Children's home run by ARC Adventure (Sussex) Ltd in Sutton

Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 1 SC362972 Registered provider: ARC Adventure (Sussex) Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private organisation. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The organisation also owns another children’s home in the area.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 2 February 2017

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

A compliance notice in relation to Regulation 11 was issued as a result of the monitoring visit undertaken on 4 April 2017.

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Key findings from this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 2 This children’s home is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s emotional and/or psychological well-being is not being met. Staff have not supported a young person following significant incidents and allegations. When young people show signs of distress, staff are ill equipped to interpret the behaviour or manage it effectively.  Young people’s in-house care plans, while much more individualised, do not contain all the vital information contained in pre-placement records from the placing authority. The omission of key information, for example regarding self- injurious behaviour, means staff are ill prepared to support individual young people if or when they display such behaviour.  Young people have not been effectively supported to understand what a positive relationship is. For example, there has been no support or guidance to a young person who had previously been groomed by a member of staff. Staff are not supervising young people adequately. This ongoing issue has improved;

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Key findings from this inspection

however, a serious incident between two young people still occurred when unsupervised during a staff handover.  Staff have been poor at recognising signs and signals that a young person may be at risk of harm. They do not link information, comments and behaviour effectively.  Staff lack skills in responding to disclosures, including asking leading questions.  No permanent staff in the home hold a first aid qualification, aside from the operations manager. Additionally, other mandatory training is outdated for the majority of the staff team, including safeguarding, fire awareness and food hygiene.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are now working more cohesively and the team is gaining more confidence in its abilities to support the young people it cares for. Responses to negative or unwanted behaviour are more measured. Sanctions are increasingly fair and proportionate, with a restorative focus on young people learning from their behaviour or mistakes.  The operations manager for the organisation has worked hard to make immediate changes in the home, in order to support and empower the staff team and provide leadership. She has identified the key areas that require addressing and has produced, and is working through, an action plan in line with the requirements set at the previous inspection and monitoring visit.  Young people are positive about the home and their relationships with staff. They all identify someone they would go to if they were worried or upset, or just wanted to chat and spend time with them.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/07/2016 Full Good 19/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/07/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 4

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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.

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Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met. In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)) In particular, staff must seek copies of all pre-placement documents for a child looked after and follow up if the minutes of a statutory review are not available. In addition, staff must seek the required input from other professionals deemed

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Requirement Due date

necessary to meet the young person’s needs, and challenge when this is not forthcoming. 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

10: The health and well-being standard The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. The registered person must ensure that staff understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being; that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(ii)(iv)(b)c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must learn to recognise how young people 30/06/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 5 may be feeling and the underlying reasons for this, in addition to seeking professional psychiatric and psychological support as stated in their plans. 11: The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard the the registered person must ensure— that staff meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated

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Requirement Due date

through behaviour, and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)(ix)) 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 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. The registered person to ensure that staff— have the skills to identify and act on signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii) (b)(e)) In particular, staff must recognise when a child is at risk of

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Requirement Due date

harm, through connecting behaviour and comments they may make; respond appropriately should a child make a disclosure or allegation; supervise young people appropriately in the home; and ensure that the child protection policy is effective and in line with current regulations and guidance. 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must keep 30/06/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 6 the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. The registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(5)) The registered person must ensure that, at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31(2)(a)) 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. They must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) In particular, ensure that applicants provide a full employment history, including satisfactory explanation for any gaps in their employment. 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) In particular, the registered person must train staff in understanding the needs of those they are caring for, in addition to mandatory training, including, but not exclusively, safeguarding – including radicalisation, self-injury and child sexual exploitation, food hygiene and fire safety. 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 34(4)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)) In particular, ensure that the missing from care policy is written as implemented in the practice undertaken in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b)) In particular, providing clarity on any extenuating circumstances 30/06/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 7 to which the police may be called to the home. The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, and such case records are kept up to date. Case records must be kept for 75 years from the child’s date of birth and in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(2)(b)(d)) 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e)) 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1)(2)) 30/06/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children who are not in education or are on part-time timetables are engaged in suitable structured activities to support their engagement in and return to full-time education. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 28 paragraph 5.15)  Searches of children’s bedrooms should follow the home’s policies and procedures. A full written record of the items removed should be made, with reasons for removing the items, while recognising a child’s right to privacy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  Develop in-house care plans to reflect children and young people’s views and ideas and their culture and identity beyond their nationality or faith. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  Staff involved in recruitment must have a sound understanding of safer

