Children's Home run by West Sussex County Council 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 provision is good because:

 Staff show a genuine commitment to ensuring that the respite provision is a positive experience for both children and their families.  Children enjoy their time spent at the service, and there is extremely positive feedback from parents.  The respite service gives children many opportunities to experience activities that they may not otherwise access.  Children develop strong attachments to staff over a period of time. Children and families form trusting and meaningful relationships with the staff.  Careful consideration of placements has led to children forming positive friendships with their peers and making good progress socially.  Staff make sure that children have a voice in making decisions about a range of areas, including food choices and activities.  Children are kept safe. Clear safeguarding procedures and practice ensure good protection. The manager and staff work effectively with external

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The children’s home provision is good because:

agencies to protect children.  The management of the home is efficient and effective.  There are a number of areas that the service needs to address in relation to training, recruitment and monitoring. None of these have any negative impact on the children’s day-to-day experience.

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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 may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24(1)(b)) 30/11/2106

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete in relation to the children’s home a statement of purpose (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in schedule 1 (Regulation 16(1)(17)(b)) 30/11/2106

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32(1) (schedule 2(4))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to providing a full and satisfactory response in respect of all questions asked of a referee. 30/11/2016.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take into account the following recommendations:  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) This relates specifically to providing more detail on the environmental factors and the risk of radicalisation.  The review of quality of care report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months and how those actions will be addressed. The review process should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’,

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Recommendations

page 65, paragraph 15.4) This relates to the reports being more developmental and visionary.

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Information about this children’s home

This section should outline: The home is registered to accommodate five children of either gender, aged between six- and 17-years-old, who have a moderate or severe learning disability. The service mainly provides short-stay respite care. It can also provide full-time care and accommodation in exceptional circumstances. The home is operated by the local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Good 24/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/08/2014 Full Good

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Good

Children are happy and relaxed at the home. They enjoy a safe environment in which they feel valued. Their individual differences are embraced and protected. Children grow in confidence and self-esteem as they develop trusting relationships with staff. The staff know the children and their families well, and can meet the needs of the children. Children confidently express their views and opinions.

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Good

Children enjoy opportunities that they may not otherwise be able to access. The home’s location enables staff to access a wide range of activities very close by. Children enjoy participating in activities with their peers. Activities range from swimming, youth clubs, cinema and visits to the beach. Activities also reflect their creative skills, and many art projects are undertaken. In addition, children are supported to achieve life skills such as sharing, having a washing routine and learning about keeping themselves safe.

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Good

Children are able to influence decision making in the home. Staff know and understand the children well, therefore are able to engage with them using their chosen method of communication. Children make suggestions and choose activities and menus, and are able to have discussions with staff around keeping safe.

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Good

The staff promote the value of education, and work extremely hard to ensure that children attend school and engage with their education. Good links with schools enable staff to communicate easily. Achievements are celebrated. Numerous photographs around the home show children enjoying many different activities. Staff support children to produce a photo album of activities that they have enjoyed and areas that they have made progress in, so they can present them at review meetings.

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Good

Staff promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage children to have a healthy diet. Specialist diets, individual preferences and allergies are competently catered for. Parents are encouraged to be involved with their child’s dietary needs. Staff are aware of the increased vulnerabilities in regard to meeting individual health needs. Intimate care needs are sensitively met, supported by risk assessments and care plans when required. Staff are trained to deliver emergency treatment, if needed.

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Good

Staff work proactively with children’s families to promote and maintain positive relationships. Positive parental feedback included statements such as: ‘We trust Hightrees’ and ‘Being here has made a real difference.’ Judgement grade

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Good

Staff provide warm and friendly care within a safe and nurturing environment. As a result, children respond very positively to staff and develop trusting relationships.

