Children's home run by West Sussex County Council

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Leaders and managers have paid insufficient attention to the detrimental impact of children newly admitted on those who are already resident in the home, and vice versa. Staff have not had the capacity to meet the needs of all the children placed.  The organisation does not effectively monitor the home, or have close enough liaison with it. This has been exacerbated because the responsible individual does not have the capacity to directly supervise the management of the home. These responsibilities are delegated from her to a service manager, but this has not been an effective enough support during this inspection period.  The manager and staff have been overwhelmed by the high levels of need of children and as a result have not always been able to keep them safe or adequately promote their welfare.  Children who live in this home go missing often. Although staff deal with each incident well, there has not been enough concerted effort (including insufficient

p.3

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

involvement of other agencies) to address the persistent nature of the problem. As a result, children frequently place themselves at risk, including from the use of alcohol and of suspected sexual exploitation. This was alerted to the wider professional network by the home.  Children resort quickly to aggressive and provocative conduct. This is displayed in abusive language, behaviour that puts themselves at risk, damage to property and physical attacks on each other and staff.  Staff have had to resort to the routine locking of rooms to prevent the destruction of furniture and equipment. Physical intervention is used frequently to maintain the safety of children and staff. On several occasions, the police have been to the home to restore order or to contain the behaviour of a particular child or young person.  Children have complained about the extent of bullying in the home and a few have been subject to very distressing experiences. Although the manager and

p.3

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

staff take action to reduce these incidents and regard this behaviour as unacceptable, they have continued.  There has been a high level of the use of agency workers with the depletion of staffing due to sick leave and other unavoidable reasons. This has had implications for consistency and quality of care.  The constant need to ‘firefight’, as several staff described their work, has had a negative effect on the day-to-day running of the home with, for example, supervision and key work sessions not occurring or going unrecorded.

p.3

The children's home strengths

 The provider has recently recognised the failings in the oversight of management of the home. The senior management structure has been changed to address this. The new management team has agreed urgent action to address pressures on the registered manager and her staff. This has yet to have an effect.  There are plans to help the team recover from the stressful and challenging recent period through a suspension of new admissions and the provision of additional training.  Despite the enormous pressure felt by staff, they remain committed to the children in their care and are enthusiastic about improving the service provided by the home.  Some children have made progress since their admission to the home. For example, one young person now engages well with education and has shown considerable progress since taking up a suitable school placement.  Some children are developing their sense of self and increasing in confidence.

p.4

The children's home strengths

They demonstrate this through following constructive personal interests and articulating their wishes and feelings more maturely.

p.4

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 with the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure: that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation and has the capacity to meet. (Regulation 14 (2)(a)) 31/10/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure: that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (2)(e)(i) and (ii)) 31/10/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b) and (c)) 31/10/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the missing child policy”) setting out the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; this policy should include the requirement to hold a review of a child’s relevant plans if the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)) 31/10/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that: a record is made within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control or discipline; and within 48 hours that the user has been spoken to about the measure; and signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days an addition is made to the record that the child has been spoken to about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a-c)) 31/10/2016 In particular, these records must show that these timescales have been adhered to. The registered person must maintain case records for each child which are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author. (Regulation 36 (1)(b) and (c)) 31/10/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation so that the process followed and how it has led to the outcome is clear. (Regulation 39 (3)) 31/10/2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person carrying out visits to the home only inspects a child’s case records if the child and the child’s placing authority consent. (Regulation 44 (2)(b)) 31/10/2016

p.6

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.6

Recommendations

 Each child should have permission for staff to administer first aid from a person with parental responsibility for them recorded in their relevant plan. For children looked after, this permission should be sought and arranged by the child's social worker. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.14)

p.6

Recommendations

 Registered persons must ensure that staff have the skills required to intervene, protect and address bullying behaviours effectively. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 39, paragraph 8.16)

p.6

Recommendations

 No more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night, at the home should be from an external agency. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.17)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. A record should be retained. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 57, paragraph 11.9)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should agree with their local police force, procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 47, paragraph 9.40)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 55 paragraph 10.24) This is in particular regard to the timing and duration of fire safety drills.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home's staff in response to the event. The home's record of the event must include a description of the action taken and the outcome of any resulting investigation. ('Guide to Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 63, paragraph 14.13 and 14)

p.7

Information about this children's home

This service is a children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to six children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. A local authority runs the home.

