Children's home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in Mid Sussex

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC426530 1 SC426530

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The service can accommodate up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Young people can access the on-site school. The home is one of eight children’s homes operated by the private company.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken to investigate information received which suggested there may be a breach of regulations. The information received, via notifications, concerned the young people’s well-being and safety. The visit was carried out over one day by two inspectors.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Pre-visit planning found the organisation’s website to contain highly sensitive information about the young people accommodated across all of the organisation’s homes. Once this was brought to the attention of the organisation, the documents were removed the same day. However, this questioned the service’s understanding of safeguarding across all levels of management. The publication of this sensitive information relating to young people on the provider’s website failed to ensure children’s privacy was respected.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The registered manager was not available during this visit. The responsible individual, although invited, did not attend. The operations manager, service manager and the two deputy managers were present.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Progress against the three requirements made at the last inspection was considered. Satisfactory progress has been made in all areas. This is in relation to the staff maintaining regular contact with each young person’s education provider; an on- going review of monitoring systems in relation to quality assurance reports; and that all medicines coming into the home are recorded in full.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Recent and serious safeguarding notifications related to management of specific Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC426530 2 health issues, management of challenging behaviours such as aggression and violence, and management of actual and potential child sexual exploitation. In addition, placement-matching criteria were scrutinised.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit found the home to be much more settled than it has been. There has been a reduction in aggressive and violent behaviours, and in missing incidents in which young people had put themselves at high risk of sexual exploitation. Education attendance for one young person has improved significantly, and staff are liaising with all education and placing professionals to engage other young people into education. For young people who have been non-school attenders for many years pre-placement, this is proving a challenging task.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Incidents of young people being missing have decreased in recent weeks as the young people learn to trust the staff team and listen to the advice and support given. The staff work with the information provided in risk assessments for those young people who place themselves at high risk when they go missing. However, there is a lack of clarity in the instructions for staff to follow that could cause confusion of practice. Close links with the police allow for a quick notification if any young people do go missing.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Management of health issues is satisfactory and the staff manage health emergencies well. However, there are no specific emergency protocols in place regarding how to manage one young person’s ongoing health condition. Staff rely on risk assessments rather than a separate protocol for dealing with health emergencies. Young people are, whenever possible, encouraged to self-medicate. There is a lack of protocol for staff to follow when overseeing this to ensure consistency of monitoring methods.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Young people have a voice, and clearly feel free to say what they feel. As a result, individual wishes for future placements are acted on with positive outcomes for the young person. However, recording and seeking young people’s views is not always proactive. Current practice, in which views and feelings are not always discussed or known to the registered manager, could prevent young people from making concerns known. This includes how the young people feel about the management of the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Placement-matching was found to be undertaken as part of a well-organised process. Risk assessments are completed at the referral stage. However, they do not take into account the risk a new young person may have on the currently placed young people. The young people currently accommodated at the home do not spend time together by their own choice. The impact of violent behaviours exhibited by one young person has had a negative impact on another young person. A recent improvement in this behaviour has led to a reduction in the second young person’s concerns.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The staffing levels in the home are satisfactory. The vast majority of shifts are worked by the home’s permanent staff team. Recent staff changes have included a Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC426530 3 waking night member of staff in addition to three sleeping staff members. This is in order to manage one young person’s needs at night. On occasions, when personal emergencies arise for staff, support is sought from other homes run by the provider and from agency staff. Staff receive suitable training opportunities, including promoting positive mental health, understanding child sexual exploitation and managing health conditions.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/11/2016 Full Good 07/09/2016 Full Inadequate 27/01/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC426530 4

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure that: (1) (a) children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments include actual and potential risk to the already placed young people when a referral is being considered. 23/06/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

1. The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2) (iii) help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure all views, wishes and feelings about the management of the home are recorded and discussed with the young people. 23/06/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that: Children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure all content on the organisation’s website does not contain sensitive and personal information about the young people placed at the home. 23/06/2017 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC426530 5

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure administration of emergency medication is supported by clear protocols for staff to follow that have been medically approved. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  Ensure young people who wish to keep or take their own medication are supported to do so safely. In particular, provide clear protocols for staff to follow when monitoring the young person’s compliance. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.16)  Ensure risk assessments clearly specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission and how staff should support the child on return to the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.29)

p.5

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC426530 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

p.6

Inspectors

Liz Driver, social care inspector Ruth Coler, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC426530 7 to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7