Children's Home run by Child First Limited in West Sussex

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Young people benefit from excellent relationships with experienced staff. They are able to approach staff with any worries or concerns, but also enjoy spending time with them.  Young people’s actions demonstrate that they feel safe in their home and comfortable in their surroundings. They spend time with each other, confident in the knowledge that bullying will be challenged by staff and that respecting each other is important to the home’s philosophy.  Young people regularly attend education, even those who had a long period out of school or college prior to moving here. Those who do not regularly attend have an appropriate provision, are engaged with tutors and learn life- skills with staff. The home actively challenges delays in seeking appropriate, regular education.  Young people are supported to reduce behaviours that may place them at risk of harm. Substance misuse and youth offending teams work closely with

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

the home, and young people attend sessions as programmed. Staff respond swiftly to any incidents of young people being missing from the home and liaise with the police in this circumstance.  The management team is strong and continually evaluates the service provided. Young people benefit from an ever-evolving service, where managers continually look to improve the quality of care that young people receive. Emotional well-being specialists work directly with the home, to further ensure that young people’s needs are being met and their behaviours are understood.  Staff are well trained and are keen to learn new skills. They strive to meet young people’s needs to the best of their abilities, and are working collaboratively to ensure that this happens to greater effect.  Areas noted as requiring further improvement at this inspection are: young people’s in-house plans should consider their culture and identity beyond

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

their ethnicity and religion, staff should have training in autistic spectrum disorder conditions and staff must complete their level 3 qualifications within the timescale set out in regulations.

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(b)(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. This is in regard to exploring children’s and young people’s identity and culture beyond their ethnicity and religion. 04/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all individuals who work in the home in a care role have the appropriate qualification: the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England), or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. The relevant dates for gaining the qualification are: in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home, or the relevant date is in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(b)) 04/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33 (4)(a)) This is specifically in relation to receiving training in supporting children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders. 04/11/2016

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. There are two other homes in the local area, which also have access to the organisation’s school. This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Good 28/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/06/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people benefit from some excellent relationships with staff. Observations showed that young people enjoy spending time with various staff members and sought them out for help and support in their daily tasks, or just to spend time with them. A parent was complimentary of her son’s key worker and other staff in the home, saying that they have taken time to get to know and understand him. An independent reviewing officer gave equally positive feedback about the staff in the home.

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Good

Staff take time to listen to young people, to understand what may be troubling them or what a current concern is. They handle these issues sensitively, through understanding a behaviour insightfully (for example, why a young person generally wore the same clothing daily) so that it is modified without upset.

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Good

The young people’s voices are actively sought within the home, with regular house meetings, key work sessions and questionnaires on their views and ideas of what could be improved. When changes cannot be made, staff explain why this is in a clear manner. Young people are able to choose the design and decor of their rooms, and staff support them to keep them clean. Young people are offered advocates, and staff are confident in speaking on young people’s behalf. Young people know that they can complain, and were observed to be raising many issues during the inspection, with staff seeking to help come to a resolution, no matter how small the concern may be. The recently revamped young people’s guide provides details of external services that they can contact should they feel their voices are not being heard.

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Good

Not all young people have suitable educational placements. The registered manager has challenged local authority delays in sourcing these, with partial success. A parent raised concerns regarding her son’s lack of education, clearly noting that they do not see this as the home’s fault. In the meantime, young people have access to the virtual school tutors, and staff are enabling them to learn life-skills and engage in constructive activities. Staff are not always able to get young people out of bed at a good hour, despite activities being on offer. However, the younger person with a tutor is always out of bed in time for his lessons. Staff try to get young people to get up, and recognise that further thought is required for the current group regarding incentives and expectations.

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Good

Those young people who attend education are supported in using independent learning skills such as getting public transport to school or college. They are further supported with homework. All young people are encouraged to access a range of socially and emotionally stimulating activities, such as bowling, drumming and horse-riding. They also spend time in the community with friends or family.

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Good

Young people of all ages in the home learn to develop skills for adult life, such as doing their laundry, budgeting and cooking. A key component of the life-skills work is developing social skills and interacting positively with others in the home and community. If necessary, placing authority plans are challenged to ensure that there are appropriate transition arrangements.

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Good

Young people are supported to understand healthy lifestyles and what these mean for them. Healthy diets and exercise are promoted, including preparing meals rather than buying ready-meals. The home has access to emotional well-being practitioners to support young people. There have been delays, which have been challenged, in young people being able to access these resources, as placing authorities have not agreed referrals promptly or completed pre-therapy support, such as life-story work. These delays have also been challenged by the home. All young people access medical professionals for their physical well-being, such as dental appointments and sight tests. Medication is stored securely in the home and is administered as prescribed. Young people who misuse substances are encouraged to meet with local specialist services in order to consider the impact that this may have on their physical and emotional well-being. Smoking cessation is

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Good

promoted, with a degree of success for those who are in the right emotional space to quit.

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Good

Behaviour management is constantly promoted within the home, ensuring that young people know what is expected of them. Young people are given space and time to reflect on their behaviour and to consider what they could do differently in the future.

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Good

Young people are consistently treated with dignity and respect and are able to explore their feelings and consider who they are. Those who attend religious observance are supported to do so, with staff seeking local places of worship prior to their placement. A young person who spoke no English was helped by staff who could speak his native language, and with gestures and symbols. Young people who have no obvious cultural or religious identity have not had their identities and backgrounds analysed so well, so they have less support. Young people who are on the autistic spectrum have been able to communicate with the use of some symbols and picture stories, to ensure that their voices are heard. However, further development is needed for staff to undertake more training in relation to autistic spectrum disorder. Young people are supported to see their families, as agreed with the placing authorities or courts, including transport over long distances to

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Good

Young people are confident of their day-to-day safety and enjoy good and protective relationships with staff. Staff have a strong understanding of each young person’s vulnerabilities, and do all that they can to keep them safe. Staff are confident in the processes to follow should they be concerned for a young person’s safety or welfare. They work effectively with partner safeguarding agencies, reporting any safeguarding and child protection concerns swiftly. Records of investigations are thorough and clear.

