Children's home run by West Sussex County Council

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:

 It makes a positive difference to children’s and their families’ lives.  The home provides an effective service that helps, protects and supports children and their families.  Children are at the centre of all practice. Their views, wishes and feelings are effectively responded to. Children clearly have a voice in the home.  There are excellent relationships between the staff and children in their care. Children have fun and enjoy activities, some of which they may not otherwise be able to participate in.  Children make friends at the service. They say that they feel safe and that they like the staff team.  Communication between the service, school and families is good. The staff support children and their families to successfully engage in education.  The staff are trained and skilled to meet the complex needs of children. They practise a range of communication methods which are best suited to

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The children's home provision is good because:

each individual child.  The registered manager is experienced and skilled at motivating her staff team. She ensures that the service continually develops to meet the changing needs of children and their families.  Areas that have been highlighted for action are: improved recordings of medication fridge temperatures; follow up to fire drill practices; updating the location risk assessment to include the risk of radicalisation; and ensuring that all action points for the last environmental health inspection have been completed. None of these have a significant impact on the children’s safety.

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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 make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) Specifically, check twice a day the temperature of the fridge used to store medicines, as stated in the home’s protocol, to ensure that it is of the correct temperature. 30/11/2106

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d)) Specifically, following fire drills record and follow up any matters that require further action. 30/11/2106

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take into account of the following recommendations:

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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 the risk of radicalisation. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.). (`Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards`, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This relates to ensuring that all actions resulting from the last environmental health inspection in 2015 have been completed.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to accommodate 15 children of mixed gender, aged between five and 18 years old, who have a learning disability. This is a local-authority home that provides short-stay and full-time accommodation. In addition, there is an individual unit providing a bespoke environment to meet exceptionally complex needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/07/2015 Full Good 16/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/09/2014 Full Good

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Good

Children enjoy the time they spend at the home and make very good progress. They experience a stable and safe environment whether staying full time or receiving support from the short-breaks service. Staff ensure that children are not disadvantaged or socially isolated. Their differences are embraced and celebrated, and children feel free to express their individuality without fear or judgement.

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Good

The home’s location enables staff to access a wide range of activities close by. Children are able to access and participate in activities, and, through the experiences, they learn to share and socialise. Children are able to choose activities in the home and in the wider community. They can do this individually or alongside their peers. For example, some children enjoy attending a local youth club and socialising with their peers while others enjoy a walk in a local park. In addition, children are supported to achieve life skills such as sharing, negotiating and looking after each other.

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Good

Children grow in confidence and self-esteem as a result of developing trusting relationships with staff. The staff get to know the children and offer a great deal of support to families. One parent said, `I don’t know what I would do without the staff. They were there to support me when I needed them.’ Relationships built between staff and children are sensitive and caring.

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Good

All children’s achievements are celebrated, with numerous photographs around the home capturing the children having fun. Parents receive a monthly newsletter in which individual achievements are noted. Staff support children to produce a photo album of activities they have enjoyed and areas in which they have made progress, which they can present at review meetings and share with their families. Children take much care with these albums and are proud of their achievements.

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Good

Children are able to influence decision-making in the home. Staff know and understand the children well and are able to engage with them using their chosen method of communication. Children make suggestions and choices for activities and menus. They have discussions with staff about keeping safe, including keeping safe when using social media.

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Good

The staff promote the value of education and successfully support children’s educational placements. There are good links and communication with educational establishments.

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Good

Children make very good progress with all aspects of their health, for example losing weight so that they can participate in more outdoor activities. Staff promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage children to have a healthy diet. The quality, variety and nutritional value of the food provided is excellent. Specialist diets, individual preferences and allergies are competently catered for. Intimate care needs are sensitively met, supported by risk assessments and care plans to guide staff. Staff are trained to deliver emergency treatment if needed.

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Good

This local authority’s homes have recently undergone a review of their medication administration procedures. Actions identified are being addressed across all the services. In general, medication administration practice is safe. However, staff do not consistently record the medication fridge temperature as often as their protocol states.

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Good

All children are placed from within the local authority in which the home is located. Careful consideration is given to referrals and moving in. Moving on to adult provisions is discussed at an early stage to ensure that parents and children have a positive experience. Many successful moves have taken place since the last inspection.

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Good

Children were able to tell or say, through hand signs and use of pictures, that they feel very safe in the home. Individual risk assessments inform staff how to keep children as safe as possible. Staff are fully aware of group dynamics and respond to potential incidents quickly through constructively refocusing children. Children live in a calm environment, although during the inspection, for some children there was much excitement around celebrating Halloween. Lots of fun and laughter was seen and heard during the two-day inspection, with singing, dressing up and cheeky banter with staff when playing football and basketball. The children were having a great time.

