Children's Home run by The Amicus Community (Arundel) Ltd in West Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 1 Registered provider: The Amicus Community Arundel Limited

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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 children’s home is part of an independent children’s therapeutic community which is accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It provides therapeutic care for up to five children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered on 18 May 2012; he also manages the other of the organisation’s home.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 18 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(3)(c)(d)) 01/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

Other records Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(10)(2)(a)(b)) 01/01/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.39). In particular, ensure that staff obtain children’s views about sanctions and consequences.  Effective care planning and strong working relationships between the staff of the home and the placing authority are essential to the success of placements (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2). In particular, ensure that relevant professionals are informed of all serious incidents and concerns that arise.  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge.

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Recommendations

The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59). In particular, ensure that staff explore how the child feels about the behaviour management strategy used.  Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14 (‘Guide to the children’s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2). In particular, ensure that there is regular review and monitoring of the quality of care provided which explores children’s progress and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good support and care for children by using the home’s therapeutic approach. Children generally make good progress while living at the home, although this can be ‘small steps’ and is dependent upon children’s emotional well-being. Staff provide high levels of support and guidance for children, especially in times of distress and anxiety. Staff are alongside children at these times, and encourage them to talk about their experiences. The routine and structures of the home create stability and consistency. Staff are calm, caring and consistent in their approach and interactions with children. Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 5 Each child is engaged in full-time education and those who have recently arrived have clear transition plans that work towards full-time attendance at the organisation’s school. Children who have not previously attended school regularly, now do so. Children develop

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

personal, self-care and social skills through the intensive role modelling and guidance from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Detailed plans provide clarity on individual targets, aims and areas to develop, though there is currently no system in place to review progress against these. Staff support and enable children to maintain contact with family and friends, and additional support and guidance are sought should concerns arise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete thorough pre-admission assessments in which they consider and explore the impact of new arrivals to the home. Staff support children well to arrive and move on from the home following clear transition plans. They prepare children in the home for new arrivals to it. When staff identify that they can no longer meet a child’s needs, they include other professionals in reviewing the way forward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children so that their physical and emotional health needs are met. They quickly source specialist help and guidance if this is required. Once a child is settled in the home, they are encouraged to engage in therapy which is individualised to suit their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are continually involved in decisions that are made about life in the home. They make choices about how their bedrooms are presented, the activities they take part in and menu planning. They were recently involved in planning the home’s summer holiday. The daily home meetings provide a regular opportunity to share thoughts and views. The regular link sessions are a strength of the home and children enjoy the one- to-one sessions with staff in or out of the home.

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

There is a robust safeguarding culture in the home and staff have good knowledge of what is required to manage risk and keep children safe. Staff report and refer concerns swiftly if needed. Allegations are referred to the correct external agencies and internal investigations provide lessons to be learned which impact on staff practice.

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

Children have good relationships with staff and each child has a trusted adult they can confide in. Those who have lived in the home for a time begin to feel safe; they are supported to explore their previous experiences, traumas and feelings. Staff mindfully support children through this and remind them that they are held in their thoughts.

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

Staff are trained in the home’s behaviour management approach and regularly use physical intervention. The quality of records has improved and these now evidence what has occurred before, during and after the event. This enables managers to review and evaluate actions and assess how effective measures are. Staff speak with children after the event to explore and review the incident. Leaders and managers do review behaviour support plans and amend them when required. The monthly reports, in which Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 6 they update others on the frequency of behavioural interventions, do not currently specify what level of intervention has been applied.

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

Staff do use consequences and sanctions for negative behaviour, including following damage to property. Previously, they had not been consistently recording these, though this is under review and the quality of recent records has improved. However, records do not evidence that the staff explore all behaviour management strategies used or what a child feels about the measure used.

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

Episodes of missing and unauthorised absence are well managed through a coordinated approach. Staff follow detailed risk assessments which give guidance on what is required to manage and minimise risk. These documents have improved, and provide more practical advice and guidance for staff. Staff actively seek children, and talk with children on their return to check on their well-being and establish their reasons for going missing.

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

Recruitment processes and records are incomplete and do not evidence that all required issues have been explored. One record did not clearly state the reason for gaps in employment history and another did not evidence that checks had been sought from the applicants time in another country.

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

There has been instability and much change in the home since the previous inspection. The home was managed by a day-to-day manager who has been absent for three months. There has been a high turnover off staff and this is being addressed through a continual recruitment drive, use of agency staff and amendments to the support offered to staff. The registered manager, who also oversees another home, has implemented some strategies to support the home through this period, which are proving beneficial. The organisation is currently reviewing this management structure.

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

Leaders and managers have implemented new systems to improve the quality of the monitoring and evaluation of records, and the quality of care provided by the home. Weaknesses identified through the regular independent visits to the home and the senior leaders’ auditing of the home have been addressed, although some actions need to be further embedded into practice. The more regular visits to the home by senior managers have had a positive impact on the staff’s well-being and the children’s acceptance of their presence. The home environment has improved in its presentation through the daily attendance of maintenance and domestic staff.

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

The development plan details the home’s weaknesses and what actions are required to improve the areas identified. However, this has not been regularly reviewed, monitored or updated to reflect the current situation, so the report gives the impression that matters have not been addressed as required within the identified deadline.

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

Staff are well supported through regular, effective supervision and the exploration of a wide variety of additional reflective opportunities. Their practice is reviewed at least Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 7 annually. Line-management supervision has not been routinely recorded on the organisation’s pro forma. Staff access a wide variety of training appropriate to their role. The recent safeguarding training has updated their knowledge and understanding. Staff are enrolled on the required qualification.

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

Newly appointed staff complete an induction period in which they read the home’s policy and procedures, complete online training and shadow more experienced staff in the home. Those staff who are within their probation periods have their practice reviewed at three- and six-monthly intervals.

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

Leaders and managers form good professional relationships with others outside of the home. They have clarity, understanding and knowledge regarding children’s needs, and request review when they feel they can no longer meet a child’s needs. They collaborate well with others in order to plan and prepare children to achieve good outcomes. When there have been challenges and difficulties in sustaining good professional relationships, the staff review these issues and learn lessons from them.

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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: 1246834 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Amicus Community Arundel Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Amicus Community, PO Box 79, Arundel BN18 9XA

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Inspector

Amanda Maxwell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1246834 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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