Children's home run by Arc-HD Services Ltd in Eastleigh

Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 1 SC420410 Registered provider: Arc HD Services 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 children’s home is registered to accommodate three young people who have complex emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A multi-disciplinary team supports young people with their mental health needs. This home is owned by a private organisation that operates another children’s home in the locality.

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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: 21 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children are very settled and have positive and trusting relationships with the Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 2 staff. A nurturing and therapeutic approach to care enables children to progress safely as they navigate their way through adolescence.  A committed and motivated staff team is led by an experienced registered manager. The team provides consistently good care delivered with genuine passion.  Each child is provided with personalised care that enables them to make really good progress in most areas. As a result, children are less likely to place themselves at risk, go missing or self-harm.  The home’s design gives each child space, privacy and room to develop independent living skills. The location of the home provides the children with a peaceful and calm place to live, and opportunities to explore.

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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

 Consideration must be given to the bathroom fixtures and fittings and some bedroom furniture, as they have an institutional feel.  Provide staff with training to improve recording, how to physically intervene appropriately and to understand gender and identity issues for children at a broader level.  Make a greater effort to ensure that children above the compulsory age of education are provided with opportunities to re-engage in learning or find appropriate employment.  Children rarely go missing, but when they do, they must be provided with an opportunity to talk about the incident with the most appropriate person, and this must be recorded.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/11/2016 Full Outstanding 10/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 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 quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to — meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. In particular, ensure that bedrooms and bathrooms do not look institutionalised, and that they take account of the choice and ability of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(c)(I)(ii)) 22/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(ix)) 22/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to — 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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(c)) 22/12/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 4

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and the manager have been very successful in creating a home where children feel comfortable and safe. The home itself sits in peaceful surroundings that provide the children with a calming environment. The house is surrounded by large gardens, wooded areas and room to grow vegetables. Children learn to take responsibility for looking after the chickens and spoke proudly of how they nurtured chicks and now benefit from the eggs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the home provides each child with space for privacy and room to socialise. There is very good evidence of how each child personalises their rooms. Unfortunately, some bedroom furniture and bathroom fixtures and fittings have an institutionalised look. For example there is a blanket approach to taps, temperature controls, window coverings and beds. This means that children, irrespective of the good progress that they have made and their risk assessments, are not treated individually and they are not afforded choice. One child said that she’s ‘embarrassed’ about her bathroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have lived in the home for a while. Because of this settled period, caring and trusting relationships have formed between the children and the staff. Involving children in decisions is central to the care delivered. Personalised plans provide staff with a good level of detail and guidance that has resulted in children making very good progress in most areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In particular, children have made significant progress in respect of their emotional and psychological development. The development of their self-worth, resilience and confidence has resulted in them all being able to understand their current situations and think positively about their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress when in school. However, young adults who are above the age of compulsory education are not sufficiently engaging in, or sustaining, any meaningful learning or employment. Consequently, they are spending too much time without sufficient structure or focus.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend positive, safe and enjoyable time away from the home Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 5 with their friends and family. As a result, children are spending increasingly more time developing their independence.

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

The children said that they are safe and that they live in a very safe and well-kept home. Regular health and safety checks take place, and staff ensure that any actions are swiftly dealt with.

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

The staff help each child to take age- and ability-appropriate risks. This means that children are able to experience new opportunities, safely learn from mistakes, and, in turn, build their confidence and resilience. Consequently, incidents of self-harm, physical intervention and children going missing are rare. Unfortunately, records relating to these incidents reveal a number of minor shortfalls that require attention.

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

Sanctions are rarely used. Instead, appropriate and restorative approaches agreed with the children provide them with opportunities to reflect and learn. Staff also recognise the importance of praise and reward as an approach to supporting behaviours

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

The children are safe when out in the community and engaging in activities. Very good risk assessments and care plans support some children to increase their levels of independence.

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

Overall, the staff team, managers and leaders have remained the same for a number of years. Safe employment practice is followed. There is careful monitoring of all visitors to the home and identity is routinely checked.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is well established in his role and has worked for the company for a number of years. He is suitably qualified and has an impressive level of knowledge and experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The systems used to monitor the quality of care, such as reviewing records and observing practice, are robust and efficient. However, a small number of inaccuracies in records highlight a training need for the manager to address. In particular, there is a need to ensure that return home interviews are recorded and reflect the incident accurately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides regular supervision and appraisals of staff members’ practice. Staff spoke very positively of this support and said that the manager is ‘very helpful’ and that they are ‘incredibly impressed with the processes and support’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A comprehensive training package is provided to all staff, ensuring that they have the right knowledge to support and care for the children. Some staff commented on how Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 6 they would benefit from a broader understanding of gender and identity in relation to mental health.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of the relationships between the manager and professionals is good. Communication via email, weekly reports and attendance at meetings is regular and ensures that all are kept up to date with progress and any concerns. All notifiable events are reported swiftly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager consistently puts the children first and at the centre of practice. He is driven to improve outcomes for the children; this has resulted in all of the children making very good progress from their starting points. All records and plans are regularly reviewed and monitored. A Regulation 44 report and an additional internal monthly audit offer layers of monitoring and reviewing that, in turn, inform the home’s development plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Complaints are rare, but when they do occur they are responded to swiftly. Children said that they are listened to and their views are always considered.

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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: SC420410 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arc HD Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arc HD Services, Wessex House, Upper Market Street, Eastleigh SO50 9FD

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 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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