Children's Home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in West Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 1 SC364812 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 privately run children’s home offers accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The provider has nine homes in total. Young people are able to attend the organisation’s school.

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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 December 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people benefit from living in a home where there is strong management of the staff team. Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 2  The staff have realistic aspirations for all the young people in their care. Over time, young people make good progress across all areas of their lives.  Young people’s risk-taking behaviours, such as self-harm and going missing from home, significantly decrease over time.  Young people develop warm, trusting relationships with the staff, which gives them a sense of safety and stability. They know that they can talk to the staff and that the staff will listen and respond.  Good partnership working ensures that young people have access to specialist support services to meet their needs. A growing therapeutic ethos is being embedded in the home.  The management and staff team are very well informed of local risks and have measures in place to lessen their impact. The manager has developed a location

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Key findings from this inspection

risk assessment that enables staff to manage any identified risks in the local area effectively.

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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

 A lack of staff members who can drive presents the registered manager with daily challenges, as he has to seek staff from another of the organisation’s homes to assist in getting the young people to school.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The medication policy is not clear about what action staff should take if a medication error occurs. A protocol is not easily accessible for staff to refer to if needed.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2016 Full Good 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/08/2015 Full Good 23/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare —

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(d)(e)) In particular, ensure that there are sufficient and consistent staff members who can drive the young people to school. 29/12/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that there are suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15) Specifically, ensure that a protocol for managing errors in medication administration is easily accessible and clearly written in the medication policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive individualised care in a nurturing environment. They have opportunities to learn to manage their emotions and keep themselves safe. Young people’s behaviour improves, and they make positive changes in other aspects of their lives. Previous self-destructive behaviours significantly decrease as a result of the care Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 4 that young people receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff develop warm and trusting relationships with the young people. The quality of relationships between the young people and staff team is a real strength of the home. These excellent relationships play an important role in the young people decreasing their risk-taking behaviours. Young people enjoy the nurturing environment and respond positively to the staff’s firm, but caring, approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have a strong voice in the home. Young people know that they will be listened to and that their views, wishes and opinions are taken seriously. Individual key- working sessions help young people to focus on their behaviours and express their feelings. They also enable the young people to discuss their targets with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is seen as a priority. Young people’s attendance at school fluctuates but, in the main, is good. The staff team works closely with educational establishments, and professionals, to ensure that young people have a positive education experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s physical and emotional health is closely monitored, and this ensures that their specific needs are identified and met. A range of professionals provide young people with support and therapeutic help. The staff offer young people advice and guidance on healthy lifestyles. Specific health needs, such as self-harming, are managed very well. A therapeutic assessment tool, which focuses on young people’s emotional needs, is used to develop specific treatment plans, which have led to young people better managing their emotions. Young people are encouraged by staff to take part in decisions and planning for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medication administration is safe and well managed, although a clear protocol for staff in managing medication errors is not readily available in the home or sufficiently detailed in the home’s medication policy. Young people receive a healthy diet and get the opportunity to experience different foods.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to keep in touch with those who are important to them. Contact arrangements are confirmed when young people move into the home, to ensure that any restrictions are known and planned for. The staff provide support for young people to see their family, and other important people, if necessary.

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

The safety of the young people is very well promoted in the home. The policies, procedures and practices implemented by the staff help to protect young people from harm and abuse. The staff team has good knowledge and understanding of the particular risks associated with the location of the home and those of the individual young people. Individual, up-to-date risk assessments describe any known vulnerabilities for each young person, and set out what action should be taken to lessen the risks.

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

The staff receive child protection training, which includes training on the risk of child Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 5 exploitation and e-safety. The staff have a good level of knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and are confident about what action to take if they have a concern. Correct referrals are made to the safeguarding agencies.

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

The young people said that they feel safe at the home. Young people make significant progress in reducing their risk-taking behaviours, such as self-harm and going missing from the home. The managers respond immediately and effectively to incidents, and there are good debriefing practices.

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

Behaviour management systems ensure that young people are safely supported. Young people receive good support to manage their emotions and any challenging behaviours. No physical interventions have occurred since the last inspection, although the staff are properly trained should intervention be needed. The staff identify triggers to deteriorating behaviour and therefore manage to defuse evolving situations. Behaviour management plans are detailed, frequently reviewed by the staff, and amended if necessary, ensuring that they remain effective.

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

Regular health and safety checks ensure that the home is a safe environment. Fire evacuation drills teach young people and staff 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

Staff recruitment procedures are thorough, and all appropriate measures are taken to ensure that adults who are employed at the home are suitable to work with young people.

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

The home’s location risk assessment is of a good standard. It identifies all risks that may reasonably arise and sets out how staff will mitigate these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an experienced registered manager, who holds the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare. He also holds a postgraduate certificate in therapeutic communication with children. He is currently completing a Master’s degree in psychoanalytical infant observation and child development. He is supported by two deputy managers who have completed suitable management and therapeutic qualifications. The registered manager is a leader who works collaboratively with his staff team and a range of other professionals. A young person said he is ‘a really good manager’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team members are good role models for the young people. Young people are cared for by a staff team that promotes equality and freedom from discrimination. The staff members challenge attitudes, if necessary, while helping young people to explore their personal beliefs. The staff work with the young people in promoting their independence skills and developing their emotional resilience which, in turn, builds their confidence and relationships skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to support the needs of the young people. They receive regular Inspection report children’s home: SC364812 6 supervision, during which they discuss the progress of the young people, the young people’s safety and their own training needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Consistency of staffing can be affected by senior leaders asking staff to work at other of the organisation’s homes. In addition, a lack of staff members who can drive presents the registered manager with daily challenges, as he has to seek staff from another of the organisation’s homes to assist in getting the young people to school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has an insightful understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the home. The manager is very well supported by a deputy manager who offers good leadership in the manager’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and auditing systems are well established. The registered manager has continued to further develop monitoring systems so that he can identify areas for improvement. A newly introduced electronic recording system enhances the ability of the manager to view data and assess trends and patterns. He shares his ambitions for the development of the home with the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose sets out the ethos and objectives of the home, and the range of services that it provides for the young people.

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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: SC364812 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: 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: SC364812 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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