Children's home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in Mid Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC426530 1 SC426530 Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The service can accommodate three young people who may also access the on-site school. The home is one of nine children’s homes operated by this private company. The home was last inspected in December 2017 and subsequently received two monitoring visits in March and May 2018.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since July 2018. However, a new manager who is now in post has submitted an application that is currently being processed by the regulator.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 7 December 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

A restriction notice was applied in March 2018 and lifted in May 2018. Two compliance notices were served in March 2018 and judged as met in May 2018. Inspection report children’s home: SC426530 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2017 Full Good 01/11/2016 Full Good 07/09/2016 Full Inadequate 27/01/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC426530 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.3

Requirement Due date

receive practice-based supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive regular supervision as stated in the home’s supervision policy. 21/12/2018

p.3

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—

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensures that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(e))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, continue to decrease the use of agency staff, and decrease the movement of staff working across other homes run by the organisation, to lessen the possible negative impact on the children accommodated at this home. 21/12/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29(4))

p.3

Requirement Due date

Specifically, provide training on managing complaints. 21/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC426530 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive a good standard of care provided by a suitably qualified staff team. They live in a home where the staff deliver individualised care in a nurturing environment. Young people are supported to develop, and are given opportunities to learn to manage their emotions appropriately and decrease their risk-taking behaviours. Overall, they are making good progress.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people make trusting relationships with the staff, who get to know them quickly. The staff have a good level of knowledge about each young person; they understand the impact of previous life experiences on the young people, the reasons for patterns of behaviour and the effect on each young person’s ability to maintain healthy relationships. They know young people’s vulnerabilities and risks and can identify triggers, so that strategies can be put in place to minimise incidents. The staff have a good understanding of the young people’s likes and dislikes.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are making good progress across all areas of their lives. The manager and the staff work with a range of professionals to ensure that young people make good progress in their education, health and social development. Current young people manage full-time education with 100% attendance. Young people receive the correct therapeutic interventions, and as a result have decreased risky behaviours such as self- harm.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a voice in the running of the home and in decisions made about their lives. They are confident in making their voices heard. For those who find communication difficult, the staff have implemented various ways of making this easier for them, for example by using pictures to express themselves. The staff take all young people’s views and opinions seriously. Young people listen, and take the guidance that staff offer. The positive relationships enable the home to function in a calm and organised way. This inspection was undertaken during the school half term, and all young people were happily engaging in their chosen activities.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team facilitates contact arrangements so that young people can maintain healthy relationships with family and friends. Feedback from parents included: `the staff are amazing’, ‘my child loves it here’, ‘I can’t fault the care’ and ‘excellent transition process’.

p.4

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

Safeguarding practices have improved in the last few months. In a relatively short period of time, the new manager has overseen a significant reduction in risky behaviours, a large decrease in the number of incidents of going missing and a substantial decrease in the number and severity of self-harm incidents. Relationships with external agencies have improved, with the manager committed to maintaining the good working relationships she has developed with agencies such as the police. Inspection report children’s home: SC426530 5 The home is now a safe place for the young people to live in. The staff are better able to protect them. Safeguarding practices ensure that any cause for concern or allegation is managed well. The manager is suitably trained and qualified to oversee all aspects of safeguarding. She has good oversight of all records and staff practices. The staff are competent in assessing the risks and putting strategies in place to lessen their likelihood

p.4

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

of occurring. Young people are helped to understand the risks and how to stay safe. Staff are very aware of the need to allow the young people to be independent and to take appropriate risks. Feedback from young people included: `I am happy here’, ‘I feel safe’ and ‘Staff look after me well’.

p.5

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

The staff use key-worker sessions to help young people understand how to keep themselves safe. The staff are very aware and well informed of the risks to young people in the local and wider areas.

p.5

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

Staff were observed to be providing common-sense advice to the young people. Staff follow clear strategies and apply clear boundaries. As a result, there has been a very low number of incidents of young people going missing or being restrained, and of other serious incidents or matters requiring safeguarding referrals to other agencies.

p.5

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

The young people are protected by careful recruitment procedures. Robust health and safety checks ensure that the physical environment of the home is safe and protects young people from harm, or the risk of harm.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been through a significant period of change in the last six months. Concerns raised to Ofsted in March 2018 were addressed at a monitoring visit undertaken the same month that resulted in a restriction notice and two compliance notices being applied. Ofsted monitored these notices closely and lifted the restriction notice in May 2018, and judged the two compliance notices to be met at the same time.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new manager commenced in July 2018 and she is currently seeking registration with Ofsted. She is suitably qualified, has previous management experience and has experience of working with vulnerable young people. She has had a positive impact in the home and has successfully implemented changes since her arrival. She knows the home’s strengths and has identified areas for development. This has resulted in a calm and much better organised home. The staff are more cohesive, working together well, and young people have made considerable progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides strong leadership and management that both the young people and staff team have responded well to. She provides good support to the staff and knows the young people well. This means the staff team can focus on achieving the best outcomes for young people. The majority of staff receive regular supervision, although records show that for some staff it is not taking place as regularly as it should. The staff undertake a wide range of training that is supported by competency testing to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of the training. The manager is aware of her own Inspection report children’s home: SC426530 6 development needs, such as training in the management of complaints.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The transitions for the two new young people have been very well planned. This has been recognised by parents and social workers and can be seen in the calm atmosphere in the home, where young people have made good progress within a short period of time.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing numbers have improved as a result of an ongoing recruitment drive. At times, the staff from this home are asked to cover at other homes and are aware of the possible negative impact this may have on the young people. Agency and bank staff are used for cover, but much less frequently than they were previously. The manager’s and the staff’s commitment to the young people and their willingness to support each other have resulted in a strong team supporting young people effectively.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All young people are treated as individuals, in a fair and non-discriminatory manner. The objectives of the home, as demonstrated in the statement of purpose, are embraced by the whole staff team.

p.6

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.

p.6

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: SC426530 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

p.7

Inspector

Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC426530 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8