Children's home run by Anderida Adolescent Care Ltd in Eastbourne

Inspection report children's home: 1228919 1 Registered provider: Anderida Adolescent Care

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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 registered to accommodate two young people who have emotional and/or behaviour difficulties. It is operated by a private organisation.

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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

Date of last inspection: 9 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff provide consistent, nurturing care and establish warm, trusting relationships with the young people. The young people make significant progress in many aspects of their lives. Inspection report children's home: 1228919 2  Thoughtful and comprehensive support plans and risk assessments demonstrate that the staff understand the specific needs of the young people. The staff have clear guidance to help them to protect and promote the development of the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff receive valuable support and guidance from a consultant psychologist and cognitive behaviour therapist; this helps them to analyse the young people’s behaviour, consider their own emotional responses and explore appropriate strategies to assist the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people benefit from the close attention paid to their emotional and psychological needs; they may engage in individual therapy and receive day-to- day therapeutic support from the committed staff team.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The well-thought-out plans for young people moving into the home or moving on to the next stage of their lives reduces their anxieties at this time by ensuring that they have the appropriate level of support.

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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

 Physical intervention is only used on rare occasions to manage the young people’s behaviour. However, records do not include information that the staff involved have been spoken to about the use of the measure.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Although managers carefully consider the effect a new young person may have on the young people currently living at the home, it is not clearly recorded how a decision has been made to accept a young person in relation to known risks.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Notifications of serious events are not always sent to Ofsted without delay.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 1228919 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 registered person must ensure that 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’) has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)) 29/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when accepting a placement for a child, the registered person makes it clear that they have fully considered the impact the placement will have on existing children living at the home and how they have reached the decision. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people living at the home benefit from the consistent, nurturing care that the staff provide, and they make significant progress. From their starting points they show improvements in their behaviour; for example, they reduce risk-taking behaviour that is associated with being missing from home. They become increasingly safe and move more positively towards the next stage of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the young people very well, understand their specific and complex emotional needs and establish warm, trusting relationships through which they are able to provide individualised support and promote young people’s development. Because of these close relationships, the young people are confident in putting forward their views; they know that the staff will listen, respond and value their opinions. The young people Inspection report children's home: 1228919 4 have been involved in redecorating and refurnishing the lounge to make it a homely and relaxing environment. When the young people feel that their placing authority is not listening to their views, the manager and the staff are proactive in advocating on their behalf, and they will also ensure that the young people have access to independent advocacy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Strong support from the staff for the young people’s education is evident even when a young person is having difficulties in engaging with it. They liaise with education staff to explore different approaches and strategies to provide learning opportunities and creative solutions if a young person is refusing to attend school. A young person who has recently left the home successfully completed a Prince’s Trust course and has been offered employment in her chosen career.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The close attention paid by staff to the young people’s health needs ensures that they receive appropriate support to lead a healthy lifestyle. The young people are establishing healthier eating patterns. The emotional and psychological health of the young people has a high priority. They have opportunities to benefit from individual therapy and receive constant therapeutic support from the staff, who are trained and supervised by a consultant psychologist and cognitive behaviour therapist. Consequently, the young people develop coping strategies to manage their emotions and develop greater self- awareness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Sensitive planning for a young person prior to being admitted to the home ensures that the staff are fully aware of their needs. The young person has a gradual introduction to the staff and the home which reduces their anxieties about moving in. Similarly, thoughtful planning when a young person is leaving the home ensures a positive ending for them. The staff provide ongoing support and outreach work when the young person has moved out of the home to ensure a successful progression to the next stage of their life.

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

The safety and welfare of the young people is at the heart of all the staff’s practice at the home. The foundation of the safeguarding practice is the development of warm, trusting relationships with the young people. Close supervision from thoughtful, responsive and consistent staff helps the young people to trust the staff and accept the support offered, and enables them to develop a sense of stability and security when living at the home. Clear boundaries and routines contribute to the young people feeling safe.

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

Very detailed care plans and risk assessments, with supportive and protective measures implemented in practice, show that the staff understand the young people’s individual needs. The plans provide clear guidance for the staff to protect the young people and promote their development. The staff team liaises closely with external professionals such as the child and adolescent mental health service, psychiatrists and the police, to Inspection report children's home: 1228919 5 ensure that measures to protect the young people are appropriate in the context of each young person’s specific vulnerabilities. This effective partnership working is particularly evident in relation to self-harming behaviour; staff provide effective support in collaboration with other professionals. It is also demonstrated by a reduction in high-risk behaviour associated with being missing from home.

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

The young people receive therapeutic support to help them manage their emotions and their behaviour. Under the supervision of a consultant psychologist, the staff use agreed strategies to increase the positive presence of the staff and other adults in the young person’s life, and to take a firm stand against violence, risk-taking and anti-social behaviour. The use of physical intervention to manage the young people’s behaviour is rare. The staff have used this form of control on only one occasion since the previous inspection. The intervention was recorded in detail, but the record does not include confirmation that the staff involved have been spoken to by the manager.

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

The staff respond effectively to safeguard the young people and ensure their safe return if they leave the home without permission. Detailed procedures are in place to guide the staff, who implement them promptly to protect the young people. Individual key-work sessions provide targeted support to address such high-risk behaviour and develop the young people’s awareness of the risks they face and how to keep themselves safe.

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

The staff are vigilant and conscientious in recording and reporting safeguarding concerns. The manager ensures that appropriate follow-up action is taken to protect the welfare of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The young people benefit from effective management and clear leadership. The manager has recently been appointed and is suitably qualified and experienced. She has previously been a registered manager at another of the organisation’s homes and she has applied for registration at this home. She leads a thoughtful and committed staff team whose members strive to understand and meet the complex emotional needs of the young people. An independent reviewing officer commented that, ‘the insight from staff has been good and staff are of a high calibre.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s support and guidance is strengthened by the contribution of a consultant clinical psychologist and cognitive behaviour therapist who provide fortnightly group supervision for the staff team. These sessions provide the staff with opportunities to analyse the young people’s behaviour, consider their own emotional responses and explore strategies which promote the young people’s development effectively. In line with the home’s statement of purpose, the organisation provides the staff with excellent support and ongoing development to help them understand the meaning of the young people’s behaviour, and implement the chosen therapeutic approach. The staff value this support. They engage in these sessions with honesty, open communication and a genuine desire to ensure that their support strategies are effective in meeting the young people’s individual needs. Inspection report children's home: 1228919 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff undertake timely and comprehensive training relevant to their roles and to the needs of the young people. The manager considers the training needs of the staff team prior to the admission of a young person so that the staff have the knowledge and awareness to meet specific needs with confidence and competence. The staff receive regular individual supervision to review their practice and their particular training and development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager closely monitors the progress of the young people and all aspects of the home to maintain high standards of care. Very detailed reports by an independent visitor identify shortfalls, and are an essential part of the quality assurance process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the staff work positively and effectively with other professionals and the young people’s families. The manager will challenge the actions and decisions of other professionals if these are in potential conflict with a young person’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carefully considers the effect a new young person may have on the young people currently living at the home. However, it is not clear in the retained record how the manager has reached the conclusion to accept a new young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Notifications of serious events are not always sent to Ofsted without delay.

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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 differences 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 whom 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: 1228919 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Anderida Adolescent Care

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6a Neville Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 8HR

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1228919 8 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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