Children's home run by West Sussex County Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 1 SC037452 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

This home is operated by the local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children. Its statement of purpose says that the home provides care to children in a group-living environment that aims to support children who have had difficult experiences, many of whom have experienced significant trauma and attachment difficulties. The home adopts a multi-agency approach towards supporting children to overcome difficult issues and enable them to thrive and reach their full potential.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager at this home. The post has been vacant since 30 April 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the full inspection on 26 June 2018, a restriction of accommodation notice, which is in effect until 25 September 2018, was issued. Two compliance notices were also issued.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place on 7 August 2018. The restriction of accommodation notice had been adhered to, but the steps specified in the compliance notices had not been met. Additional concerns were identified in relation to the protection of children and consequently a notice to suspend the registration of the home was issued on 9 August 2018. This notice is in force until 1 November 2018.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/06/2018 Full Inadequate 01/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/07/2017 Full Good 23/11/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all options are explored to meet children’s health needs in a timely way. 03/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(vii)(d)) 03/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 4 Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that children’s individual risks are assessed and managed effectively, that staff can identify and act upon safeguarding concerns and that all staff practice is in accordance with the relevant child protection policies. Electrical appliances in children’s bedrooms must only be used when it is safe to do so.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to their full potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the admissions process, as described in the statement of purpose, must ensure that impact risk assessments are completed before a child is admitted to the home, that staff are competent to meet the needs of all children, that there are sufficient staff to ensure consistent care for all children and that effective monitoring systems identify areas for improvement in a timely way. 03/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that— 03/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 5 medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the designated person in the local authority is notified when a child makes an allegation that they have been harmed by a member of staff. 03/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

(a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11(2)(a)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there are personalised and effective anti-bullying plans for children who are being bullied by their peers. 03/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention. (Regulation 25(1)(c)) 03/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31(2)(a)) 03/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 6

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Recommendations

 Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care sets out the steps local authorities and their partners should take to prevent children from going missing and to protect them when they do go missing. Children’s homes should have regard to the relevant aspects of this guidance. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.25) Specifically, managers and staff should have regard to paragraph 28 of this guidance, which refers to professionals taking a supportive approach when a missing child is found.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Following the notice to suspend the registration of the home being issued on 9 August 2018, arrangements were made for the children to move to alternative placements. All children left the home by 10 August 2018. The authority has complied with the restriction of accommodation notice and the notice suspending the home’s registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The process for informing the children that the home would be closing was well-planned. This ensured that there were sufficient numbers of staff available to support the children when they were given the news. Staff adopted a sensitive, caring approach and this enabled the children to manage their anxieties effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Arrangements were made for all children to receive outreach support from staff at the home, following their moves. This ensured that the relationships the children had with the staff ended on a positive note. Staff have also been able to alert the children’s social workers to any concerns that have arisen as a result of them moving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

As there have been no children resident at the home since 10 August 2018, other aspects of practice, which were found to be inadequate at the full inspection and monitoring visit, were not examined at this inspection. The requirements and recommendation made following the monitoring visit on 7 August 2018 are therefore repeated.

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

Effective arrangements were implemented to ensure that information pertaining to the children’s vulnerabilities and associated risks were shared with the managers of their new care homes.

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

Other aspects of safeguarding and child protection practice that were found to be inadequate at the last two inspections were not examined at this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 7

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior managers have confirmed that a decision has not yet been made about the future of the home. Senior managers are aware that Ofsted must be kept informed of all decisions taken in respect of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff from the home are currently undertaking training to update their skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior managers have ensured that the home was closed in a planned, orderly manner. The needs of the children were prioritised in difficult circumstances. Other aspects of leadership and management, which were found to be inadequate at the last two inspections, were not examined at this inspection.

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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: SC037452 8

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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: Director of Social Services, County Hall, Tower Street, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1QT

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Inspector

Stephen Collett, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037452 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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