Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Ltd in Essex

Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 1 SC384018 Registered provider: Surecare Residential Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a small group run by a private provider. Registration is for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The provider operates a school nearby.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The dedicated team of staff spend time getting to know the children well and have established good-quality relationships. Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 2  The children say that they feel safe living at the home.  Staff work well in partnership with professionals to help the children to make progress.  The staff use key-work sessions effectively to help the children to learn how to manage their emotions through.  Staff celebrate the many achievements that the children make.  The children have made significant progress in their education.  The manager works closely with families and professionals to achieve successful transitions.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children have good placement plans, but not all of the children comment or sign to say that they have had input into the plans or that they understand and agree with them.  Not all of the staff have received yearly appraisals in line with the home’s policy.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Good 13/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 3

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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

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)) 29/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 29/09/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. At the point of admission, many of the children have experienced very unsettled pasts and found it difficult to trust adults. The dedicated staff team spends time getting to know the children well. The staff members have established good-quality relationships with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have high aspirations for the children and work skilfully to enable the children to realise their potential. During this inspection a child said, ‘I really like this home. I have found it stressful in previous homes as I didn’t trust the staff, but the staff are kind here and I’m doing well. I want a future. I’m going to college this year. This is the only place I have felt settled. It is all good.’ A social worker of another child said, ‘They [staff] have done a wonderful job. She is now such a confident girl with huge potential. They have supported her every step of the way. Without this level of support it could have all been so different. I’m very pleased.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals and parents are complimentary about the home. Professionals appreciate the level of communication and good-quality partnership working. A social worker said, ‘The home runs smoothly, with good communication and comprehensively written reports made available for reviews.’ Another social worker said, ‘The monthly reports are very good. They [staff] work in partnership to achieve progress.’ Parents are particularly Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 4 impressed with staff interaction. A parent said, ‘ Great placement. Her behaviour has improved 100%. I am really happy, [staff] looked after her very well. She talks about all the staff and likes them all. They are very approachable. She used to be a very angry child, but has completely changed now.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have all made significant progress in their education. Many of the children did not attend school regularly prior to moving into the home. The manager and staff place an emphasis on consistent attendance. All of the children are now either attending the provider’s school or independent schools in the community. Both of the children who sat their core GCSE subjects this year have obtained college places. One of the children said, ‘I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t come here. I wasn’t going to school. I now go every day and I enjoy it. I get up to go with no problem. I’m going to do work experience with animals this year.’ Under careful staff guidance, the children have embraced their future opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children know that their opinions are valued. Weekly house meetings are held to plan activities, share ideas and discuss any worries that the children may have. Children say that the staff listen to them, and if any of their requests are not possible the staff always take the time to explain the reasons why. The children have access to complaint forms and a children’s guide. This guide details how to make a complaint and includes the actions that staff will follow to resolve it. None of the children have made a complaint since the last inspection. All of the children say that they know how to, but they are happy and do not have any complaints to make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from having access to a wide variety of community-based activities. They enjoy day trips out to the beach, trampoline park, local theme parks and the cinema. These trips give the children new experiences and the opportunity to develop their social skills further. Activities that are based in the home, such as DVD and pamper nights which are arranged by the staff, have also proven to be very popular with the children. Each of the children has their own book of their time spent at the home. This contains photographs and tickets of special days out for them to keep as reminders.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate the many achievements that the children make. The children receive praise and rewards for educational achievements, displaying good social skills and developing their independence skills. A reward incentive scheme runs alongside the children’s individual pathway plans, which enables them to gain extra pocket money. One of the children took time to explain a house procedure to a newly admitted child. Another child met their weekly pathway targets by cleaning their bedroom, completing their laundry and gaining further cooking skills. An act of kindness and progress in independence skills gained the children a monetary reward. The children have responded well to the incentive scheme and say that it is nice to have their achievements recognised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are supported to have safe contact with the significant people in their lives. Staff understand the importance of the children maintaining their relationships with their families and friends. The staff work with social workers and families to facilitate contact in line with the children’s care plans. Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 5 All of the children have good-quality individual placement plans. The plans are detailed and support the staff to work with the children. The children’s needs and goals for the future are clear. However, the children do not regularly comment on and/or sign these plans. This does not show that they have had input into or understand and agree with their plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager works closely with families and professionals to achieve successful transitions. A social worker of a child who was recently admitted to the home said: ‘It was a very smooth transition and well managed. Key workers were already in place and he has quickly developed good relationships with them.’ A child who has recently moved onto semi-independence said, ‘I had a leaving BBQ at the home. The staff have stayed in touch and have visited me. They really helped and prepared me. I trusted the staff. They are nice and it is a good home.’

