Children's home run by Anderida Adolescent Care Ltd in Eastbourne

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff have established trusting relationships with the young person. These relationships have helped her to make outstanding progress during her time at the home.  The staff are determined not to give up on young people. The commitment they show to meeting young people’s complex, and at times, very challenging needs ensures young people know they are cared for and are valued.   Safeguarding is at the forefront of practice. Highly effective planning promotes young people’s safety. Commendable inter-agency working is driven and influenced by the manager and staff.   Young people have their emotional wellbeing needs met to the highest standards. A highly successful inclusive approach to engaging partner agencies results in young people receiving specialist help and intervention when they need it.   Other agencies speak very positively of the professionalism, communication and commitment of the staff. There is close collaboration

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

with education professionals. Staff have ensured that the young person has an appropriate education plan, which will give her suitable opportunities when she is emotionally able to engage in education again.   This is a home that aspires to achieving the very best for those in its care. The registered manager has high expectations of care and practice. She encourages and supports staff to provide the young person with highly individualised levels of guidance and support. As a result, the needs of the young person are central to all decisions. Minor shortfalls identified during this inspection have not compromised the safety or wellbeing of the young people. 

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home are clearly specified. This is in relation to ensuring that there is a consistent approach from all members of staff when they contact the young person while she is missing. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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Recommendations

 Ensure the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff, and is kept under review and revised when appropriate. This is in relation to checking the rationale and effectiveness of sanctions that involve the young person paying for costs incurred when staff collect her when she is late. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.28)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home that 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

22 December 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

11 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

The young person placed at this home benefits from strong trusting relationships that have been carefully cultivated. The consistent care shown by staff has been resilient to challenge and continues to show the young person that members of staff genuinely care for her wellbeing. As a result, she has remained in this placement longer than in any other, and has made excellent progress, socially and emotionally, especially considering her starting point. The young person’s social worker commented, ‘She has done really well, absolutely brilliant. The most settled she has ever been’.

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Outstanding

As a result of a bespoke and nurturing package, the young person has remained at the home and experienced stability for the longest period of her life in care. ‘I’ve been in secure four times and lasted 25 minutes at my last place. I’ve been here over 14 months now,’ the young person said. This stability is the result of intensive, thoughtful strategies carefully implemented to target risks and meet needs. For example specialist health care arrangements are in place including a substance misuse worker and a psychotherapist. The emotional and psychological input offered to the young person is a particular strength of the home. The young person’s attendance at college had been very good, especially considering her educational history. When her pregnancy affected attendance, a personalised package was put in place, which took into consideration her increased emotional and health needs. The staff in the home have continued to work very

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Outstanding

closely with the young person’s education setting and have arranged a college placement for her in September. The immense value placed on education and planning for the future is embedded in the home’s approach. Their high expectations and ambitions for the young person have resulted in her wish to continue with her education. The young person has access to a number of enriching and positive activities, for example, going to the gym, shopping with staff and going on outings. In addition, she is developing independence skills and enjoys meeting with friends in the community. Specific work is ongoing to enable her to make positive choices about who she meets with, and about how to keep safe. This has had a positive impact and has greatly reduced incidents of being missing. A well-structured support package ensured that her health needs were fully met during her pregnancy. As a result she was able to engage with midwives and to

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Outstanding

attend all her appointments. ‘The staff were professional and gave clear boundaries. They genuinely wanted the best for her and her baby,’ said a social worker. Another social worker commented, ‘I don’t know what else they could have done to support her better.’ Staff have successfully implemented strategies to develop emotional resilience which have helped her to cope with emotional upheavals in a more positive way. For example, family conflicts are now more readily resolved and contact more consistently achieved. The home’s staff have been instrumental in helping important family members to maintain contact with the young person, even at times of stress and disagreement. Staff guidance has helped her to develop appropriate community and family links, which will be a source of support when the moves on from the home. Staff genuinely and evidently care for the young person and place her needs as central to their practice. The unconditional support that has been maintained, even

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Outstanding

through times of great stress and challenge, has given the young person a safe and stable base from which to work through her emotional upheaval. The young person knows how to complain and to whom she can do this. Any complaints made are investigated, and records show how they have been resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction. Additionally, there is ongoing daily dialogue with the young person about her feelings and wishes. This enables her to influence how the home is run and what her daily programme is going to be. As a result, any issues or grumbles can be dealt with at an early stage. The excellent understanding of the young person’s needs and the trusting relationships that have been established ensure that communication is free and honest. As a result, complaints are rare.

