Children's home run by East Sussex County Council in Lewes

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:

 Young people quickly establish trusting relationships with staff and develop a sense of stability living in the home.   Staff provide a warm and nurturing environment where young people benefit from individualised care. Young people feel safe knowing that staff listen and respond to their specific needs.   Care plans and risk assessments are detailed and comprehensive. Regular reviews of strategies ensure that they effectively promote positive outcomes for young people.   Young people’s psychological and emotional health has a high priority. Close partnership working with external professionals ensures that young people receive health services according to their specific needs.   Staff are receiving specialist training in developing a therapeutic approach for young people experiencing trauma, loss and attachment difficulties. This is having a positive impact on their care of young people as they gain a

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The children's home provision is good because:

greater understanding of the meaning of young people’s behaviour.   Young people are not offered an independent return interview on each occasion when they return after being reported missing from the home.   Not all staff have achieved the required qualification within the specified timescale. 

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform and have attained the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. (Regulation 32 (3)(b) and Regulation 32 (5)(a)(b)) 31/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this children's home

The children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is registered to provide single sex occupancy. The home is operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

27/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Some young people make considerable progress from their starting points while living at the home. Staff deliver individualised care within a nurturing environment. Young people with complex needs have opportunities to learn to manage their emotions more appropriately and keep themselves safe. They experience warm and trusting relationships with staff who are resilient and consistent in their approach, even during periods when young people are displaying extreme challenging behaviour. Staff are ambitious for young people to succeed in education and support them to achieve and fulfil their potential. For example, one young person recently completed her GCSE exams and is commencing a level 3 college course. For young people who find engaging in education challenging due to their emotional difficulties, staff work hard to support them. They closely liaise with education tutors and school staff to ensure that young people’s individual needs are met and

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Good

approaches are consistent. Providing young people with opportunities to participate in positive activities is an important aspect of their care. Young people are encouraged to experience group activities in the local community such as Girl Guides and music and drama workshops. Other activities include horse riding lessons, swimming, cinema, bike rides and meals out. Consequently, young people extend their social experiences and develop self-confidence. Close partnership working with external health professionals and careful monitoring of young people’s health needs ensures that they receive services according to their specific needs. Staff carefully monitor young people’s psychological and emotional health and ensure that they have access to specialist assessment when there are emerging mental health issues. Staff support young people to establish personal hygiene routines, healthy eating patterns and physical exercise so that

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Good

they benefit from a healthy lifestyle. Young people’s views are important to staff. Young people’s meetings are a forum for them to express their opinions on day-to-day matters such as activities, menus and other issues affecting them. In individual key work sessions, they have opportunities to raise any concerns and discuss their care plans. Young people are aware of the complaints procedure and use it as a way of making their views known. They also have access to an independent advocate who visits the home monthly. Young people constructively use this service. Managers thoroughly investigate and respond to issues that young people raise, ensuring that their views are carefully considered. As young people develop into young adults, they receive support to build their independence skills. Independence plans and key work sessions introduce them to the notion of taking more responsibility for themselves at a pace and level fitting to

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Good

their stages of development. They gain skills and confidence to prepare them for their next stage of life. Staff work positively and proactively with families to enable young people to maintain positive and meaningful relationships.

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Good

Young people develop a sense of safety and security living at the home. Through close supervision from nurturing, thoughtful and consistent staff, young people form warm and trusting relationships. Strong boundaries and routines contribute to their sense of safety and protection. Young people appreciate the responsiveness of staff to their needs. A young person commented that, ‘When I’m upset, staff never turn me away. They will always take time to talk to me. I can talk to them about anything.’ Comprehensive care plans and current risk assessments demonstrate that staff understand young people’s individual needs and their particular risk-taking behaviours. Clear strategies guide staff in protecting young people and promoting their development. Working collaboratively with the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), staff implement recommended strategies and interventions to address young people’s violent and aggressive behaviour,

