Children's Home run by Crusoe Care Limited 06843979 in East Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 1 SC484302 Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979

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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 children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behaviour difficulties. Accommodation is provided in a semi-detached residential house. It is owned by a private company that has one other small children’s home located very close by.

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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: 16 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager and responsible individual are consistent leaders who have implemented solutions to problems identified by inspections and external monitoring.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers and staff ensure that the well-being of the young people is prioritised. Staff have the necessary training and experience to safeguard young people and promote their welfare.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people benefit from the activities offered and from their positive interactions with staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people who are vulnerable are closely supervised for their safety. They are taught to take responsibility for their own safety within protective boundaries.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff value the young people and their opinions. Individual time with young people is used effectively to educate young people about areas of importance to them and help them to better manage risk.

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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

 Team meetings and supervision of staff are not regular. This inhibits effective sharing of information and monitoring of staff matters.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good 11/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 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 all employees-

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4) (b)) 06/10/2017

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Recommendations

 Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. Behaviour support plans should be completed and reviewed by all staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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Recommendations

 Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. Sanctions should be recorded as such in order that they can be reviewed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop secure and trusting relationships with members of staff. The two young people living here described good relationships with each other and staff. One young person said, ‘This is my longest placement; the staff have given me stability.’ The other young person said, ‘The home is good; it has a purpose; staff help me.’ As a result of the trusting relationships formed, the young people respond well to boundaries and guidance and this results in them making good progress. One young person is now working towards a planned rehabilitation home, something that he previously would not have been able to consider. Another young person was anxious about leaving his room, but is now able to go out in the community unsupervised. These are major achievements for both young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 4 Social workers and parents appreciate the service and the support that the staff provide.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A parent wrote, ‘I couldn’t be more grateful or ask for my child to be in a better place to live.’ A social worker reported, ‘The young person has made 110% improvement.’ Another social worker acknowledged that staff know this young person well and have a good understanding of how to manage him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is a priority for staff, as they value young people’s educational and social attainment. They ensure that young people attend school full-time and they support them to make good academic progress. They work closely with schools to ensure that any difficulties are resolved. Staff help young people to apply for specialist colleges and support them with regard to preparation for interviews. As a result, both young people have gained places at their preferred colleges.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people’s physical and emotional health needs are met to a good standard. All routine appointments and assessments with healthcare professionals, such as dentists and opticians, are encouraged by staff. Specialist appointments with therapists, such as the child and adolescent mental health services, are facilitated by staff. Consultations between staff enable them to share information and discuss strategies to manage young people’s emotional distress and help them to increase their resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are listened to and their views are valued. House meetings and management consultations ensure that young people’s requests are responded to. Staff reinforce young people’s positive behaviour through praise and rewards. Young people are able to earn extra pocket money by achieving their agreed goals. These methods are proving effective in reinforcing good behaviour. As a consequence, staff rarely have to use physical interventions with the young people. If they do, young people are spoken to afterwards and their comments are recorded. This enables them to take responsibility for their actions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to take part in different activities and interests so that they can develop their social skills and confidence. They enjoy fishing, football and bowling with staff and each other. Staff support young people to make friends; one young person attends an after-school club to enable him to socialise. Staff promote and support positive contact with young people’s families to ensure that they retain important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Independence training and preparation for moving on is a strength of the home. One young person is now more confident when going out in the community. Another young person is able to manage a budget and travel on his own to visit friends and family. The young people have good self-care skills and take pride in their appearance.

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

Young people are kept safe by a staff team that adheres to safeguarding procedures, risk assessments and safety measures. The young people’s safety within the home and within the community is protected. Safety plans are clear and thorough. Risk assessments inform staff of potential risks and are subject to regular review to ensure Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 5 that they remain effective. Young people are actively involved in risk assessments. For example, one young person completes a risk assessment with staff prior to each fishing trip. He is able to identify potential dangers and consider how to minimise them.

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

Young people do not go missing from the home. One young person is closely supervised to ensure his safety. He is encouraged to go out with his peers and take calculated risks within safe boundaries. This is effective in increasing his skills and confidence in the community.

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

Staff are well trained in internet safety and the risks related to child exploitation and radicalisation. They are alert to any signs of abuse. They are aware of the individual risks for each young person. Young people who use the internet sign agreements to confirm that they know the rules and expectations. Young people’s positive relationships with the staff mean that they alert staff if they have any concerns.

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

Damage to property is minimal. If young people are responsible for this, staff employ a restorative approach. However, this is not consistently recorded as a sanction, which means that the manager is unable to reflect on the appropriateness of the measure used. In addition, there are no behaviour management plans in place. The absence of these makes it harder to manage challenging behaviours consistently.

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

Health and safety measures are implemented, which protect young people and staff from risk of harm. All checks are up to date and appropriate fire safety measures are in place. Staff ensure that young people know what to do in the event of a fire; regular fire drills reinforce the information shared when young people move in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual manage the company’s two homes, which are located close to each other. The registered manager has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management. He has suitable training and experience for this role. The two homes each accommodate two young people. The ethos of a small, ‘family’ environment is reflected by the staff who work across both settings. Staff work as a close-knit group, supporting each other in the best interests of those living in the homes. The young people know both the manager and responsible individual well; they have almost daily contact with the manager. Staff are well trained and experienced, with the necessary skills to look after the young people. They are motivated to meet their needs and speak proudly about them. Key- work sessions are effective in addressing specific areas and challenging the young people. Staff help young people to manage their lives well and address issues of

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

importance to them. This increases the young people’s resilience. Team meetings and supervision sessions enable staff to share their knowledge and information about the young people’s care plans. These meetings are of a good quality when they occur; however, they have not been regular. This is something that the manager recognises needs to be improved, and has an action plan in place to address. Good professional relationships are effective with others who care for the young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 6 Social workers are complimentary about the manager and staff and value the service. A social worker said, ‘The staff are consistent; the home is well staffed and they are honest and transparent.’ The registered manager and responsible individual share any lessons learned from previous inspections or external monitoring processes. Internal monitoring is used to review and evaluate records to ensure that any trends are analysed. Lessons learned are

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

shared across both settings to ensure a consistent experience for all the young people. The registered manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of this home and is continually working towards positive outcomes.

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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: SC484302 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Crusoe Care Limited, c/o Shoreline Accountants Ltd, Trafalgar House First Floor, Quarry Road, Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 9DD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy McIlwaine

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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