Children's home run by Southern Adolescent Care Services Ltd in Crawley

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people have extremely positive experiences because of the thoughtful and carefully planned care and support they receive from staff. They like living at the home and feel that it helps them to progress. A decrease in their difficult behaviours within a short time from coming to live here is an example of this success.  Safeguarding is integral to all aspects of care. Staff and managers work well with safeguarding agencies, supporting them to address serious welfare concerns in the community. Staff have good knowledge of safeguarding and take immediate and effective action to protect young people from risky situations and behaviours.  Staff get to know young people quickly and continue to learn about their needs, strengths and aspirations throughout the time young people live at the home. Staff act swiftly to engage the support of outside agencies when required.  Leaders and managers create an effective team who work well together and

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

focus on young people’s needs. All those working at the service are empathetic and create a nurturing, protective environment which enables young people to flourish.  Staff development, training, progression and support are prioritised and all opportunities are used to help staff learn and develop effective practice. This mirrors their expectations for young people and results in a resilient team which knows how to look after young people and help them to progress from their starting points.  Relationships with partner agencies, such as the police and local authorities, and young people’s families are effective in supporting the young person.  The manager’s cycle of monitoring, review and development is well established and helps to improve the care provided.  Detailed analysis and evaluation is lacking in some areas of monitoring; for example, there is a lack of analysis when young people go missing. A

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Information about this children's home

The children’s home is one of three operated by the same private provider. It can accommodate five young people on a planned or emergency basis. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The provider has education and therapy services to support young people’s needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/07/15 Full Requires improvement 22/01/16 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 The registered persons should ensure that their six-monthly review of care (Regulation 45 reports) consists of appropriate levels of data as part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.04)

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Outstanding

Young people have exceptional experiences and make excellent progress. They quickly develop strong, positive attachments to staff which help them to settle well, rapidly decrease difficult behaviours and learn positive daily routines, where previously these did not exist.

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Outstanding

Young people say they like living at the home. Those who move on continue to make contact even when they have left because of serious concerns about their well-being and incidents of aggression. Many practitioners are positive about the care provided; as one said, ‘(name of child) has been here for two weeks and I cannot express how much they have changed. I am absolutely chuffed. Thank you.’

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Outstanding

Young people are nurtured by staff, who continually act in ways which help them to develop a sense of safety and permanence. Staff constantly add to their knowledge and understanding of young people through their interactions and observations of them. They demonstrate curiosity about information regarding, for example, the young people’s past experiences, likes, dislikes and fears. Staff adapt the environment to fit the young people. For example, the young people who recently moved in are quickly developing the space to make it their own by changing the lounge decor to their tastes and adding new types of games. They have ample opportunities to engage with staff on a one-to-one basis. Staff use this time to talk to young people about difficult things such as anger management and how to keep themselves safe. Staff go the extra mile to ensure that they are there for young people. For example, they went to collect young people in the middle of

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Outstanding

the night from hospital when they were discharged unexpectedly.

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Outstanding

Staff have excellent knowledge of health issues and medication management, which improves young people’s health and overall development. They advocate with and on behalf of young people to ensure that their health needs are met appropriately.

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Outstanding

Staff identify how previous neglect and abuse have resulted in gaps in young people’s development and experiences and consider what activities and care will support them in progressing well. For example, where sharing was difficult for young people, changes to routine and the purchasing of items and games which entail turn taking have been used to good effect. The home’s psychology services provide young people with individual and weekly group sessions of art and drama therapy that support young people’s progress and which they appreciate and value.

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Outstanding

Wherever possible young people attend mainstream schools and continue in previous educational placements where appropriate. Where they do not, the provider’s educational service assesses young people’s educational needs so that they are able to do so as soon as possible. The education service also liaises with schools to support placement success and coordinate the educational support that the home will provide. Young people learn through their daily routines, such as using money when out shopping and playing board and card games and helping to cook food. This promotes an environment in which young people’s education is valued, high aspirations are encouraged and they are helped to achieve.

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Outstanding

Young people’s activities reflect their personal interests and needs, such as horse riding, baseball, golf and dog walking. They are encouraged to try new activities, deepen those they already like and develop independence skills in line with their previous life experiences and ages. They are quickly engaged in these to help them to become part of the local community.

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Outstanding

Staff provide well-organised support for young people to spend time with their families. This has helped to reduce the potential for young people to go missing and enables them to settle more effectively. It provides opportunities to positively strengthen young people’s relationships with their families; for example, by helping parents to understand, and manage, their child’s behaviours better.

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Outstanding

Young people are extremely well supported when they move into the home and when they move on. This makes it is as positive an experience as possible and the young people adjust and settle well. One young person’s social worker confirmed that the young person had been supported very well, especially as this young person had not been in care before.

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Outstanding

Young people say they feel safe at the home and show a rapid reduction in their difficult behaviours. They are not unnecessarily criminalised, but are held to account for their actions in other ways, such as their making reparation for damages.