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Good

attachment experiences and specific needs. Staff evidently understand the risks associated with young people leaving the home without permission and with child sexual exploitation. Robust strategies and procedures are in place to protect young people. There have been a high number of incidents of young people leaving the home without permission since the last inspection. The local authority has commissioned a specialist agency to undertake independent return interviews when young people return to the home after being reported missing. However, except in a few instances, these independent return interviews are not being carried out, although staff are vigilant in establishing the details of the incident and any safeguarding issues. Managers take appropriate action to protect young people who are at risk of child sexual exploitation, including referring serious concerns to external safeguarding authorities and convening professionals’ meetings to discuss multi-agency

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Good

approaches to keeping young people safe. Where necessary, young people receive interventions from a specialist therapeutic service for children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse or exploitation. Young people also have access to a specific worker within CAMHS, who works directly with young people and offers weekly consultation with staff. Such joint working with specialist partner agencies ensures that young people who display problematic sexual behaviour have effective support to meet their individual needs and reduce the potential of harm. Young people receive thoughtful support to manage their behaviour. Staff are skilled in de-escalation techniques and receive training to use physical intervention safely. Since the previous inspection, there have been a high number of incidents necessitating staff using physical intervention to prevent harm to a young person and staff. These interventions have been required to safely manage a young

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Good

person’s extreme and challenging behaviour, resulting from intense separation anxiety and developing mental health issues. Staff record such incidents accurately and managers closely scrutinise the reports to ensure safe practice. Reports include discussion with staff and the young person following the incident to consider whether current support practices are the most effective to help young people. Managers take action to protect young people when their violent behaviour escalates to the point when it is evident that staff cannot meet their specific needs and they require specialist placements to keep them safe. Staff are vigilant in identifying and reporting safeguarding concerns. The registered manager ensures that correct consultation, referrals and notifications are made to external authorities, including the local authority designated officer. Robust recruitment processes are in place to protect young people from unsuitable

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Good

adults working with them. The required checks on prospective employees are undertaken before they commence work at the home. A requirement made at a previous inspection to improve recruitment practice has been met.

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Good

An experienced and qualified registered manager has been in post since 2012. She was the registered manager for this home and another of the authority’s children’s homes but is now registered solely for this home. Assisted by a new deputy manager, she provides effective leadership and support for the staff team based on a clear understanding of the individual needs of young people. A member of staff commented that managers ‘are always available for guidance, advice and support’. Staff undertake comprehensive training relevant to their role to ensure that they are competent and confident in meeting young people’s needs. Managers have recently introduced an extended period of training in therapeutic parenting, focusing on attachment issues, trauma and loss. Staff have welcomed this initiative in assisting them to understand and address the complex emotional needs of young people. Staff report very positively on this training and one remarked that it

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Good

‘is amazing. It has changed the way I work and my approach. I am now really thinking about the meaning of young people’s behaviour’. Nearly all staff have a level 3 qualification but one relief member of staff has not achieved the diploma within the required timescale. Supervision is regular. Records demonstrate a reflective approach with discussion focusing on the needs of young people, including matters affecting their safety and well-being. The registered manager thoroughly addresses issues of staff practice to ensure that young people receive suitable care to promote their development. Managers use supervision and annual appraisals as tools to improve staff practice and standards of care for young people. Close monthly monitoring allows managers to analyse and evaluate patterns and trends in young people’s behaviour and adjust strategies to offer maximum opportunities for young people to develop. Monthly reports by an independent

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Good

visitor identify shortfalls and are an essential part of the quality assurance process. The registered manager’s six-monthly report presents a detailed, comprehensive review with specific actions identified, with timescales, to improve standards of care and develop the home. The recently revised statement of purpose sets out the ethos, aims and objectives of the home and the range of services that it provides for young people. Managers and staff are fulfilling the statement of purpose. The requirement made at the previous inspection to improve this document has been met. Proactive work with other professionals and agencies such as CAMHS, the sexual health nurse and professionals specialising in therapeutic interventions for young people who have experienced sexual abuse, enhance the support that the home offers for young people with complex emotional needs.

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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 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 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

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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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