Children's home run by PJL Healthcare Limited in Wealden

Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 1 SC068559 Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 16 children who have learning disabilities. The home provides long-term and short- break placements.

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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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people benefit from living at this home. Staff have high aspirations for their continued development and celebrate each step of success.  Staff are dedicated to ensuring that the young people enjoy their time at the Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 2 home and that their needs are not a barrier to them accessing wide-ranging and varied life experiences.  A strong safeguarding culture underpins the person-centred approach at the heart of this organisation.  Supportive staff encourage the young people to engage in education and promote their learning.  The young people are given stimulating activities, which engage them well in developing independence skills.  Leaders and managers inspire confidence through their well-organised and enthusiastic approach.

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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

 The registered person has not consistently ensured that serious events are notified promptly.  Not all records of physical intervention include specific details of which staff applied the measure.  Not all avoidable hazards have been removed from the premises.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/08/2016 Full Outstanding 25/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 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

12: The protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12 (2)(d)) Specifically, ensure that safety pins or similar items are not available to young people to whom they are known to present a risk. 28/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (Regulation 35 (3)(a) (vi) 28/03/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home‟s staff in response to the event. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 63, paragraph 14.13) Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people living at this home benefit from care delivered by attentive and interested staff. They have built trusting relationships with staff who take the time to learn their individual communication styles and are adept at interpreting their needs. As a result of this, the young people experience nurturing care from staff with whom they have built trusting relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three young people have been admitted to the home. One young person‟s impact assessment derived from the information provided identified her to be well matched. However, it soon transpired that her needs could not be safely managed at the home. Leaders and managers ensured the safety of the young people by implementing additional staffing as a short-term measure. This enabled the delivery of safe care to all of the young people during a challenging period.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to participate in regular home meetings. The staff support the young people to share their views using communication methods that suit the young people‟s complex and varied needs. Some young people have attended their review meetings, which is a significant achievement as they had been previously unable to tolerate such meetings. Young people managing to participate in decision-making forums is a good outcome.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are aspirational when planning goals and targets for the young people. They encourage them to work hard to achieve greater levels of independence. The staff use their initiative to support the young people to overcome barriers. One young person was struggling with brushing his teeth. His key workers have used inventive ways to encourage him to undertake this task. Some of the young people can now complete their personal care routine with minimal prompting. Another young person can prepare and cook a meal. These are good examples of the progress the young people have made with their independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are highly motivated in ensuring that the young people enjoy a wide range of fulfilling experiences and activities. Age-appropriate conversations about boys, hair and music are natural between staff and young people. Humour is used effectively to encourage young people to engage and chat about these interests. One young person enjoyed a stretch-limousine ride for her birthday. Another is working towards her favourite day out at a theme park. The staff are enthusiastic in ensuring that the young people‟s needs are not a barrier to them participating fully in life.

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

Safeguarding is a regular feature on the agenda in supervision and team meetings. The staff have the required training to give them the skills and knowledge to know what to Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 5 report, to whom and when. Communication with the designated officer is frequent and the manager is responsive to her advice. An example of this is the manager organising for staff to have some sessions about the young people‟s emerging personal identity needs following consultation with the designated officer.

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

At the last inspection, a recommendation was made regarding risk assessments. Risk assessments are now detailed. They reliably inform the staff of the risks to young people and provide clear strategies to reduce them. Regular reviews ensure that the risks are revisited as the young people change and develop. As a result of this, the staff have clear plans to guide them in keeping the young people safe.

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

The staff are knowledgeable regarding the young people‟s health needs. Their attentive care and careful monitoring ensures that the young people‟s complex health needs are managed effectively. However, on one occasion a young person who is known to put things in her mouth was able to find safety pins. These have since been removed but should not have been available to the young person at all.

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

Precise recording of behaviours enables the staff to notice patterns and trends. Staff have adapted plans around trigger times or events to enable the young people to work through challenging times. This has reduced the frequency of significant incidents for several young people. The careful planning has also enabled some young people to spend more time with their families. One young person recently spent two nights staying with their family. A parent said, „I‟m so happy my daughter can come home to stay now, and I know the staff are on call if we need them.‟ As a result of this, the young people are making progress with their individual behaviour goals.

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

Behaviour management is a team response. In general, the staff feel well supported and have good knowledge of the young people‟s needs. The staff are inventive in finding ways to support the young people to manage their behaviour. One young person is working towards a visit to a theme park. She was clear about what she needed to do to achieve this: „Follow my routine, be kind and work hard at college.‟

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort. Young people are debriefed by the manager and communication tools are used for some young people to ensure that their opinions are also gained. However, the records do not detail which staff applied which hold, such as who was supporting the left or right side of the young person.

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

The houses have a homely feel. They are individually decorated to suit the needs and tastes of the young people. One young person has a high ceiling. This has meant that she can have fairy lights and a television in her room. Another young person has a space outside his room for his toys and games, which he does not tolerate within the room. The staff have achieved a good balance of providing a safe and a homely environment for the young people.

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

Routine servicing of equipment further ensures that the premises are safe. Some specialist adaptions, such as window and door guards, further ensure the safety of the young people. As a result, the environment provides a safe and comfortable space for Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 6 the young people. The fire precautions are explained to all visitors and well understood by the young people and staff. Handovers include any arising health and safety issues on a daily basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have high aspirations for the young people and the staff. Expectations are clear and supervisions regularly review performance and progression. Annual appraisals ensure that staff are clear about the opportunities available to them from mentoring and training and are focused on achieving agreed goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training for staff is comprehensive. Staff undertaking their level 3 qualification are supported by a dedicated training manager and coordinator. A system of monthly targets with regular workshops is effective in supporting staff to achieve the qualification within the agreed time frame. Some staff have moved on. This has had some impact on the young people who had formed an attachment to them. The organisation has plans to review staff retention and recruitment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care. He makes good use of the independent visitor‟s reports to further enhance his service management. He uses these effectively to drive forwards improvements and continuously develop the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Investigations into allegations against staff are managed competently. The registered manager has good communication with the designated officer and local authority. As a result, the registered manager ensures that issues concerning staff are promptly resolved and appropriate action is taken to safeguard young people. This ensures that young people‟s safety is promoted. However, notifications of serious events have not all been made to Ofsted within 24 hours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working arrangements between the managers, staff, parents, placing authorities, police and education professionals are positive. A social worker said, „The communication is great, really clear. I know [young person] is being well cared for and I am kept up to date with any developments.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Development plans have ensured that the home has a regular cycle of maintenance and redecoration.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 7 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: SC068559 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC068559 9 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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