staff can meet the young person’s needs and that they will not

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leaders and managers

impinge on the progress which young people already resident have made. This practice ensures that the momentum of progress for young people is maintained. Contact with stakeholders is good, and information and significant events are shared effectively and in a timely manner. This means that all relevant parties are kept up to date with each young person’s progress and well-being and that concerns can be addressed promptly. As a result, the safety of the young people is promoted to a good standard.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 whom 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

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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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