Children's Home run by West Sussex County Council in West Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC037441 1 SC037441 Registered provider: West Sussex County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to accommodate five children irrespective of gender, aged between six and 17 years old, who have a moderate or severe learning disability. The service mainly provides short-stay respite care. It can also provide full-time care and accommodation. The home is operated by the local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 January to 1 February 2018

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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: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is good because:  Staff have high ambitions for the young people, enabling young people to make considerable progress from their starting points.  Young people’s targets are regularly monitored and reviewed.  Staff use of a wide range of communication tools to enable young people’s Inspection report children’s home: SC037441 2 wishes and feelings to be understood and acted upon. As a result, young people contribute to their own care.  Young people receive good support, help and protection from a stable staff team.  Young people are kept safe. They do not go missing from the home, and physical restraint and sanctions are rarely used in the home.  Young people enjoy a wealth of stimulating activities that enhance their overall experiences.  Parents, carers and professionals are very complimentary about the staff’s care of young people.  Leaders and managers are highly visible in the home and support an

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Key findings from this inspection

enthusiastic and committed staff team. The children’s home’s areas for development:  Young people do not always benefit from living in a home environment that is well maintained. Leaders and managers should ensure that door frames in bedrooms are well maintained.  Leaders and managers should ensure that all food hygiene procedures are undertaken daily.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Good 19/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC037441 3

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will in most cases be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulation including the quality standard’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, door frames in bedrooms should be repaired, and staff should ensure that regular fridge checks are undertaken in relation to food sell-by dates.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress in all areas of their lives. Staff ensure that targets are measurable, achievable and within young people’s capabilities. Individual support programmes underpin each young person’s progress. Young people often make progress in small ways, but for many young people these small steps are significant ones. Regardless of age and ability, young people benefit from the skilled staff team’s responsive support. Staff’s sensitive and patient care enables young people to maximise their potential. Young people’s achievements include improved communication and independent self-care skills, better waiting and sharing skills, and increased attention spans. Young people develop social skills which enhance their self-esteem. A parent said, ‘The staff provide fantastic support, they have assisted hugely in [name of child’s] development and he has grown in confidence and his ability to join in.’ Another parent

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

wrote, ‘You have been a great help in teaching and helping [name of child] to be who he is today.’ Young people are well prepared for their futures. They develop confidence and learn life skills which help to increase their independence. Young people engage in informal independence skills training. For example, they learn to do their laundry, dress themselves and help clear the dining table after meals. A parent said, ‘The team were fantastic at supporting [name of child] to gain more skills and independence.’ The knowledgeable staff team understands the young people’s individual communication styles. Some of the young people are non-verbal. Staff receive relevant training in alternative communication systems and use this knowledge very effectively, which helps to ensure that young people’s wishes are understood. Staff’s use of bespoke communication materials helps young people to understand their routines. Social stories

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

alongside individual weekly timetables help young people to understand what they will do ‘now’ and what will happen ‘next’. This helps young people to settle into their routines and promotes their stability. Staff consult with the young people and ensure that they have lots of opportunities to contribute to their care. Monthly young people’s meetings and informal ‘consultations’ provide the young people with a voice to express their preferences for activities and meal choices. Staff really listen to the young people and unfailingly action these Inspection report children’s home: SC037441 4 requests. During this inspection, staff successfully supported young people to help choose the new sports equipment planned for the garden. Young people participate in a wealth of exciting activities both inside and outside the home. These activities enrich young people’s time at the home. Staff consult with young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

people to ensure that their activity choices are arranged. Alongside wide-ranging community activities such as swimming, bowling, adventure golf, trips to the cinema, museums and local parks, young people enjoy cooking, arts and crafts, and cultural themed nights such as Chinese New Year and Halloween in the home. An annual summer residential holiday adds to young people’s overall experience. A member of staff said, ‘We want to create happy memories.’ Similar to their peers, young people are keen to spend time on the home’s computer tablet. Young people learn through a personalised reward system when they have achieved time to spend on the computer tablet. The large four-bedroomed home provides a clean, well-maintained, bright and welcoming environment. Since the last inspection, the home has benefited from redecoration. Leaders and managers have made significant improvements in the home’s environment. A welcome board at the home’s entrance helps young people to know who

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

is staying at the home and which staff will be looking after them. New flooring and photographic displays of young people’s activities and achievements, alongside a new book corner and a dressing-up corner, now add to the homely atmosphere. The communal spaces downstairs provide young people with opportunities to share mealtimes around the dining table, with the lounge area offering a wealth of games, books, music and films. The very large garden provides great opportunities for outdoor play, including a trampoline, swings and go-karts. The outside ‘den’ provides an additional area for play and relaxation. However, door frames in two bedrooms are poorly maintained. This does not pose a risk to the young people. Staff encourage and support young people’s family contact. This enables young people to maintain important relationships in their lives. Staff regularly communicate with parents, carers and professionals. Parents and carers receive written feedback after each

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young person’s short break and can contact the staff at any time. Staff’s use of home to school communication books ensures that the care staff provide is always responsive to young people’s changing needs on a daily basis. A parent summed up the home, ‘I am so grateful for having you all in my life and for all that you have done for [name of child]; words cannot really convey how thankful we are for all of your help and support.’