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Recommendations

recruitment practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 61 paragraph 13.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 8 Young people have some very strong and positive relationships with staff, and are clearly comfortable in their company. Staff are demonstrably interested in young people, asking them how they are feeling and how their day has been when they return from school or an activity. Meal times are a shared and a positive experience, with all young people and staff engaging around the dining table. Young people’s views are actively sought through house meetings and general discussion. However, key work sessions are not utilised to their fullest, focusing on generic subjects or individuals’ challenging behaviour, rather than being used as a tool to gain views on the issues directly affecting young people which might support them emotionally. Staff have only limited skill in promoting young people’s emotional well- being through positive discussion and understanding of how they may be feeling and the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

reasons for this. When deemed necessary, young people have access to independent visitors and advocates. Young people know how to complain, although there have not been any complaints since the last inspection. Supporting young people to attend and remain in education is identified as a strength by one placing authority. Two young people in the home attend full-time education, including work experience, college and school-based study. Staff in the home liaise regularly with school staff, and facilitate transport, often over long distances. They support young people at college, which gives the young people an immediate point of contact should they be struggling with work or the environment. One young person has a tutor for two hours per day, but no other formal structure or timetable. There was also no structured learning or educational activity made available when a young person was temporarily excluded from school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people are able to access a range of activities at home and in the community, including darts, football and arts and crafts. Young people may lose paid activities as part of a sanction for negative behaviour. In these circumstances, they access free activities, such as a recent trip to a local castle. Young people have access to place of worship, although none currently wish to attend any religious observance. Young people are well supported to understand healthy lifestyles and what this means for them. They are encouraged to engage in physical activities and learn to make balanced meals. However, staff have not provided young people with support following significant incidents and allegations. Staff do not have sufficient guidance on how to respond when young people are showing specific signs of distress, such as self-injurious behaviour. The staff team is not proactive in seeking emotional support for young people

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

and there is a reliance on social workers to find services. The home’s statement of purpose identifies that this is an area staff are skilled in and that there is access to therapists. In one case, a social worker commented that ‘no emotional support was being provided to the child’, while another social worker said that ‘the child had a mixed experience living in the home’. Positive behaviour is actively promoted in the home and young people now have a greater understanding of what is expected of them. Staff are working more closely as a team, and sanctions are now more proportionate to the behaviour displayed. There is no longer a narrow focus on financial reparation. Staff decide what a sanction should entail and there is a greater use of restorative approaches, including aiding maintenance staff to fix damage. This is a good improvement in managing behaviour. Young people have Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 9

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

the opportunity to reflect on incidents and consider how they could respond differently in the future; staff also have time to reflect and consider what is an appropriate response to unwanted behaviour, rather than writing sanctions when clearly affected by the incident. An agreed list of what are appropriate sanctions and responses is available for all staff, but is contradictory to the behaviour management policy, in particular regarding the circumstances when the police may be called to the home. It remains the case that staff are too often responding only to the behaviour being displayed and not appraising this in the light of young people’s comments, actions and demeanour. No young people have moved into the home since the last inspection. However, one placement has ended abruptly after it was noted staff could not meet the young person’s needs. Additionally, another young person will be moving much sooner than anticipated

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

because the placing authority has appraised that the home cannot reliably keep the young person safe. Care plans are now more individualised. They still lack detail of young people’s culture and identity beyond their ethnicity and faith. Key information in referral documents from the placing authority is still not incorporated in the plans. This results in young people not receiving the care that they should because staff are not necessarily aware of known behaviours that indicate a young person is in distress. Staff have noted, for example, some minor but disturbing self-injurious behaviour, but no plan informs staff on how to respond to it. Other key information is also omitted from in-house plans, again resulting in staff potentially not responding effectively to emotional distress. Additionally, case files lacked some documents relating to children looked after, including placement plans and minutes and agreements from statutory reviews. Therefore, staff struggle to ensure

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

that in-house plans reflect the agreed aims of the placement. Staff in the home lacked knowledge regarding what placing authority documents should be in place and the purpose of these.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The adequate supervision of young people remains a significant concern. Although largely improved, a serious incident occurred during staff handover. The managers are investigating how the young people came to be unsupervised and a police investigation is ongoing. As a response to this concern, young people are now supervised on a one-to- one basis and staff activate the young people’s bedroom door alarms during the day as well as night. Young people say that they feel safe in the home and that they can approach staff with any worries or concerns. However, a recent disclosure and delays in supporting a young person who was groomed by a member of staff suggests that young people are not always safe. Young people do not identify bullying as an issue. They say staff know when there are issues within the group and they intervene to manage any conflicts. Staff are aware of young people’s overt vulnerabilities, such as the risk posed by their

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

learning or behavioural difficulties. However, staff are not skilled in recognising nuances which might suggest a young person is at risk of harm. Staff do not consistently connect behaviour and comments young people make and link these to recent or unresolved events for the individual. Additionally, when a disclosure was made recently, staff asked Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 10 leading questions and continued to follow and question the young person when they said they no longer wished to talk. The child protection policy is clear on how to respond to disclosures, and the poor practice demonstrates that staff lack understanding of what they have read. The policy refers to outdated regulations and guidance and many staff have not had child protection and safeguarding training. However, the staff in the home did report the concerns promptly to the local authority and police. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans have recently been updated and