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

The children are cared for well in a nurturing environment. Staff treat the children with respect and honesty, and the children respond similarly. During the inspection, a member of staff was observed explaining to a child why he was not being taken out in the home’s vehicle. The child had received a one-day ban due to unsafe behaviour and was attempting to negotiate with staff to overturn this. The staff member explained the reasons very clearly in a positive manner and mentioned the plans for a trip the following day. The child thought about his actions and accepted the reasons for the ban, and began to look forward to the following day’s trip. The staff understand the importance of children being able to recognise unwanted behaviours.

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

Staff complete comprehensive risk assessments that detail the strategies for staff to follow to de-escalate situations. Key workers review these regularly and update them when required. The manager monitors and evaluates the assessments monthly to ensure that the strategies used are effective.

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

All of the children say that they feel safe living at the home. The children have developed good, trusting relationships with the staff, and they present as happy and comfortable in their interactions with the staff, who respond in a caring manner. During this inspection, appropriate playful banter and laughter were evident. One child said, ‘I feel safe here. It is good for me. This is my home and we are one big family. We all take care of each other.’

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home since the last inspection. The staff are aware of the procedures to follow, and the home has detailed, individual risk assessments considering any potential risks, should an incident occur. The significant reduction in episodes of missing from home shows that the children are settled.

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

The staff use key-work sessions and conversations to help the children to learn how to manage their emotions. These sessions occur regularly and relate directly to the Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 6 children’s care plans and agreements with the placing authorities. This work helps the children to develop life skills, both practically and emotionally, and focus on the important issues in their lives. A child said, ‘I have learned how to control my behaviour. I have grown up a lot. We have key-work sessions all the while, and you don’t really know when they are happening as staff are very skilled at getting me to talk about my feelings.’ As a result, the children develop confidence in these relationships.

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

There have been no safeguarding incidents since the last inspection. The home has updated policies outlining the procedures to follow, should any concerns arise. All of the staff have received mandatory safeguarding training and understand that they have a duty to safeguard children. The designated officer confirmed that no concerns have arisen regarding this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since October 2016. He has a relevant level 3 qualification and is currently awaiting certification of his recently completed level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The manager is dedicated to providing good leadership, and is supportive in his manner. He has a clear vision for the home and recognises the strengths and the areas that he would like to develop. A member of staff said, ‘The home is very well managed. The manager is very approachable, and he is always looking for improvement. The home now runs more smoothly. Handovers are better, and this means that consistent care is given by the staff.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some changes to the staff team since the last inspection. Established staff members have remained and the children have continued to receive good-quality care. The rota is carefully planned to ensure that there are adequate staff for the children to have regular one-to-one key-work sessions. The children benefit from receiving individual care from staff who understand their needs and interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring of care practice and the children’s progress is strong. Senior staff complete regular checks throughout the week. Weekly checks and monthly audits undertaken by the manager ensure that any care practice issues are promptly resolved. The detailed daily observations provide the basis of the weekly updates and the comprehensive monthly report for each child’s social worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are committed to helping the children to develop a sense of belonging. The home is situated in a residential area and the manager has worked with the neighbours to address any issues raised. This proactive approach has resulted in the children feeling very much that this is their home and accepted by the local community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the requirement to ensure that the therapeutic service offered is consistent with the home’s statement of purpose. The manager has provided the staff group with monthly clinical supervision from the trained psychologist, who gives the staff guidance on presenting scenarios. The staff receive training on how to implement therapeutic techniques. The outcomes are recorded in the child’s individual progress file. Staff spoken to say that they value this guidance and that it shapes their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 7 The further two requirements and one recommendation from the last inspection have also been met. The manager has updated the missing child policy. All of the staff are now aware that children who go missing are to have a return interview conducted by an independent person. The final requirement and the recommendation both related to planning for and the education of a child who has since moved on. The manager made

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

appropriate plans to achieve a good transition for that child. The remaining children who have completed their secondary education will be accessing further education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular good-quality supervision. Staff commented that they find supervisions supportive and that they have opportunities to discuss care practice. However, not all of the staff have received their yearly appraisals in line with the home’s policy. This does not provide the staff with the formalised support that they should be able to expect for their professional development.

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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: SC384018 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Surecare Residential Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Spirare Limited, Mey House, Bridport Road, Poundbury, Dorset DT1 3QY

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Inspector

Lynne Drage, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC384018 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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