p.8

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/12/2015 Full Good 25/03/2015 Full Outstanding 30/12/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.8

Inadequate

Children have been admitted to the home who have not been compatible with those already living here. This has frequently been to the detriment both of children moving in and of existing residents.

p.9

Inadequate

There are examples of children developing negative behaviours that they had not exhibited before arriving and of their progress reversing because of the impact of the flawed admissions practice. Some children have had to move on soon after coming to the home due to the inflammatory mix of placements, meaning the admission has caused further unnecessary disruption in their lives. There have also been long standing concerns about a few children who had not made any progress and/or were involved in intransigent behaviours that put them and others at risk. Despite sufficient warning, managers did not address these issues until a major crisis point was reached.

p.9

Inadequate

Staff feel overwhelmed by the difficulties they face and are therefore unable to be as proactive as they would wish. Most of the time they are reacting to situations to keep children, themselves and the home safe. The locking of internal doors as a means of control is routine, staff regularly resort to using physical restraints and they frequently call the police to prevent serious damage to property or harm to individuals. The atmosphere is therefore one of tension, with the near constant potential for conflict. Many of the children find it difficult to participate constructively in any activity for long or contribute to the life of the home.

p.9

Inadequate

Levels of sick leave are high among staff and there is considerable reliance on agency staff to cover shifts. The manager attempts to employ the same agency workers but frequently this is not possible. Continuity of care is therefore difficult to maintain and children are often looked after by staff with whom they are unfamiliar.

p.9

Inadequate

The premises are, in the main, spartan: the outside looks severe with some boarded up windows and metal bars across them to prevent them from opening. Internally, there is noticeable damage, particularly to doors and their locks. On the day of the inspection, the front door was damaged and could not be securely closed, meaning that anyone could gain access.

p.9

Inadequate

Photographs and pictures are absent in many communal areas, but frames were being put up during the inspection. A young person, who has ideas for photomontages and a pictorial welcome sign, was surprised and pleased that the manager is implementing this. Two rooms feature stunning graphic murals that a staff member has recently painted. They demonstrate the wish to create an environment that children can be proud of and enjoy living in.

p.9

Inadequate

Some children are making progress in specific areas of their lives. Staff put in great effort to obtain an appropriate educational placement for one child and having done so his attendance is excellent and he is enjoying learning. Some are increasing their independence skills, including the use of public transport. Others are growing in self-confidence, allowing their personalities to come out in the interests they pursue.

p.10

Inadequate

Staff described effective work done with children who left to go to other planned placements at the beginning of the year. They maintain contact with one of them, as they do with another young person who recently left in an unplanned way. This is good practice but preparation for transition, both practically and emotionally, is unrecorded.

p.10

Inadequate

Incidents of children absconding and reports of bullying and of criminal behaviour, including assaults on staff, are unacceptably frequent. Although staff generally address each episode well, this has rarely resulted in a reduction in incidents or made children safer. Sometimes agency workers have not managed situations in which they are often under extreme pressure as well as permanent staff, and this has intensified the sense of things being out of control for children.

p.10

Inadequate

Professional standards have occasionally lapsed and these have led to the manager raising concerns with the designated officer of the local authority as well as the human resources department. There were also serious instances of children being victimised by their peers. The manager has taken decisive action in response to this, but bullying remains a prevalent issue. Measures taken so far have not curtailed the problem.

p.10

Inadequate

The designated officer says that one incident was not reported to her although it should have been. Otherwise, the home has reported matters appropriately and sought advice. Indeed, records show that the manager has been vigilant in addressing safeguarding concerns.

p.10

Inadequate

Children frequently abscond; all current residents have gone missing at different times, as have many previously living at the home. Staff follow agreed protocols, including attempting to stay in touch with children, encouraging them to come back and reporting to police. Staff facilitate independent return to home interviews, which a charitable organisation carries out on behalf of the local authority. They are not particularly successful in engaging children but are tenacious in their efforts, ensuring that those who go missing know they have someone outside of the home interested in what is happening to them.

p.10

Inadequate

The interventions have not reduced the volume of incidents and many raise serious concern for safety, including reports that adults have supplied alcohol to children and strong indicators of sexual exploitation having taken place. Although these incidents have been responded to, including collaborative working with external social workers and police, this has not significantly affected the negative behaviours. The local authority’s missing person’s policy does not require a review of the child’s relevant plans to take place. This should change to ensure much prompter concerted action.

