Children's Home run by Springfield Road Children’s Homes Ltd in East 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:

 There are trusting relationships between the young people and members of staff. Subsequently, young people make good progress during their time at this home.  Young people have their education supported and promoted to a very good standard.   Consistent boundaries and tailored care plans enable the staff to support the young people to a very good standard. Young people develop resilience and improved coping skills.   Careful consideration and assessments of new admissions mean that young people’s continuity of care and progress are maintained.   Prompt and effective communication with relevant agencies ensures that the young people’s welfare is protected and promoted.  Staff are well trained in safeguarding and child protection. This ensures that they know what to do and who to inform if they have any concerns about a young person’s welfare.  The staff and manager work closely with all stakeholders, especially parents

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The children's home provision is good because:

and placing authorities. This leads to consistency and a strong sense of collaboration to improve the outcomes for the young people.  Shortfalls identified during this inspection have not compromised the safety or well-being of the young people.

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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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. In particular, they must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. This is with regards to ensuring that proof of relevant qualifications are in place in the recruitment records of members of staff. (Regulation 32 (1) (3) (d)). 30/10/2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4) (b)). 30/10/2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. This is with regards to recording how the complaint has been resolved or addressed. (Regulation 39 (1) (3)) 30/10/2016.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home which 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

06/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Young people develop secure and trusting relationships with members of staff. This enables the young people to experience stability and unconditional, consistent care. As a result, they learn to trust the adults caring for them and make significant progress. ‘I listen to people more. I am less violent than I used to be’, said one young person. Staff show resilience and understanding of the behaviours and challenges which are sometimes displayed. Young people are confident in expressing their views and have numerous individuals, both within the home and outside of it, to whom they can address their concerns. The quality of relationships means that communication between the young people and the adults who care for them is relaxed and honest. Subsequently, formal complaints are rare and any areas of tension or disagreement are resolved early. The value of education is promoted and embedded in the culture of the home.

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people living in the home are

Managers advocate strongly on behalf of the young people to ensure that they have educational placements which meet their needs. Young people do well at school and achieve good levels of attendance, especially when taking into consideration their starting points. Communication with schools is good and ensures that relevant information about each young person is shared promptly so that they can receive any additional support needed. Young people are encouraged to take part in different activities and interests so that they can develop their social skills, confidence and widen their circle of friends. Friends are welcome to visit and members of staff promote and support positive contact with families to ensure that the young people are not isolated. Activities such as dance clubs and swimming also promote healthy lifestyles. The young people have gone on holiday with each other and members of staff. Young people benefit from having their health needs promoted and met to a good

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people living in the home are

standard. All routine appointments and assessments with healthcare professionals, such as dentists and opticians, are attended with staff support if needed. Specialist appointments, with psychologists or counsellors for example, are arranged and facilitated by the staff team. Members of staff receive guidance and supervision from a therapist which enables them to develop strategies to assist the young people in developing their resilience and coping skills. Admissions to the home are carefully assessed by the registered manager and senior members of staff. The potential impact on established young people is taken into consideration so that the progress that they have made will not be compromised. All young people are expected to visit the home and to make it clear that they wish to live there. Young people feel that they have an investment in their placement and acknowledge that members of staff will support them to

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people living in the home are

succeed. One young person commented, ‘Staff back me up.’

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people are helped and protected

Sound, trusting relationships with young people, staff knowledge and training and clear systems to follow, all combine to ensure that young people are safe and feel safe living in this home. Members of staff are aware of each young person’s particular vulnerabilities. They implement strategies to minimise these as well as actively enabling the young people to develop their own resilience and insight. This means that their risk-taking behaviours lessen. For example, incidents of young people going missing have drastically reduced. One young person reported that, ‘I was running away virtually all the time before I came here. I hardly ever go now.’ Staff are aware of the steps to follow in the event that a young person is missing or absent without permission. These measures are implemented effectively and more often than not the young people are encouraged to return by members of staff who have followed them from the home. No young people have been missing

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people are helped and protected

overnight since the last inspection and all have been returned to the home within hours of going missing. Young people are aware of the risks posed by the internet and social media. Each young person has an individual protocol in place which outlines whether there are restrictions on their access to the internet and how these are to be implemented. Daily checks on electronic devices are carried out to ensure that the young people have not accessed any sites which may be harmful. Young people’s understanding and maturity is assessed during this process. More access to the internet is given when the management of risk and awareness of each young person is gauged to be developing and improving. As a result, young people are able to increase their own responsibility and awareness. Each young person has a behaviour management plan which outlines to the members of staff how they are to support the young people at times of distress

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people are helped and protected

and unsettled behaviour. These plans are developed in conjunction with the young people so that specific strategies are personalised and the young people feel that they have an active role in the development of their care plans. Young people develop self-management skills and insight into their behaviour as a result of the support that they are given and the consistent approach achieved by members of staff. On occasion, physical restraint has been used and records show that it has been implemented safely and appropriately. Young people are clear that they understand why it has been used and their comments about its use are recorded as part of the debriefing process. Sanctions used are appropriate and emphasis is placed on reparation for poor behaviour and young people are given the opportunity to make amends rather than being punished. ‘The rules are sensible and fair’, a young person stated. Recruitment of staff ensures that all necessary checks are carried out such as the

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people are helped and protected

Disclosure and Barring Service and speaking to referees. On one occasion, the qualifications of a member of staff have not been ratified. While this has had no impact on young people’s safety, it has not been in line with the process outlined in regulation and has not been monitored or implemented robustly.

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leaders and managers

The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in 2010. She has over 40 years’ experience of working with young people and has achieved many qualifications such as MSc Systemic Family Psychotherapy, Post Graduate Diploma Child Focused Systemic Practice, BA (Hons) Social Policy and Administration and the Registered Manager’s Award. In July of this year, a monitoring visit was undertaken following an anonymous complaint. At this visit, it was found that supervision for all members of staff had not been provided consistently and in line with the organisation’s own guide. This continues to be the case. The requirement therefore remains. Members of staff continue to receive varied training and this ensures that they have the skills and knowledge to provide good care to the young people. There are sufficient numbers of staff available to provide close supervision and support. There is very good scrutiny of the young people’s care plans by senior members of

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leaders and managers

staff. This means that each young person’s needs are recorded and that all members of staff are aware of any changes to their circumstances or to their care plans. An independent reviewing officer commented that, ‘They keep changing as the young person needs it.’ The staff and managers maintain good levels of communication with other stakeholders such as teachers, parents, social workers and police officers. This means that there is a sense of team work and cooperation. Members of staff and managers conscientiously advocate on behalf of the young people if they feel that the individual plans, for example, with regards to provision of schooling, are not being suitably followed. This means that care plans are implemented and young people’s welfare is actively promoted. This approach means that the young people trust in the advocacy that the home provides and that relevant professionals feel that the home is providing a good service which acts in the young people’s

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leaders and managers

interests. While young people’s views and opinions are valued and encouraged, the recording of complaints does not show how they have been resolved. While this shortfall has not had an impact on any young person’s welfare it is in breach of regulations. Management monitoring has also not identified or rectified the shortfall. Additionally, a shortfall was found in a recruitment record which although it did not compromise the safety of any young person, it showed that the monitoring of the process and recording and checking of the relevant information has not been robustly implemented. All significant events are shared promptly with relevant agencies. This promotes transparency and accountability and ensures that the young people receive the support that they need.

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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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