Children's home run by Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd in Lewes

Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 1 SC403905 Registered provider: Rubicon Children‟s Homes Limited

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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 privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 15 February 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leadership and management shortfalls have led to young people‟s safety being compromised. Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 2  Management roles lack clarity and consistency, leading to poor managerial oversight and monitoring that fails to identify key issues.  The use of prone restraint, training and the recording of physical restraint do not meet the regulations.  Allegation management is poor, lacks thorough investigation and is inconsistently reported and notified.  Care planning lacks a questioning approach to young people‟s relationships when considering their legal status and age.  The home environment is worn and tired, paintwork throughout is dirty and the garden is not maintained.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people feel valued and listened to by staff.  Young people are supported to enjoy new „firsts‟ through a range of activities and experiences.  Staff know the young people well and tailor their care to meet individual complex needs.  Young people are making progress academically.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Good 15/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In particular, the standard in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— (2)(b)(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child‟s needs, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans, taking account of the child‟s background; (2)(c)(i) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished as to meet the needs of each child. 21/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— (ii) details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

(c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered 21/09/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 4 person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii) and (b)(i)(ii) and (c)) 12. The protection of children standard. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— (12)(2)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (iv) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare; This is with specific reference to ensuring that referral

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Requirement Due date

information is used to complete individual risk assessments, and that risk assessments explore the risks for the young people when they engage in relationships outside of the home. 21/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In particular, the standard in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that the staff work as a team where appropriate. This is with specific reference to ensuring that the young people receive care in line with the statement of purpose and that issues between staff members are resolved without impacting upon the young people. 21/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that children— (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home. This is with specific reference to ensuring that information regarding risks is acted on and features in care plans. Also, to ensure that the staff are fully informed of changes so that they can adapt their responses accordingly. 21/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at 21/09/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 5 the children‟s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3), 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), Schedule 2) This is with specific reference to obtaining a full employment history, including the exploration of any gaps in employment in writing, before appointing staff. The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 21/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‟s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the children‟s home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations, including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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improvement to be good

The omission of key information, such as significant risks, resulted in a care plan which did not fully reflect a young person‟s individual needs, or guide the staff to reduce the associated risks. The registered manager failed to recognise the significance of the information obtained at the referral stage about a young person‟s risk-taking behaviours. Such omissions compromise the quality and safety of the care provided. Some young people are not receiving therapeutic support in line with the statement of purpose. Feedback from two independent reviewing officers raises concerns regarding the quality and frequency of therapeutic services, noting drift where young people are not receiving therapeutic support. One independent reviewing officer commented that a report produced by the home‟s therapist was „unreadable and with no actions‟. Poor systems of maintenance and cleaning detracts from the spacious and well-

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improvement to be good

appointed accommodation. Paintwork throughout is dirty and worn. The garden area is in need of attention and adds to the neglected feel throughout the home. Young people have decorated their bedrooms to their own personal taste. In contrast to other rooms, their bedrooms are largely well maintained and provide comfortable accommodation in Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 6 which young people can relax. Staff provide the young people with regular opportunities to visit their friends and family members. Young people are also able to invite people to the home; a number of relatives and friends are regular visitors. Staff organise the practical arrangements in order that the young people can simply concentrate and focus on enjoying the visits which help them to maintain their relationships and promote their identity. Dedicated staff support the young people to try new experiences to enhance their

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improvement to be good

childhood memories. The young people have regular opportunities to pursue their interests. These include make-overs, having beauty treatments, cake decorating and martial arts. Photos of enjoyable experiences feature in the memory books that the young people create with staff, which the young people were keen to show to inspectors. Unfortunately, the most recent photos in some of the books were from Christmas, which limits their value. Nurturing relationships are driven by staff and reciprocated by the young people. Young people‟s positive comments included, „I feel genuinely cared for and valued‟, staff were described as „lovely, caring and supportive‟, and as „going the extra mile‟. On special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas, the young people said that they felt „thoroughly spoilt‟. The young people are positive about the home‟s location and their ability to access local resources. One young person said, „It‟s good that you can go off

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improvement to be good

for a walk when you need space and you are trusted to do so.‟

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and care plans are of variable quality, which compromises staff‟s ability to provide consistent and safe care. Some of the risks identified in referral documents have failed to feature in risk assessments and care plans. Allegations against staff are not consistently reported to the designated officer, nor notified to Ofsted. Some investigations into allegations have been undertaken „in-house‟ and have failed to examine the full range of information available. This insular practice exacerbates the risks to vulnerable young people. A lack of attention to detail in the home‟s daily records further impedes allegations being fully and thoroughly investigated. Physical interventions are not always recorded with the required detail. Records sampled did not consistently include the time or duration of the interventions. Staff training in restraint techniques is insufficient, as some staff have not attended the full course.