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Outstanding

Strong protective and effective relationships between staff and safeguarding agencies reduce the risk to young people. The designated officer complimented the actions of staff to protect the young people, their ability to make appropriate referrals and their working relationship with her team. She praised how staff managed highly aggressive incidents.

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Outstanding

Good behaviour is consistently and constantly promoted by staff who create space for young people to act appropriately. They reaffirm their expectations of the young people and tell them when they do something well. They look beneath the surface of behaviours to find the reasons why these occur. Where a young person uses negative behaviour to express their feelings, staff help them to dissipate the level of emotion by taking them for walks, which additionally provide space for discussion.

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Outstanding

Young people are protected from harm by knowledgeable staff who are resilient and determined to protect them, even in difficult circumstances. For example, staff highlighted concerns about local gangs, which led to a large police investigation into potential child sexual exploitation in the area. In another instance staff continued to follow young people and managed to disrupt their contact with unsuitable adults.

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Outstanding

Staff thoroughly consider how young people’s behaviours develop and alter, and in what way this affects their risks and those of the group. Detailed and comprehensive risk assessments are regularly updated. Staff use these effectively to reduce and review risks taking account of an individual’s needs, strengths and circumstances.

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Outstanding

Staff have excellent skills in using the agreed restraint system and know when to put this into use effectively. Reflections on the use of restraint are outstanding. Staff unpick why particular restraints are used, whether different actions would be more suitable and if de-escalation prior to the restraint would have been more effective. In one instance a restraint did not follow the agreed procedures because of the extreme dangers to the young person. Documentation regarding this restraint was extremely detailed and thoughtful. It enabled the deputy manager to be confident that their actions protected the young person. It has been used as an example in training programmes to help others understand what can happen and the importance of keeping young people safe.

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Outstanding

Staff consistently act on health and safety concerns, ensuring that the house is appropriately maintained and in good order. For example, fire door repairs following an incident were identified and repaired within two days. Recruitment procedures are robust, ensuring that staff are suitably vetted before commencing work. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and very experienced. Her strong partnership with the deputy manager means the home is led and managed extremely well. Both are clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the service and implement plans to improve any deficits. The statement of purpose, although accurate, is under review to ensure that it more clearly reflects the particular nature of this home.

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Outstanding

The needs of new young people are carefully considered alongside the needs of the young people already living at the home. Managers go to meet the young person before they arrive. These visits explore the young person’s views of their needs and what they want to achieve while living at the home. Staff are also asked whether they think young people’s needs would be compatible and if they can meet the proposed young person’s needs effectively. This promotes stability and permanence for young people and supports group congruity. It assists staff to prepare well for the challenges of another child coming to live here.

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Outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example and motivate staff to focus unstintingly on young people’s needs and care, and think creatively and reflect on what kinds of care best supports each child. This results in a highly motivated team who want to work well together and who want the best for young people.

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Outstanding

Records clearly evidence how young people’s needs change and grow, allowing young people and others to clearly understand the progress they make. Staff consistently discuss with young people how an issue could be managed better.

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Outstanding

Staff understand the importance of a balance between trusting their colleagues and challenging their practice. The team dealt with challenges last summer which left them exhausted and questioning their skills. They have regained their confidence and learned from the experience through reflection and strong leadership and support. They are willing to learn from each other, reflect on their own practice and challenge each other’s practice when necessary. One member of staff described a strength as ‘the unity of the staff team to get through adversity’.

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Outstanding

Staff receive regular, high-quality supervision. Additional support is provided through debriefs following difficult or challenging incidents. Appraisal processes are well established, and support, challenge and develop staff effectively. Training is excellent and a real strength of the service. Leaders and managers recognise individual staff members’ needs and also support their developmental aspirations. Some members of staff are undertaking Master’s degrees and others clinical qualifications in psychology. The training is so well considered that an outside agency has asked to attend one of the home’s courses to support its staff’s knowledge and development.

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Outstanding

Two out of seven members of staff have obtained the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) but these low numbers are due to several changes in the staff team in recent months. All other staff members are currently being inducted. While there have been significant staff changes, this has not affected the quality of the care provided and newly appointed staff show a good level of knowledge, competence and skill.

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Outstanding

Relationships with external partners and families are first rate. Staff communicate effectively and can talk about difficult issues affecting the young people with families as well as social workers and health professionals. This open and honest dialogue supports young people to progress well.

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Outstanding

Monitoring arrangements are well organised and effective. Six-monthly Regulation 45 monitoring reports are completed on time by the registered manager and provide a lot of detail. However, the report contains little data and analysis to support the conclusions reached. Monthly Regulation 44 reports from the home’s independent visitor provide a detailed analysis and the recommendations made are always met. In addition, the management team analyses trends and patterns of issues on a monthly basis. This is used to inform the Regulation 44 report and quickly addresses concerns and celebrates successes.

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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 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 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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