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

give a broad overview of the main concerns for each young person. They allow young people to take age-appropriate risk, but do not reflect their more complex behaviours or signs of distress. Agreements regarding independent time have not been recorded, particularly where the social worker is said to have extended free time. This leads to both the young person and staff being vulnerable if it is not documented when the extension was agreed and by whom. Searches of children’s bedrooms do not follow the home’s policies and procedures. Full written records of items removed are not made, nor the reasons for removing the items, such as earrings and badges. There is also no indication of when items will be returned and how to protect the young person’s right to privacy. An example included removing notes a young person had made about an issue personal to him, without his knowledge. Responses to young people being missing from care are robust. In an example seen,

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

staff were observed to be calling the young person, and anybody they thought she may be with. They also contacted the police and the placing authority. However, the policy in relation to missing from care does not comply with up-to-date statutory guidance and does not indicate that staff should seek to locate the young person in the first instance. Behaviour management has been reviewed since the last inspection. All staff were receiving behaviour management and restraint training during the inspection. There have been no restraints since the last inspection. Staff involved in recruitment do not have a sound understanding of safer recruitment practice. In particular, it was noted that applicants were not requested to provide a full employment history or satisfactory explanation for any gaps in employment. Young people are protected from some avoidable risks and hazards. Staff and contractors regularly check and maintain the fire alarm and fire-fighting equipment.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

However, no staff have up-to-date fire training and the home fails to provide a person on duty at the home with a suitable first aid qualification at all times. Additionally, staff were unable to locate the review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since March 2017 when they were dismissed for failings in a safeguarding matter. There is no permanent manager in post currently; one has been appointed to start in the next few months, although an exact date has not been confirmed. The responsible individual has been on sick leave since early April 2017. The operations manager is working hard to draw the staff team Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 11 together and is increasing consistency of practice. She is empowering staff with new skills and making them more accountable for their actions. She has provided stability in the home from a point of crisis. Staff and young people are extremely positive about her contributions and efficient management style. As a result of the monitoring visit, the operations manager updated and amended the comprehensive action plan to determine which areas to prioritise for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Through this, a lot has been completed, but a great deal still needs to be done. The plan is updated as new concerns or further action on existing issues are identified. The operations manager has clearly taken shortfalls identified at the monitoring visit seriously and has attempted to rectify many concerns. The focus is rightly on supporting staff to work cohesively and ensure that young people have clear boundaries and improved behaviour management. However, two out of six parts of the compliance notice were not met. The operations manager has implemented laminated quick check sheets for key policies and procedures, which appear useful as they prompt staff to take the action required rather than trawling through a policy. This is of particular use as staff are not confident in doing this. The home currently has a staff team of mixed experience. Staff appear confident in basic care roles and have a warm and caring air. They do, however, lack finer skills in

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

providing high-quality care for young people who have suffered emotional damage from the impact of neglect and abuse. Staff say that they are well supported and that the operations manager is always available. Supervision is regular and staff now have a clearer accountability structure showing managers and roles, although this is yet to be fully embedded into practice. The deputy manager is increasing in confidence and skill and commented that she now knows what her role is. It was noted by inspectors that she has not been managed effectively in the past and has not been provided with the skills and knowledge to be a functioning deputy manager. She recognises the gaps in her knowledge, specifically with regards to regulations and certain requirements, such as the need for paperwork relating to children looked after and what needs to be included in a young person’s file. The operations manager is working within her skills and knowledge base to review the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

quality of care provided, and is embarking on her first review of the service in line with Regulation 45. A new independent visitor has been appointed in line with Regulation 44, following the providers own concerns that previous reports were excessively positive. The home’s statement of purpose is not reflective of the service currently provided. It is confusing and contradicts itself. It does not clearly set out the service offered and the aims with regard to its stated therapeutic input. The operations manager confirmed that the home used to provide therapeutic input, including a consultant for team meetings, but this no longer happens. Some required information is not included in the document, nor was it sent to Ofsted when it was last reviewed. Again, this is beyond the control of the current leaders as they were not in post when it was compiled. Young people’s case records do not contain all the information as set out in regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Additionally, records regarding a young person who has moved on were moved to his Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 12 new placement, rather than being archived. Due to the lack of placing authority plans, it is difficult to accurately determine what progress young people are making while living in the home. Additionally, a serious incident was not notified to Ofsted. The operations manager has worked closely with the two placing authorities and has had regular meetings with them. Comments have been positive about her role and joint working from the placement team and social workers. These include, ‘I think that in recent weeks she and care staff have had to work incredibly hard to overcome the presenting challenges, and liaison with the local authority has been good’ and ‘I think the staff team has worked well, and creatively, to alleviate the impact on the children despite what is a very serious allegation made against one.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have begun to receive some key training, including behaviour management and restraint, professional boundaries and medicine administration. However, no permanent staff except the operations manager have a first aid qualification. The staff team requires updated training in safeguarding, exploitation, radicalisation and managing self- injurious behaviour, fire safety and food hygiene.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: ARC Adventure (Sussex) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Cox Costello, Langwood House, 63-81 High Street, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 1EQ

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Inspector(s)

Jennie Christopher, social care inspector Emeline Evans, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC362972 14 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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

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