Children's Home run by Crusoe Care Limited in East Sussex

Good

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

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 The home provides a small and friendly environment. Staff work in a calm and organised manner and as a result, young people settle in quickly and smoothly.  The staff team get to know the young people well and form trusting relationships. The effective support provided enables young people to make good progress in all areas of their lives.  The staff deliver positive messages to the young people so that they can develop self-esteem, confidence and self-belief.  Young people are kept safe from abuse and say that they feel well cared for.  The educational attendance and achievements of the young people are very good.  The registered manager and responsible individual are present at the service daily and have a good oversight of the provision. They know their strengths and weaknesses and are effective in making changes and improvements.  Only those young people for whom the service can meet their needs are

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

offered a placement.  Areas of shortfall relate to recruitment files, refresher training and a need to continually review the home’s statement of purpose. These have not impacted on young people’s progress and well-being.

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

Ensure that full and satisfactory recruitment information is available in relation to matters in Schedule 2, specifically that staff recruitment files are well organised. (Regulation 32 (3)(d)) 30/11/2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered provider must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement of purpose which consists of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1, and submit this to Ofsted each time it is reviewed. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(b)) 30/11/2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development, specifically relating to refresher training for physical interventions, safer recruitment and local area child protection and safeguarding procedures. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 30/12/2016

p.4

Information about this children's home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Accommodation is provided in a single- storey bungalow located in a residential area. The home is privately owned.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/05/2015 Full Good 02/10/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/05/2014 Full Good

p.5

Good

This small home provides a nurturing environment where young people can feel relaxed and well cared for. Young people can express themselves freely and know that they will be supported by the staff team. Young people successfully develop friendships and socialise with their peers. One young person said, ‘I like it here. It’s the best home I have lived in.’ The young people support each other and enjoy celebrating achievements together. Young people enjoy a wide range of activities, enjoying time with staff in the home and participating in clubs in the local community. Young people are involved in a range of activities including football clubs and singing lessons. They enjoy meeting with friends after college time. They gain confidence and can develop their individual interests while at the home. Young people have respect for each other, with one young person making an impressive wooden toy box for another’s

p.6

Good

birthday. The staff encourage the young people to respect the home as they would their own home, now or in their adult life. Young people develop life skills according to their age and capacity. Most young people complete a life skills programme which is subject to regular review. Skills such as independent travelling and budgeting are two successful areas. Educational attendance and achievements are very much a priority at the home. Above average attendance levels have been reached by young people with a previously poor history of school attendance. Staff deliver positive messages to the young people about education and their futures. One young person said, ‘I love school. It’s exciting.’ The same young person was attending an awards evening with a member of staff, arranged by the local authority, for being kind and considerate to others. His achievement was very positively acknowledged by staff who were extremely supportive in preparing him for the event. Staff assist

p.6

Good

educational attendance and build positive relationships with the educational establishments. Young people can express their views and opinions freely. They are able to contribute to the running of the home through key working sessions, known as observational sessions, and group meetings. Mainly, young people express themselves daily to the staff in an informal way. Each young person has a key worker who spends quality time with them, be it in the home or out in the community. Young people thrive at the home. Their physical well-being is actively addressed. A good diet is encouraged and offered. Mealtimes are social occasions. Young people help with shopping and food preparation. All regular health checks are undertaken. If any medication is required there is a system in place to ensure safe administration. Currently, no young people take regular medication. Staff are trained to deliver first aid if required.

p.6

Good

The staff support young people to maintain contact with family and friends where appropriate. Restrictions of contact are clearly recorded and known by staff. Staff also successfully support young people to make and maintain friendships with peers at school and college. Young people’s behaviours are exemplary. The staff educate them about expectations of behaviour and support them through difficult times. The overwhelming calmness of the home and the good placement matching results in very few incidents of challenging behaviour.