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improvement to be good

Following the use of a prone restraint, the risk assessments for one young person did not detail the severity of the behaviour that warranted this level of intervention. Nor did the records demonstrate that adequate checks were conducted to ensure the young person‟s safety and well-being during and after this intervention. While the use of physical restraint has reduced, the gaps and omissions in recording when it is used place the young people and staff at risk. Leaders and managers, together with staff, make good use of regular reflective practice meetings where key issues are discussed. A solution-focused approach demonstrates the Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 7 team‟s commitment and investment in the young people. For one young person, this resulted in her placement continuing after notice was served during a crisis. The team reviewed its approach and retracted the decision. This young person re-engaged and has

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improvement to be good

reduced the frequency and severity of her risk-taking behaviour. Dedicated staff promote young people‟s needs as their key focus. Young people describe feeling valued when the staff search for them when they are missing. However, the staff lack an inquisitive approach to other aspects of care planning. For example, staff are unclear of the age of one young person‟s boyfriend. Care plans and assessments have not been used to adequately address the potential risks to the young person from this relationship considering her age. This lack of parenting from the staff leaves young people vulnerable when embarking on such relationships. Some young people are making academic progress in school. For those not currently attending mainstream provision, a qualified teacher is providing educational support at the home. A strong commitment and investment towards the promotion of education sets a positive example to the young people. Leaders are to research whether this

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improvement to be good

aspect of their provision requires a separate registration. The registered manager is consistent in her communication with one young person‟s school and has ensured that she has followed up concerns as they arise. This holistic approach provides young people with consistency across their care and educational needs.

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good

The suitably qualified and experienced registered manager has been in post since 2016. She demonstrates a good overall knowledge of the young people‟s significant needs and is committed to providing them with a secure base. The roles of the registered manager, responsible individual and the operations director lack distinction and clarity. Consequently, the tasks of the management and monitoring of the services provided are either duplicated or insufficiently owned. For example, the gaps and shortfalls in relation to physical intervention training and recording have gone unnoticed, despite all three individuals stating their involvement at different times. The independent visitor‟s reports contain limited analysis. Although numerous documents and records are checked and young people and staff are canvassed for their views, the reports do not provide leaders with a rigorous impartial assessment of the

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good

quality of the care provided. This is a missed opportunity for leaders to receive constructive criticism from which to drive improvement. Recruitment practice is not always to the expected standard. An example of this is a record sampled had unaccounted gaps in employment that had not been explored prior to or since the employment commenced. Following their employment, new staff benefit from an informative and supportive period of induction. One member of staff said, „I was given plenty of time to get familiar with the home and the young people. There is always an experienced colleague to turn to.‟ Staff morale is good. The registered manager is seen as a positive role model and source of support by the team. Staff receive regular supervision and benefit from informative Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 8 team meetings. Examples of poor performance are tackled, but one issue of conflict between some staff has impacted on the young people, as they are aware of the tension

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good

between these staff members. This dynamic is not conducive to a well-functioning team. Relationships with external professionals are generally positive. An independent reviewing officer said, „[Young person] has been more settled here than anywhere, having made meaningful relationships with staff, who are well informed of her needs and tailor her care around them.‟ Staff take effective action in advocating for the young people. The registered manager challenges others in order for young people‟s voices to be heard. This is indicative of the team‟s passion to ensure that the young people have a voice.

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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: SC403905 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rubicon Children‟s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 St. Andrews Place, Southover Road, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1UP

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Inspectors

Sarah Olliver, social care regulatory inspector Sophie Wood, regulatory inspection manager Inspection report children‟s home: SC403905 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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