Children's home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in Mid Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC359812 1 SC359812 Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes 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 is a privately owned children’s home that is registered to provide care for up to two children who have emotional and/or behavioural problems. Education can be provided at the organisation’s school.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 September 2017

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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: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Two compliance notices were sent to the service following the inadequate judgment given at a full welfare inspection carried out on 15 and 16 June 2017. At a monitoring visit carried out on 31 July 2017, the service was judged to have taken sufficient action in addressing the legal notices. No further enforcement action was needed. Inspection report children’s home: SC359812 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are settled and are making very good progress in relation to their starting points.  Leaders and managers have responded well to the shortfalls previously identified.  Young people receive safe medication administration that is closely monitored.  The staff are much better informed about identifying, reporting and recording safeguarding concerns.  Young people’s risk-taking behaviours are decreasing in frequency and intensity.  Young people continue to engage very well in education.  Young people are happy at this home and enjoy their time spent with the staff.

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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

 Staff who smoke have not done this discreetly enough and therefore have been poor role models to children.  The newly introduced electronic recording system has not yet been developed to ensure clear and user-friendly cross referencing, and recording of management oversight of behavioural incidents.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2017 Full Inadequate 16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Good 23/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC359812 3

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) In particular, ensure that the newly introduced electronic recording system provides a clear oversight of incidents and physical interventions.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance and supplement that provided by their school through personal, social and health education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well- being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18) In particular, ensure that staff provide positive role modelling and do not smoke in or near the presence of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress across many aspects of their lives. The young people experience individualised care within a nurturing environment, where they have the opportunity to learn to manage their emotions more appropriately and keep themselves safe. Young people develop warm and positive relationships with staff and with their peers. Strong relationships between the young people and staff provide young people with the confidence to speak about sensitive subjects such as health, personal development and family issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who sometimes struggle with verbal communication are encouraged to express themselves through the use of alternative methods, such as pictorial aids. This has seen huge progress for young people in being able to better express their views, feelings and emotions. Work is in progress to gain independent advocates for each young person via their placing local authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff take a proactive approach to supporting young people in education, and this has had positive results. The proactive approach includes practical support with Inspection report children’s home: SC359812 4 transport and ensuring that young people are well prepared for their school day. The manager will challenge local authorities to ensure that young people gain the best educational placements possible. Attendance levels are excellent with a minimal number of days missed, mainly due to health appointments. Young people have a very positive view of learning and happily engage in extra homework after school with the support of the staff. Educational progress since admission has been significant for both young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people engage in a range of stimulating activities, both at the home and in the community. They are encouraged to develop their personal interests and hobbies. The young people experienced a wide range of activities over the recent school holidays, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support young people to access a range of mental health support services. A working arrangement with a local consultancy and a specialist youth support service ensures that young people receive high-quality emotional support in a timely manner. Young people engage positively with mental health practitioners. The home receives feedback on how young people are progressing in any therapeutic work that they undertake, and this information is used to review and amend the strategies that care staff adopt when supporting the young people. However, some staff are poor role models for children, specifically in relation to smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good planning ensures that young people’s contact with their family members is a positive experience. The staff work closely with families and social workers to make sure contact experiences are positive. Staff recognise the anxieties that some young people may experience when contact is due. They offer sensitive support and ensure that young people know the arrangements for supervision, the location and the timescales involved. Young people are consistently given opportunities to discuss their feelings after contact meetings have taken place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are very settled at the home; there were no new admissions or discharges during this inspection period. Therefore, no judgement can be made around moving in and moving on experiences.

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

Young people are safeguarded from harm. The staff are able to competently identify and act immediately on safeguarding concerns about the young people. Training for the staff has helped to increase their skills and knowledge of their roles and responsibilities in relation to the protection of young people. As the staff maintain an increased focus on safeguarding, they continue to use daily handovers, team meetings and supervision sessions to review and reflect on potential or actual safeguarding concerns.

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

Medication is safely administered. Recent improvements overseen by the registered manager include more detailed auditing and checking, more regular stock taking and having two staff administer medication whenever possible. This has resulted in no medication errors. Young people are much better informed of the medication they take Inspection report children’s home: SC359812 5 and the reasons for taking it.

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

Effective systems in place allow the registered manager to monitor the training that staff receive so they can protect young people effectively. This includes discussions at team meetings, individual supervisions and competency testing, particularly in relation to medication administration. This ensures that staff deliver good standards of care as a result of effective training, and identifies gaps in knowledge.

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

Risk management is good. The number of risky behavioural incidents is low. Behaviours such as self-harm and aggression have decreased significantly over time. The staff work with other professionals to ensure that there are responses in place to any known risks. The staff are aware of and follow planned strategies and responses to risky behaviours. Very good communication between external professionals and the staff promotes consistency in responding to individual behaviours.

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

Young people live in a safe environment, where all necessary health and safety checks are carried out. Young people practise fire evacuation drills periodically and know what action to take in the event of a fire.

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

No new staff have commenced work since the last inspection. Therefore, recruitment files were not checked at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management of the home is effective. The home has a registered manager who has suitable experience and is currently completing the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She already holds the level 4 award in children’s social care. Staff say they are well supported by her. Young people like her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager took the shortfalls identified at the last inspection seriously, and, together with support from her staff team, developed and addressed practices so that they are now of a good standard. Monitoring and reviewing systems allow for the manager to review and reflect on the pace of change and identify new areas that may need addressing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they receive excellent support and guidance from the registered manager. They receive regular supervision, which is focused on their practice and development needs. Team meetings are used to analyse the needs of young people and to reflect on the effectiveness of strategies in place to support them. Staff make good use of these meetings and are genuinely committed to helping young people to improve their life chances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The newly introduced electronic recording system, although providing consistency in recording across the organisation, is not user friendly in relation to cross referencing and the recording of management oversight of incidents. For example, a manager’s comments on an incident that involves a physical restraint provides a space for the manager to record in the incident record but does not direct the manager to the physical Inspection report children’s home: SC359812 6 intervention record being commented upon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a range of training opportunities focused on developing their knowledge and skills and enabling them to meet the needs of the young people. The small staff team works very closely and communicates well with each other. There is currently one vacancy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No young people have arrived or departed since the last inspection. Both placements are stable. The young people have expressed their wish to stay here until they are 18 years old.

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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: SC359812 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: My Choice Childrens Homes Ltd, Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

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Inspector

Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC359812 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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