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Good

Positive behaviour is promoted to a high standard. Individual behaviour- management plans are thorough and ensure that children are safely managed. The plans inform staff of potential triggers and of specific strategies to be used. No incidents of children going missing have occurred. A procedure is in place should such an incident occur.

p.7

Good

Children do not bully with intent. Staff are aware of any relationships or actions that may upset a child and respond quickly. Children learn appropriate social and personal boundaries, and this enables them to mix with their peers and adults safely. Staff have a good knowledge around e-safety and child sexual exploitation. They have received the necessary training in these areas. Children are supported to use social media and electronic devices safely.

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Good

Staff are trained to physically intervene. Restraint is only used in accordance with the regulations. All physical interventions are recorded and overseen by the registered manager. The vast majority of interventions are very low-level, short- duration physical contacts.

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Good

Children are kept safe by a staff team that demonstrates a good knowledge of safeguarding practice. Staff are aware of the increased vulnerabilities that the children have. The staff work in accordance with the local safeguarding authority’s child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures. This is supported by the home’s own procedures. Staff access safeguarding professionals for advice and make appropriate referrals. Allegations or suspicions of harm are managed very well. A comprehensive complaints procedure is available and shared with children, staff, parents and professionals. In practice, no complaints have been received, only numerous compliments.

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Good

The registered manager oversees all child protection and safeguarding matters. Two senior members of staff support her. They have all received training from the Local Safeguarding Children Board. In this setting, the ‘signs of safety’ model used enables staff to highlight what is working and not working well and what needs to change.

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Good

Protection is enhanced by the comprehensive recruitment procedures in place. This ensures, as far as possible, that all adults are safe to work with children.

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Good

Overall, children are protected and safe at this service. One area that continues to be a concern is the maintenance provision. Recent changes to senior leaders and managers have resulted in a more focused approach to rectifying the concerns. Areas referred to do not have any direct impact on the day-to-day lives of children. However, this must continue to be a priority area to address and rectify.

p.8

Good

The service is hindered by the poor maintenance provision provided by the local authority. This was mentioned in the last full inspection, undertaken in 2015. However, response times to maintenance requests continue to be lengthy. Senior managers are aware of this shortfall and are currently addressing it as a priority.

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Good

One action highlighted in the home’s most recent environmental health visit, in 2015, still has not been fully completed. Although not putting anyone at risk it is more evidence of a poor response by the local authority. The new service manager confirmed that this was also being addressed as a priority.

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Good

Health and safety checks are carried out to ensure that the home is safe to operate.

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Good

Children experience fire evacuation drills and either know what to do or would be supported by staff if a fire occurred. The recording of fire evacuation drills needs to include clearly recorded information of any actions required and undertaken as a result of a fire drill.

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Good

This is a home managed by an experienced and highly competent registered manager. She is effective at communicating high expectations to staff and has developed a track record of sustaining improvement. She has been the registered manager for this service since 1991. She is due to complete the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare in November 2016. She has an active role in the local authority and has been influential in introducing a youth- participation debating forum. This increases children’s involvement in the decision- making affecting their lives, and positive outcomes for children have been gained as a result of this.

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Good

There are sufficient staff members to care for and meet the needs of the children. Staff receive training which meets regulatory requirements. All staff have the NVQ level 3 in children’s social care, or they are currently completing it, or are due to commence (exclusively those in their probationary periods). Recent recruitment of staff has ensured that there is no current need for agency staff. Staff morale is good. Staff are supported through regular individual supervision and debriefs on specific incidents. They describe supervision as very helpful. Staff say that they can freely raise issues with their supervisors, knowing that they will listen and take action.

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Good

Referral and placement-matching processes work well and ensure that essential information is provided before a referral is accepted. Careful consideration is given to matching so that children can make friends and enjoy shared activities.

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Good

The registered manager ensures that the internal monitoring systems are robust. She is organised and efficient in scrutinising records and practice to make sure that staff are operating to a high standard and that the needs of children are being met. Observations by an independent visitor are good. Reports are sent at the required frequency to Ofsted and demonstrate robust monitoring and challenge to practice where necessary.

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Good

The local authority website contains out-of-date statements of purposes for all its children’s services. A senior leader confirmed that this had been identified and was being rectified. The home has an up-to-date statement of purpose that is a true reflection of the service. The home’s location review provides information about the risks in the immediate area, and in general is of a good standard. However, it does not contain information regarding the risk of radicalisation.

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Good

Two service managers are working on an improvement plan for the year 2016 to 2017. Shortfalls identified in this report have been identified and are being actively addressed.

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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 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 that 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

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

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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