Children's Home run by Crusoe Care Limited 06843979 in East 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:

 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 members 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.  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 consistently very good. Engagement with other professionals is encouraged and supported.  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.  The home is well presented, clean and homely. It is a place of calm. The young people respect the environment that they live in.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff work hard to support the young people so that they can develop self- confidence and self-belief. Staff support young people to join activity clubs in the local community and socialise with peers.  Areas of shortfall relate to refresher training for staff in physical interventions (none has been undertaken since registration in 2015) and a need to continually review the home’s statement of purpose once the current health and safety review has been completed. Also, further development of the home’s location risk assessments and six-monthly monitoring reports. Young people have freedom to express their views and opinions. However, this needs to be evidenced more. These shortfalls have not impacted on young people’s progress and well-being.

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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

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)) 30/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development, specifically relating to refresher training for physical interventions. (Regulation 33 (4) (a)) 30/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take into account of 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 more detail of the environmental factors and risk of radicalisation and the local crime risks.  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 including the quality standards’,

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Recommendations

page 65, paragraph 15.4.) This relates to the reports being more developmental and visionary.  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Accommodation is provided in a semi-detached residential house. It is owned by a private company that has one other small children’s home, located very close by.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/11/2015 Full Good

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Good

Good referral and placement matching ensures that young people settle in quickly and soon make progress in many areas of their lives. This is a small home providing a nurturing environment where young people can feel relaxed and well cared for. Young people feel supported by staff and as a result, can express themselves freely and without fear. One young person said, ‘I like going fishing with the staff and they are easy to talk to.’ Staff encourage young people to participate in and enjoy a wide range of activities. Participation in for example football clubs enables young people to feel part of the local community. Young people gain confidence and can develop their individual interests while at the home, which includes meeting friends that they have made at school or college outside the academic day. Staff encourage the young people to socialise together in the home but are also aware of individual emotional maturity

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Good

and individual interests. Mealtimes provide a good opportunity for the young people to come together. 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 learned can include independent travelling and budgeting. 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. Staff also assist educational attendance and build positive relationships with the educational establishments by for example attending parent/carer evenings. Young people can express their views and opinions freely. They are able to

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Good

contribute to the running of the home through key working sessions, known as observational sessions, and group meetings. Group meetings prove difficult in this small home due to the small number of young people and their daily programmes. 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. The staff need to continue looking at ways to evidence young people’s voice in expressing their views and opinions. Young people thrive at the home. Their physical well-being is actively addressed. A good diet is encouraged and offered, and 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. There are

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Good

sufficient numbers of staff to deliver first aid if required. The staff support young people to maintain contact with family and friends where appropriate. Restrictions on contact are clearly recorded and known by staff. Young people’s behaviour is very good. The staff educate them about expectations of behaviour and support them through difficult times. This can be by ensuring that they attend youth offending service and counselling appointments. The overwhelming calmness of the home and the good placement matching results in very few incidents of challenging behaviour.

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Good

The young people feel safe, well cared for and enjoy living at the home. Young people with a history of poor placement experience have maintained placements here for longer than anywhere else. 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. Differences in age, gender, culture, sexuality and religions are acknowledged and all young people feel integrated into the daily life of the home and local community. 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 as staff monitor relationships closely and are able to manage behaviours before they become a

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Good

concern. Staff are well informed about safeguarding and child protection matters. They are able to identify abuse, harm and other concerns and refer to the most appropriate external safeguarding agency. The service’s policy works in accordance with the local safeguarding and child protection procedures. Contact has been made with the designated officer although no referrals have been required. Staff know the whistleblowing procedures. No complaints have been received since the last inspection, although procedures are in place if they do receive a complaint. Staff assess a wide range of risks, from environmental to the risks associated with internet use. Current risk assessments do not routinely cover child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. However, this was being addressed at the time of inspection. Staff use the risk assessments to inform practice. Risk assessments are brief in content but given the low level of risks associated with the current young

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Good

people the information and format is suitable. Recruitment checks are undertaken in line with guidance. Despite checks being carried out, individual records are not well organised. This was highlighted at a recent inspection of the company’s other children’s home and the registered manager is currently taking action to rectify this. 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 know what to do in the event of a fire. Individual behaviours of the young people are regularly discussed at staff meetings and daily handovers. Staff also discuss young people’s behaviours at their

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Good

supervision sessions. Current behaviour is very good with no physical interventions required, no sanctions applied and only one minor incident of a young person being late back to the home since the last inspection. Staff are clear about safe and acceptable behaviours and gain a good understanding of individual triggers. 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.

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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 have level 3 qualifications in caring for children and others are completing or due to commence courses once they have completed their

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Good

probationary period. Staff receive regular supervision that includes discussion about the young people and safeguarding issues. 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 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 as a result of the health and safety review currently being undertaken. Systems are in place for the monitoring of the home that enables the registered manager and responsible individual to develop and improve the quality of care. The registered manager is committed to providing good standards of care, addressing

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Good

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 although it could be developed further to contain more detail of future developments and future vision for the service. A location risk assessment was being reviewed at the time of inspection. This needs to include more detail regarding the local area’s crime rates and any risk of 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’.

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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 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

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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 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

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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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