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Good

Safeguarding policies and procedures are clear, and are implemented effectively. Staff are aware of the increased vulnerabilities and risks of the children, and are very capable of keeping them safe. Staff’s knowledge of safeguarding is supported by regular training, including training specific to working with children who have learning disabilities. Although this training is referred to in the home’s statement of purpose, it is not sufficiently detailed. Clear strategies guide staff in providing individualised care and implementing protective measures to reduce the potential for harm. Staff are competent at recognising actual and potential harm or abuse, and make appropriate referrals to the safeguarding agencies. The registered manager consults the local authority designated officer for safeguarding on all concerns.

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Good

Staff are trained in the safe use and delivery of physical intervention. Staff are able to defuse incidents calmly and skilfully before they occur, thus reducing the necessity for physical intervention. Staff help children to refocus their attention. Individual risk assessments and behaviour plans outline the potential behaviours, and the strategies that staff need to apply to manage them. The home’s statement of purpose refers to behaviour management methods, but does not detail how staff’s competency will be assessed. In practice, the registered manager closely monitors the records to assess staff’s competency.

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Good

No child has gone missing from the service. Procedures are in place, should an incident occur. Staffing levels provide close supervision at all times.

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Good

Children do not bully intentionally. Staff are alert to any relationships or actions that may upset a child, and intervene appropriately. Children know whose company they enjoy and freely engage with the peers of their choice, with staff supervision. Well thought out management of respite placements ensures that children feel comfortable with each other.

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Good

Staff have good knowledge of the issues relating to e-safety and child sexual exploitation. Children’s use of the internet is supervised at all times, due to their age and increased vulnerabilities. Staff use one-to-one opportunities to guide children to learn safe use of social media.

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Good

The security of the home is good. Sound monitors are used only at night-time and for health reasons, for example if a child has a history of seizures. If they are used, consent is gained from the child, when appropriate, and the parents. However, although discussed at review meetings, social workers’ written consent is not on individual files.

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Good

Recruitment procedures are, in general, good. However, letters from referees do not consistently show that all individual questions have been answered or followed up via the verification process. This relates specifically to a question about their suitability to work with children. This is just one part of the comprehensive recruitment process, and all other checks are carried out according to regulations.

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Good

Health and safety checks are up to date. Appropriate fire safety measures are routinely applied.

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Good

The registered manager has been in post since July 2012. She has suitable experience, qualifications and skills for the role. She holds a national vocational qualification at levels 3 and 4 in health and social care, and has completed a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare. She receives regular and good-quality supervision, in which development and improvements are discussed.

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Good

The management of the home is efficient and effective. The manager has a clear vision to drive improvement. West Sussex local authority needs to consider how to take short-breaks services forward. While outcomes for children are very good, the environment is not as supportive as it could be regarding continued and future investment. The registered manager has successfully addressed the requirements made at the last inspection. Children can now access a specialist swing in the garden, which they thoroughly enjoy. Radiators have been changed so that they do not pose a risk of burning, and they are now cool to touch. Improvements to the front garden have been made and close monitoring of refuse collections is undertaken. An experienced staff team provides consistency and continuity for children so that they build positive relationships and make good progress. Staff are suitably trained and have relevant experience to care for children with learning difficulties. The

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Good

registered manager regularly reviews the adequacy of staff numbers and has, on occasion, in response to sickness during the summer months, used agency staff. She has ensured that agency staff are regulars and therefore have come to know the children. Staff’s morale is good and they enjoy working at the service. The vast majority of staff have a level 3 qualification or are currently completing the diploma. One member of staff’s completion of a suitable qualification is hindered by long-term sickness. Staff receive very regular supervision, and safeguarding is a priority area for discussion. The registered manager is committed to providing high standards of care, addressing shortfalls and improving outcomes for children. She aims for, and achieves, a service that makes a difference to children’s and parents’ lives. Monthly reports from an independent visitor identify the action points to address shortfalls.

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Good

The manager’s six-monthly report presents a detailed review of the service. It lacks sufficient focus on the areas for development and the manager’s vision for the service. A statement of purpose sets out the ethos, aims and objectives of the home. It needs some revision to include more detail, as expressed in this report. A location risk assessment also requires amendment. There is little reference to the risks associated with either the local environment or radicalisation.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 0300 123 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 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

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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