Children's Home run by The Amicus Community (Arundel) Ltd in West Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 1 Registered provider: The Amicus Community Arundel Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to care for five children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is recognised by a national organisation as a provider of therapeutic care. Children living at the home attend the organisation’s school.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children make good progress while living at the home. They form positive relationships with staff and seek their support and guidance when anxious or worried. Children are beginning to talk about their previous experiences and traumas. They learn and develop positive strategies to manage their feelings and emotions. Staff are caring and supportive towards them in times of high anxiety and crisis.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff follow detailed plans and risk assessments which provide practical advice and guidance to staff. Plans and risk assessments are regularly reviewed and reflect current need and support strategies.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and leaders complete detailed pre-admission risk assessments that consider known risk factors. They review and explore the compatibility and needs of children alongside those of children who already live in the home. They thoroughly explore risk, Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 2 with detail on how to manage and minimise risk. Children are supported through a carefully planned transition to the home, with visits to staff, the home and school.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children attend the school which is owned by the organisation. Children who had previously been absent from school now have good attendance. Those who struggle with regular full-time attendance have daily routines of meaningful activities, alongside which are longer term plans for reintegration to the school setting.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers are seeking alternative ways to gain the views of those living at the home. Children complete questionnaires about their thoughts and feelings about the home: ‘what they like’ and ‘what they don’t like’. Children do not invest in or enjoy the activity and so alternative methods are being explored.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have experienced significant trauma previously and they may express this through their behaviour and anxiety. There has been a high level of damage and wear and tear to bedrooms and communal areas which has not been swiftly repaired or maintained. Areas of the home require decoration, new soft furnishings and furniture which is able to withstand the high demands put upon it in order to maintain a homely presentation. Staff have changed some floor coverings, but this has not happened in all areas required.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage behaviour well; they are trained in the home’s approach to behaviour management. If staff use physical intervention, they follow behaviour support plans. Staff explore and review incidents with children, but records viewed lack detail of the exact hold used and for how long and other essential information. Records did not detail a staff debrief; the monitoring and evaluation of the records varied in quality and the effectiveness of interventions was not consistently considered.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and managers have reported and referred safeguarding concerns to others. Records detail what staff did and the outcome, but staff have not followed the home’s policy and procedure in referring concerns in a timely manner. Managers have referred allegations to others and internal investigation records detail events from instigation to outcome.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have gained consent from placing authorities for the use of door buzzers and alarms at night to monitor a child’s movements.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have not routinely completed planned fire drills following a new admission to the home or completed a night-time drill.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have not consistently monitored and evaluated records and the quality of care provided in the home. Records have gaps in them, and weaknesses in the home are not highlighted or swiftly addressed. Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 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

Fire precautions After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (d)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2) (h)) 30/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Children must be listened to and enabled to report any allegations at the earliest opportunity. Staff should report any allegation of abuse immediately to a senior manager within the home. Any allegation of harm or abuse must be addressed in line with the home’s child protection policy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17)  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)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 4 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Amicus Community Arundel Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Amicus Community, P O Box 79, Arundel BN18 9XA

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Inspector

Amanda Maxwell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 5 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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