p.7

Good

The home provides an environment where young people feel safe and well cared for. Differences in age, gender, culture, sexuality and religions are acknowledged and all young people feel integrated into the daily life of the home. Young people are treated fairly and with dignity and experience no form of discrimination. Young people are confident in approaching staff if they are worried or wish to talk. There is no bullying at the home and the current young people have much respect for each other, despite the age gap. Effective health and safety measures ensure that young people live in a safe environment. A review is being undertaken of all health and safety policies and procedures. An external company is carrying out this work and the registered manager is awaiting final feedback. Regular health and safety checks are made by staff, including fire safety checks. Young people take part in fire drills so that they

p.7

Good

know what to do in the event of a fire. Staff assess a wide range of risks, from environmental risks to the risk of child sexual exploitation and internet use. Staff use these risk assessments to inform practice. Risk assessments are brief in content but given the low level of risks associated with the current young people, the information and format is suitable for staff to deliver safe practices and advice. Recruitment checks are undertaken to guidance. Despite checks being carried out, individual records are not well organised. Although senior leaders understand and apply safe recruitment procedures they need to complete a refresher course in safer recruitment to ensure that they are up to date with recruitment law. Individual behaviours of the young people are regularly discussed at staff meetings and daily handovers. Staff also discuss young people’s behaviours at their supervision sessions. Current behaviours are exemplary with no physical

p.7

Good

interventions required, one sanction applied and one minor incident of a young person going missing since the last inspection. Staff are clear about safe and acceptable behaviours and gain a good understanding of individual triggers, which are currently minimal. Policies and procedures are in place should any incident occur. The staff are suitably trained to physically intervene. However, some staff require refresher courses in the very near future. The referral procedures result in very appropriate placement matching. The senior leaders carefully scrutinise referrals and have a good knowledge of the needs that they can and cannot meet. The effectiveness of this approach can be seen in the progress that the young people continue to make. The staff are well informed about child protection and safeguarding concerns. Staff know the whistleblowing procedures. The staff and registered manager have completed child protection and safeguarding training. However, the registered

p.7

Good

manager needs to undertake a refresher course in the near future. One complaint has been received since the last inspection, from a neighbour regarding footballs going over into their garden. This was positively resolved by the registered manager.

p.8

Good

The registered manager has suitable qualifications and experience to fulfil his role. He is also the registered manager for a second home in the company, located a few minutes from this home. Each home accommodates two young people. Access to both homes is easy and he is visible in both homes daily. The responsible individual is also very active in both homes and young people know both the manager and responsible individual well. The registered manager continues to develop working relationships with local authorities and networking groups. The home benefits from having a stable staff team, all male apart from one female member of staff. The registered manager is aware of the need to employ more female staff, when vacancies arise, to achieve a better balance of gender. The majority of staff members have level 3 qualifications in caring for children. Other staff members are completing courses or are due to commence courses once they

p.8

Good

have completed their probationary period. Staff receive regular supervision that includes discussion about the young people and safeguarding areas. The experienced staff team provides consistency and continuity for young people so that they can build positive relationships and make good progress. Staff enjoy working at the home. Strong and effective relationships exist between the young people and staff. Staff work collaboratively to ensure that individual young people’s needs are met. Communication between shifts is effective. The day-to-day life in the home is organised and efficient. The home’s statement of purpose needs updating, previously being updated in 2015. Changes as a result of the health and safety review need to be included into the statement of purpose and also into the home’s development plan for the future. Systems are in place for the monitoring of the home that enable the registered

p.8

Good

manager and responsible individual to develop and improve the quality of care. The registered manager is committed to providing good standards of care, addressing shortfalls and improving outcomes for young people. He aims for, and achieves, a service that makes a difference to young people’s lives. Monthly reports from an independent visitor identify action points to address shortfalls. The manager’s six- monthly report presents a satisfactory review of the service. A location risk assessment was being reviewed at the time of inspection.

p.9

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.10

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.11

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.11

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.12

Information about this inspection

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

p.12

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.12

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.12