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Good

The young person’s welfare and safety is clearly and operationally paramount. Members of staff are conscientious and diligent in ensuring that she is supervised closely, and that risk-taking activities are minimised. All members of staff have attended training in safeguarding and in working with young people who are at risk of being sexually exploited. All know what to do and whom to contact in the event that they have concerns about the young person’s welfare. This training has been applied in practice effectively. Any safeguarding concerns are promptly shared with the relevant agencies. Records maintained of such incidents are detailed and of a very good standard. Close multi-disciplinary working and planning ensure that strategies are in place and implemented by all, so that the young person is provided with the structure, support and advice that she needs. As a result, incidents, in particular those

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Good

related to being missing, have greatly reduced. ‘They have done as much as they could,’ one police officer commented. If the young person is missing, the staff actively look for her and liaise effectively with partner agencies to ensure her safe return. If necessary staff intervene swiftly to stop her from placing herself at risk of physical harm. Individual risk assessments provide a balance between acknowledging risk, incorporating agreed safety plans and encouraging the young person to engage in the community and to develop independence. This allows her to develop self-protection strategies as well as social and life skills. There is a specific written protocol for the staff to follow if this young person is missing. This is not explicit in detailing how often staff should telephone the young person when she is absent without permission. Subsequently, different members of staff have done this at different intervals, and the young person has become

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Good

frustrated. A recommendation is made that the contact times be made more specific in this protocol, so that the young person is aware that there will be a consistent team approach. Additional plans regarding the young person’s safety have been detailed and very well prepared. The young person’s pregnancy and birth plans were closely coordinated, involving safeguarding teams, social workers, health staff and the staff in the home. The home played an important role in ensuring that this experience was as smooth and stress free as possible. The situation was managed with skill, sensitivity and excellent support provided by the registered manager and young person’s key worker. A social worker said, ‘The fact she didn’t run away is down to the staff support and is remarkable’. Building on the positive relationships between staff and the young person is seen as crucial to enabling her to reflect on her behaviours and actions. The staff

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Good

acknowledge the young person’s age and impending move to semi-independence and encourage her to maintain her own curfews and to manage her return to the home on time. On occasion, the young person has been late, and members of staff have had to collect her late at night or in the early hours of the morning. A sanction has been imposed, and the young person has been expected to pay for the cost of petrol for the journey. The effectiveness of this sanction has not been consistently monitored in the records kept for this purpose. This is a minor shortfall and has not impinged on the young person’s welfare. A recommendation is made for the home to review this sanction more consistently. Physical intervention is very rare. There has been one incident in 18 months. This incident was very carefully explored and the use of the intervention was justified to keep the young person safe. There are detailed records relating to this incident,

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Good

and these include debrief sessions for both members of staff and the young person to ensure that the incident was resolved. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

The registered manager has over 15 years’ experience of working with young people and has achieved qualifications at level 4 in caring for young people and management. She has also achieved a Master of Science degree in cognitive behavioural therapy. The registered manager provides strong clear leadership to the team. She is ambitious for the young person in her care and has high expectations of both the young person and her staff team. This has embedded a culture where all staff are united in their efforts to improve the life of the young person. The registered manager and members of staff will robustly challenge placing authorities or other agencies in order to promote her welfare. Members of staff receive a wealth of training, which ensures that they have the skills and knowledge to work with young people. One member of staff said, ‘I’ve never had so much training.’ Regular supervision, both on a one-to-one basis and

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Outstanding

as part of a therapeutic process with the whole team, underpins practice. The group supervision sessions are run by a psychotherapist and the registered manager. The impact on the staff of these sessions is such that it builds their resilience and determination and enables them to provide high quality, consistent care to a young person, even in the most challenging of circumstances. Close monitoring of the quality of care, care plans and staff performance ensure attention to detail and flexibility, which can be achieved swiftly and effectively if there is a change in the young person’s circumstances. The staff team provides close, nurturing and unconditional care to the young person, directed by these thoughtful, evidence based plans. The registered manager and staff team are active in liaising with all necessary agencies. They are instrumental in driving forward plans for the young person. For example, they ensured that a birth plan was implemented, with clear protocols for

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Outstanding

members of staff, and social work teams to follow. This meant that both the young person and her new-born infant would be kept safe. A social worker commented, ‘They have taken the lead in ensuring her safety.’ External monitoring of the home is welcomed. Monthly visits from an independent visitor occur, and where these identify shortfalls the registered manager ensures that they are rectified and addressed quickly. Additionally, regular questionnaires are sent to stakeholders, seeking their views on the quality of care and asking if they have suggestions for improvements. This approach demonstrates that the staff team and registered manager are open and receptive to ideas. Ongoing dialogue with the young person ensures that she is able to voice her opinions and feelings about how she is being cared for. Emphasis is placed on meeting the needs of the young person and on building a service with her at the centre of all decisions made. There is a bespoke

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Outstanding

plan that seeks input from all stakeholders, including safeguarding agencies, social workers and parents. Consequently, there is a strong sense of working together to provide stability and consistency for the young person. The emphasis on close agency cooperation and prompt sharing of information means that the home’s staff and manager inform all relevant parties of any issues of note. This further embeds the transparency of practice and accountability for performance and effectiveness of the service. It also enables any risks or safeguarding issues to be shared immediately, so that strategies can be put in place to promote the young person’s welfare.

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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 that 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

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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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