Children's Home run by Crusoe Care Limited 06843979 in East Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 1 SC484302 Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who have complex behavioural difficulties. Accommodation is provided in a semi-detached residential house. It is owned by a private company that has one other small children’s home located close by. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2011.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2017 Full Good 16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good 11/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 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 care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) In particular, ensure that care plans are kept up to date. 12/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(d)) 12/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32 (1)) 12/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; and ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered manager and responsible individual undertake training in safer recruitment and designated safeguarding lead training. 12/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 4

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Recommendations

 Children’s reasonable preferences in relation to day-to-day arrangements should be met with consideration given to safeguarding, particularly in relation to the use of technology. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21) In particular, completing a written agreement with children so that they know how staff will keep them safe online and/or when using their mobile phones.  The registered person must ensure the necessary support is given to children to enable them to access their education or training. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13) In particular, managers must ensure that if children do not attend school there is an alternative plan in place which staff adhere to.  The level of delegated authority should be recorded in the placement plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

38, paragraph 8.9) In particular, this document should be reviewed and amended to reflect changing circumstances.

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improvement to be good

Although aspects of the direct care provided are good, shortfalls in safeguarding and leadership and management undermine the ability to provide the quality of care which the managers and staff aspire to.

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improvement to be good

Care plans, and healthcare plans, are not updated following the receipt of new information or significant changes. Staff do not have the most up-to-date information to meet the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

An agreement made with the local authority and parents specifying who can make day- to-day decisions for young people has not been reviewed despite changes in a child’s maturity and plans for him to return home.

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improvement to be good

Staff struggle to ensure that one child accesses education regularly. Staff actively encourage him to participate. However, this is not effective enough. The registered manager has not devised an activity plan for the child when he is not attending tuition. There is a plan in place to wake him up for school and encourage his attendance. This is not consistently implemented by staff. This does not give the child a clear message that his academic success is valued. The other child is attending school and making good Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 5 academic and social progress. The registered manager and teaching staff liaise closely to ensure that they work together to support his education.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand safe internet use. They provide the children with information about risks in the cyber world. Measures such as using software to restrict access to risky sites and time-limited Wi-Fi access are agreed with them. However, there is no written agreement in place to formalise the rules and responsibilities for the children. This may inhibit their understanding of the consequences of any misuse.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the children to work towards independence, to complete pathway plans and to learn new skills. One child is now able to manage being out on his own in the community. Another child is looking forward to gaining work experience and travelling independently to the work place.

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improvement to be good

Staff care for and engage well with the children. The children were observed to have positive relationships with the staff. They are encouraged to participate in a range of activities, including the gym, visiting theme parks, table tennis and snooker clubs.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has updated all policies, including safeguarding policies. However, only one member of staff has signed to say that they have read and understood them.

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improvement to be good

The lone working policy states that a risk assessment should be in place to identify the risks arising to the children and staff and to put strategies in place to reduce risks. This has not taken place despite staff regularly caring for children on their own. This means that practice is not demonstrably safe.

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improvement to be good

Fire evacuations are not undertaken regularly despite the fire safety policy stating that this should be undertaken monthly. This misses the opportunity to give new staff and children practice in how to act in the event of a fire.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practice is not strong. Referees are not verified by telephone call and in two cases only one reference was sought. Recordings of formal interviews were not kept to evidence that new staff are experienced and suitable for the job. The registered manager has not undertaken training in recruitment to equip him with the skills to recruit staff safely.

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improvement to be good

There was a well-coordinated response to a child who regularly left the home without permission to visit his family. Staff were in close contact with his family, social worker and the police to ensure that he was safe. He is now working to a plan to move back home and no longer goes missing.

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improvement to be good

None of the children have come to harm because of the shortfalls identified and other Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 6 aspects of safeguarding practice are good. The positive relationships between the staff and children ensure that children have someone to talk to. Staff are able to offer the children the necessary advice and support to help them to learn how to keep themselves safe in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager undertakes quality audit checks to highlight strengths and weaknesses of the service. An external auditor recommends areas of improvement which are usually acted on, although some recommendations have been repeated. The registered manager and responsible individual have done a lot to address areas of improvement. However, there are still areas that need addressing as highlighted in this report.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings provide opportunities for learning and professional development. These forums support staff to effectively manage children’s issues and to develop strategies to reduce the occurrence of difficult behaviours. However, they are not regular, which is a missed opportunity to collectively share essential information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff report that they are listened to by managers, who they in turn value. The outcome of external inspections is discussed as an agenda item to inform staff regarding the standards that are expected. Staff communicate well together; handovers enable staff to share information and to plan the children’s time effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive good-quality supervision when it takes place. They can reflect on the emotional impact that their work has on them. Staff discuss children’s needs and reflect on practice and the impact on the children. However, there are some months when supervisions have not been undertaken. In addition, appraisals have not occurred annually.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A comprehensive range of training courses give staff the opportunity to update their skills and knowledge. All staff have gained the level 3 qualification, or equivalent, or are enrolled on the course. However, there are no records to show how new staff are inducted into the home and how gaps in knowledge or experience are addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a locality assessment for the home which identifies some of the risks that children could be exposed to in their local community. However, managers have not covered all the risks that children, parents and social workers might reasonably wish to consider when placing children in the home, such as the proximity to the sea or train stations. Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 7

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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: SC484302 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 25 Clinton Place, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 1NP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy McIlwaine

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC484302 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 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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