Children's Home run by Brighton and Hove City Council in Brighton and Hove

Inspection report children’s home: SC044880 1 SC044880 Registered provider: Brighton & Hove City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight children who have disabilities.

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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: 14 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children are involved in decisions about their day-to-day care and are empowered to make choices.  Children are encouraged to learn new skills and to become as independent as Inspection report children’s home: SC044880 2 possible.  The staff know and understand the needs of the children. They provide continuity of care that helps the children to feel safe and secure.  Well-trained staff are able to manage complex behaviour safely.  Managers are committed to the continual development of the home and work hard to address areas of weakness.

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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

 Arrangements for the supervision and appraisal of casual staff are not consistent with those who are employed on a permanent basis.  The independent visitor’s review report about the quality of care provided does not evaluate the impact of their assessment.  The statement of purpose does not clearly state how the home will meet the assessed needs of children who have mental health conditions.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/07/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC044880 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- have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) In particular, casual staff employed/working at the home. 31/10/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the information set out in the statement of purpose clearly says how the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6) In particular, mental health conditions.  Ensure that the review of the quality of care clearly identifies the actions required to address weaknesses. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4) In particular, objectives need to be measurable and with clear timescales.  Ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) In particular, evaluate the impact of the factual shortfalls upon the quality of the

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Recommendations

care provided.  Ensure that the supervision of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that casual staff employed/working at the home receive supervision at the same frequency as permanent staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A well-trained staff team works hard to provide good-quality support that meets Inspection report children’s home: SC044880 4 children’s individual and complex needs. However, the staff spoken to say that they feel overstretched at times and struggle to meet such a diverse range of needs, particularly the more challenging behaviour. Despite this, they remain committed to ensuring that the children remain safe and have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from high standards of care. Key staff demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of their individual needs. Detailed information from a range of people helps to guide staff’s practice. Focusing on goals, children are encouraged to learn new skills. One child in particular typifies the growth that individual children make, for example by learning how to manage personal space and boundaries by using handshakes and ‘high fives’ rather than hugs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consistently applied routines and boundaries help the children to feel settled and reduce their anxiety. The use of social stories enhances this further by enabling them to complete parts of their routine with less input from the staff. Breaking things down into more manageable actions means that children know what happens next. This practice, along with a degree of flexibility within the daily routine, allows them to express themselves and ultimately become more independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Effective consultation embedded into practice enables the children to be involved in decisions about their day-to-day care. This includes choosing which activities they would like to do, what they want to eat or drink and even which member of staff they want to support them. Familiar with their individual communication methods, the staff and managers empower the children to make these choices. This sensitive approach helps the children develop their self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, the children were on school holidays and therefore were not experiencing the structure that they would during term time. In the past, this would have had a negative impact on some children yet, because of some careful planning and communication by the staff, this was not the case. Involved in a broad range of activities, the majority of children had coped extremely well and were benefiting from their stay. Staff and children commented on how important the garden had been during this period, due to the range of activities available.

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

Collaborative approaches to behaviour management provide continuity of care for the children. Embraced by the staff team, the positive behaviour support (PBS) model helps them to understand behaviour that challenges, along with how to manage it. Recognised for their high standard of care delivery, a recent written compliment from a professional linked to the home said that the staff’s commitment and dedication to employing and applying the principles of PBS was ‘outstanding’.

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

Effective multi-agency working relationships enhance this further. The staff regularly provide information in the form of data and charts, and this enables other professionals to unpick individual behaviour. This helps to develop ways to support the children, reducing the need to use physical intervention. Attendance at meetings that take place Inspection report children’s home: SC044880 5 outside of the home provides the staff with further support and advice.

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

Staff and managers are familiar with the policies and procedures in place to keep the children safe. Acutely aware of their vulnerability, they act quickly when concerns arise. A recent example included calling the police to the home when someone not directly linked to the home persistently rang the doorbell and became abusive to the staff. When the police arrived, they removed the person from the premises. Due to the quick action taken by the staff, this incident did not affect the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have worked hard to address the issues raised at the previous inspection. Two children in particular are now more settled and making progress in all areas. These changes have resulted in the staff feeling confident and more equipped to manage their behaviour and, notably, a reduction in incidents for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective team working led by experienced managers enables the home to offer a diverse range of services. Overall, this is positive and the children thrive in a busy and stimulating environment. However, at times the home’s willingness to respond to children’s ever-changing needs and expectations from senior managers risks compromising the quality of the care provided and the current positive outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose, in particular, lacks clarity in certain areas, specifically in relation to mental health. These needs fall outside of the current skills and knowledge of the staff team. Therefore, while this does not have a significant impact at present, managers recognise this shortfall and plan to review it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Competent managers embrace opportunities to develop the systems and practice in the home. Regular monthly visits from the independent person provide a good level of description and scrutiny that link to development plans. However, the reports of these visits do not provide sufficient analysis to help to make further improvements. For example, noting missing signatures on records is a factual observation, but it does not evaluate the impact that this may or may not have on staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The good arrangements for the supervision and appraisal of core staff are not replicated for casual staff. Neither does this group have performance reviewed on an annual basis. This inconsistent approach has led to some staff not feeling listened to and not having the opportunity to reflect on and further develop their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC044880 6

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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 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: SC044880 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kings House, Grand Avenue, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2LS

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Karen Rusbridge and Victoria Witham

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Inspector

Amanda Harvey: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC044880 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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