p.11

Inadequate

Staff are aware of child sexual exploitation and they know how to address the issue with vulnerable children. They have passed on intelligence to other agencies, including the police, so that they can take action to safeguard potential victims.

p.11

Inadequate

Some children have self-harmed and staff are vigilant to signs of its occurrence. One young person had responded well to the help staff and other professionals had given her, but the problem has re-emerged while the home has been in turmoil.

p.11

Inadequate

Staff conduct and regularly review risk assessments, seeking the views of children in doing so. The narrative provides a description of particular risks but the scoring sections are not routinely completed so it is difficult to gauge the current level of concerns or to track changes over time.

p.11

Inadequate

A designated member of staff carries out checks in accordance with health and safety requirements, which include regular emergency evacuation drills. Premises are regularly assessed as safe; however, records of drills do not include the time they occurred or the time taken to evacuate. This means it is not possible to establish whether evacuations are quick enough under different circumstances.

p.11

Inadequate

At the time of the inspection, the registered provider had belatedly identified the seriousness of the problems at the home. Action was taken to address the issue of ineffective oversight by senior managers and to make plans to safeguard the welfare of children placed here. An alternative management structure has been put in place and managers are developing plans to assist the staff team to ‘regroup’ and recover following a long period of inordinate pressure. The plans include not accepting new referrals and implementing training to establish a cohesive approach to the work.

p.11

Inadequate

Although staff and other professionals think these plans mean the home has ‘potentially turned the corner’, the decisions have yet to have an impact on the lives of children. There is a recognition that the responsible individual has not had the capacity to fulfil her role to supervise the management of the home. The responsible individual responsibilities are delegated to a service manager who is tasked with undertaking the functions and responsibilities outlined within the designated role. The local authority has yet to nominate an alternative responsible individual. No impact risk assessments are completed on the compatibility of prospective residents with those already living in the home. This means that admissions are either not sufficiently thought through or they are made contrary to the assessment of managers on the ground.

p.12

Inadequate

The manager has established good working relationships with many other agencies, including the child and adolescent mental health service and the missing persons and child sexual exploitation team of the local constabulary. This has led to good liaison between the agencies to promote children’s well-being or to safeguard them.

p.12

Inadequate

Staff keep in regular communication with other professionals, particularly social workers. There is evidence on files of challenge when care plans are unrealistic; managers have prompted social work colleagues to convene meetings or provide documentation in some instances.

p.12

Inadequate

Placement and positive handling plans and risk assessments are in place but they are frequently unsigned by the author, manager or child. This makes them less authoritative. Regular audits by the manager have failed to identify these shortfalls.

p.12

Inadequate

Staff detail incidents of children going missing, sanctions and physical interventions in appropriate logs and on incident sheets. The related requirement from the last inspection (to record a description of the measure and its duration) has been complied with. However, records are undated and as a result, it is difficult to satisfactorily audit practice. The manager comments on the logs and these can be helpful in identifying areas in which practice could improve. However, there is a significant backlog of more detailed incident sheets for her to monitor. This has resulted in practice having insufficient timely scrutiny.

p.12

Inadequate

Managers have not been able to maintain adequate levels of supervision for staff, as specified in the statement of purpose; some that have taken place have not been recorded. This important mechanism to support staff and monitor their performance is therefore under-utilised.

p.12

Inadequate

Key workers have not held sessions with children or have not written them up. Opportunities to support children and to gain their views have not therefore been taken or a record of them retained.

p.12

Inadequate

Consent for staff to administer first aid, permission to take photographs and/or display them, or for children to join off-site activities has not been sought in writing from those with parental responsibility. No consent from the placing authority or young person is on case files to give permission for the independent person undertaking regulation 44 visits to view them.

p.13

Inadequate

The manager notifies Ofsted of serious events; most notifications are made promptly but some have taken several days to send. The notifications do not always give sufficient information to allow the circumstances be understood fully and are not always updated when new information is available.

p.13

Inadequate

The manager keeps a file of complaints received and her written responses. There is no separate log to track the progress of complaints, though, which means it is uncertain if the complainant is satisfied with the outcome.

p.13

Inadequate

Staff spoken to retain the desire to make a difference to the lives of children. Despite the difficulties they have been working with, there is still an enthusiasm to develop the service, including the provision of life story work and to produce an interactive version of the children’s guide.

p.13

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’.

p.14

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

p.14

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.14

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

p.15

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 .

p.15

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,

p.16

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.16

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.16

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

p.16