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

Young people are kept safe in the home. Through close supervision from committed and enthusiastic staff, young people develop warm and friendly relationships and a sense of safety, protection and trust in the adults who care for them. They are appropriately supervised and they do not go missing from the home. A parent wrote, ‘I completely trust in [name of child’s] safety and well-being when he is in their care.’ Staff are risk-aware but not risk-averse. Highly detailed community activity risk assessments, combined with staff vigilance and awareness, ensure that young people are kept safe. As a result, young people safely take full advantage of community Inspection report children’s home: SC037441 5 experiences. Staff’s understanding of young people in the home is very good. Comprehensive care plans address in detail how staff meet young people’s needs. Young people’s specialist diets and allergies are competently catered for, and their likes, dislikes, routines and

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

communication styles are recorded in detail. As a result, the knowledgeable staff provide young people with care and support in a ‘home from home’ environment. Staff’s detailed knowledge of young people who have learning disabilities results in a home where positive behaviour is actively encouraged. Young people’s positive handling plans help staff recognise very well the young people’s cues and triggers that can lead to anxiety and challenging behaviours. Staff’s skilled use of distraction and de-escalation techniques, such as ‘now and next’ symbols, a ten-minute timer or quiet time in the lounge to reduce challenging behaviours, is very successful. All staff receive accredited training in restraint techniques, and any physical intervention used in the home is appropriate. Restraint use is clearly recorded, including the verbal or non-verbal feedback of young people. Every young person receives a copy of the young people’s guide. The guide is good

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

quality, colourful and informative, and sets out clearly in pictorial and written form what young people can expect during their stay in the home. The inclusion of staff photographs and their pen portrait enhances the guide’s welcoming style. The home provides a safe environment for young people. Robust staff recruitment processes are in place. All staff receive training in child protection and safeguarding vulnerable young people. This helps to promote the young people’s safety. All certificates for fire and health and safety checks are current and reviewed in line with relevant guidance. However, during the inspection the daily fridge check had not taken place. This raises the risk that any out-of-date food may not be disposed of in a timely manner. Every young person has a personal evacuation plan, and regular fire drills take place when the young people are in the home. This ensures that young people and staff

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

are familiar with the procedures should an emergency occur.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff place the needs of young people at the heart of practice. Leaders and managers play an active role in the home and are highly visible. Staff enjoy working in the home, and describe leaders and managers as very supportive. Very effective staff handovers ensure that staff share detailed updates in relation to the young people’s health and well-being. This provides young people with seamless care. Staff attend regular team meetings and always review young people’s progress and share updates about the young people. This approach results in young people’s care being well informed and dynamic. A member of staff said, ‘The children are at the centre of all our work; we strive for their safety and happiness.’ Another member of staff said, ‘I am very proud of the home I work in. All of my colleagues are motivated and want what is best for our young people.’ This is evident throughout the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff’s mandatory and bespoke training is comprehensive. Regular team training days enhance staff’s knowledge. Training is tailored to the needs of the young people who stay at the home and is refreshed in line with guidance. All staff receive effective and timely formal supervision. This further enhances staff’s competence and confidence to Inspection report children’s home: SC037441 6 perform their roles skilfully. A member of staff said, ‘My manager is very supportive. She helps increase my knowledge and professional development.’ The registered manager and staff have good working relationships with the host local authority. The registered manager’s attendance and contribution to a local parent partnership group enhance collaborative working. Staff successfully encourage young people to attend and, when possible, contribute to their formal reviews. This approach, combined with staff’s purposeful working with partner agencies, regular attendance at

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

young people’s schools and contributions at young people’s reviews, ensures that young people receive ‘joined-up’ care. A social worker said, ‘Staff link strategies between home, school and the placement and provide consistent care.’ Another social worker said, ‘The staff keep really good communication with me, and we work together to develop the young person’s care.’ Parents, carers and social workers report good relationships and regular communication with the staff. A parent said, ‘I can talk to the staff at any time.’ A social worker added, ‘All the staff there work hard to improve the lives of all of our young people. Regular meetings take place and discussions take place about how to achieve the best outcomes for them.’ Professionals and parents regard this as a very good home. A social worker summed up the home by saying, ‘The young people who are lucky enough to stay here receive an excellent service.’

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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: SC037441 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: West Sussex County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Sussex County Council, Director of Social Services, County Hall, Tower Street, CHICHESTER, West Sussex PO19 1QT

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Inspector

Victoria Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037441 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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