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

Inspection report children’s home: 1250194 1 Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that is registered to provide care for up to four children, aged between eight and 18. The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2017.

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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 to 15 December 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2017 Full Good 30/08/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1250194 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has created a safe environment in which young people can start to make good progress. The staff’s ability to develop meaningful and trusting relationships with the young people is good and supports them to change previous negative behaviours. In addition, young people have started to talk openly to the staff about previous and current risky behaviours. This enables the staff to support them in reconsidering their lifestyle choices and in keeping themselves safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and his staff team work with a range of professionals to ensure that young people make progress in their education, health and social development. Arrangements to support young people to overcome their barriers to learning and to take part in meaningful education are challenging at times. However, staff show commitment to help the young people to overcome these barriers. Each young person has individual goals that all staff are very well informed of. The staff maintain effective communication with education provisions and work closely with education leaders, teachers and virtual head teachers to ensure that the most appropriate education placement is found.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team members listen to the young people, take their views, wishes and feelings seriously and act as a result. Young people feel comfortable in expressing their views. No complaints have been made since the last inspection. Young people are supported to engage with the wide range of professionals involved in their lives and the staff will advocate on their behalf when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improvements to the home’s admission processes have included more robust communication with local authorities to ensure that decision making is of best practice. This has led to improved placement stability.

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

The staff help young people to understand risk and how to stay safe. Where indicated, young people receive support from a wide range of professionals. Relationships between the manager, his staff team and the numerous professionals involved in the young people’s lives are good.

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

The staff are trained to keep the young people safe. Safeguarding training is targeted and meaningful. The manager undertakes regular safeguarding competency testing to ensure that his staff team keeps up to date and uses this to identify individual training needs. Young people say that they feel safe at the home and with the staff team.

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

Child protection and safeguarding concerns are managed efficiently and effectively. There is good-quality monitoring and auditing of all incidents and referrals made, which ensures that they are followed up in a timely manner. This close monitoring has improved considerably since the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1250194 3 The staff understand the risks that the use of the internet and social media may pose to young people. The staff use key-worker sessions and other appropriate opportunities to help young people to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

The staff have a good understanding of the young people’s needs. Well-written individual risk assessments provide clear strategies to lessen the risks associated with known or new presenting behaviours. Collaborative working with social workers, specialists and therapists results in care plans that are well informed and through their application young people’s needs are well met. The use of risk assessments and accompanying strategies contributes to a reduction in challenging behaviours. Young people are gradually learning how to manage their anxieties and worries.

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

Robust health and safety checks ensure that the physical environment for young people is safe and secure. Good recruitment procedures and regular monitoring of the staff help to prevent unsuitable people being employed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is effectively and efficiently managed by a permanent, suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. He has developed his management skills considerably since being registered. He leads an increasingly stable team of enthusiastic staff. The members of the staff team work well together and they enjoy their roles and the time that they spend with the young people. Staff morale is much improved since the last inspection. Overall, this has a positive impact on young people’s progress, experiences and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed effective working relationships with other professionals who are involved with each young person. A social worker spoke positively about the communication received from the home and of the care practices in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive mandatory training so that they can practice safely. Staff are supported well through supervision. They are well informed and focused on their roles. They practice without prejudice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are strong advocates for the young people. Records are organised and well written. The manager challenges other professionals appropriately when it is in the young people’s best interest.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One area noted by the inspector, that all visitors are to be informed that the home is a nut-free environment, was acted on during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. He has concentrated on developing a stable staff team whose members can deliver good-quality care. He is clear in his commitment to continually develop the home. He is supported by senior managers and leaders to make improvements. Inspection report children’s home: 1250194 4

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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: 1250194 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited

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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: 1250194 6 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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