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Good

Staff support young people living in the home to learn what may place them at risk of harm and how to keep themselves safe. Key work sessions are tailored to each young person’s needs, and staff have resources to promote discussion regarding various issues, such as child sexual exploitation, substance misuse and children going missing from the home. For most young people, there is a decrease in the number of instances when they may be at risk. When some behaviours and actions remain a concern, the home liaises effectively with specialist police officers, social workers and other partner agencies, such as the youth offending service, child and adolescent mental health service and substance misuse workers. The home is creative in considering how best to support young people who remain at risk, such as seeking short-break interventions in order to break cycles of being missing or of substance misuse. Bullying is not tolerated, and is raised in group discussions and

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Good

tackled directly when noted or raised as a concern by young people.

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Good

Some young people in the home continue to go missing from care. In these instances they benefit from a coordinated approach to locating them and returning them safely to the home. Staff will search for young people in the local area and at known locations they frequent. When appropriate, they liaise with other children’s homes to return young people if they are known to have gone missing with young people placed there. Staff take time to talk to young people about where they have been and the reasons why they were missing, in order to reduce the likelihood of them being missing in the future. The home is forging links with local specialist missing and exploitation police officers, along with identifying areas of potential risk in the local community through discussions with neighbourhood policing teams. Police officers search young people’s rooms when they are missing, to help determine where they may be, in line with the local police protocol. Staff

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Good

understand the risks young people are at from exploitation in all its forms, and work closely with partner agencies to continue to support young people who are at risk.

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Good

The risk assessment process within the home is extremely robust. It focuses on pre-placement information to ensure that those moving into the home are not a risk to, or at risk from, those already in placement. Additionally, once living in the home, young people are able to take age-appropriate risks subject to risk assessment, which helps to prepare them for adulthood. This enables them to learn, and perhaps to make mistakes while they are living in a supportive environment. As a result, young people say that they feel safe in the home and that staff trust them.

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Good

Staff consistently promote positive behaviour, with a largely restorative approach to misbehaviour. As a result, young people know what is expected of them, but also learn how to make situations right, rather than continuing to push against imposed sanctions. Restraint is rarely used, and then only as a last resort. Earlier in the year there was a spike in the use of physical interventions, due to a young person’s continued physical demonstration of their feelings. This was managed appropriately, through close liaison with the placing authority and by seeking a placement better able to meet his needs.

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Good

The home is not risk-averse, and allows young people to use the internet and social media in line with their current abilities and emotional states. How to keep safe online is a regular topic in house meetings and key work sessions. Staff monitor young people’s reactions and responses while online in order to respond and take action should they be concerned for their safety.

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Good

Young people are protected from avoidable hazards through regular monitoring of fire protection equipment and the general maintenance of the building. The home follows safer recruitment practice when appointing new members of staff.

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Good

The home is well run by the registered manager. She is currently undertaking the level 5 qualification, and is due to complete this within the time-frame identified in regulations. The manager has a strong understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the home, and is striving continually to improve the service provided for young people. She reviews the quality of care and service provided through six- monthly evaluations of the service and via reports produced in line with regulation 44. She uses these to inform the development plan. A change in service manager for the organisation since the last inspection has also improved the quality of care, with staff being afforded the opportunity to consider alternative ways of caring for young people and understand their behaviours. As a result, the staff in the home understand the aims and ethos of the service, as set out in the statement of purpose, and are caring effectively for young people in line with this.

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Good

The home has a strong staff team, with recent additions to the team coming with a wealth of experience in relevant areas, such as fostering and youth offending. The team is cohesive and is working consistently to meet the needs of young people. Discussions observed in a handover were reflective and considered where behaviour is rooted, rather than just looking at what is being displayed. Effective shift planning ensures that young people can attend appointments and activities.

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Good

Staff say that they feel well supported through regular supervision and appraisals. They also feel that they work well as a team and can approach managers and senior staff with any ideas or concerns they have. They have access to varied training opportunities, which they say help them to support the young people they care for. However, they have not all had training on autistic spectrum disorders, despite caring for young people with these conditions over the last year. Additionally, not all staff have achieved a level 3 qualification within the time-frame set out in regulations.

p.10

Good

The management team reflects regularly on the progress that young people are making in placement, and care plans are updated to highlight areas of success and progress, along with areas that require further development. If it is considered that a partner agency is not providing the service they should, this is robustly challenged. When it is considered that the home is struggling, or is unable, to meet a young person’s needs, they are proactive in seeking review meetings with the placing authority. When necessary, they consider whether alternative placements would be better able to meet the young person’s needs. The service manager and the registered manager are forming strong relationships with placing authorities, and they are ensuring that they are only providing placements for those young people whose needs they are able to meet. There has been a concern that some pre-placement information does not accurately reflect the needs and behaviours

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Good

that young people actually display, and this is also raised with the placing authorities.

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Good

The home’s manager has strong links with neighbouring properties that also provide care for vulnerable people in the community. They share relevant information to ensure that young people in the home are not at unnecessary risk from others in the immediate community. The location assessment also details the proximity of other care settings and other risks potentially posed in the local community. There have been no complaints raised to the home since the last inspection.

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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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

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

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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