Children's home run by West Sussex County Council

Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 1 SC037447 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

The home is registered to accommodate up to 16 children irrespective of gender, aged between five and 18 years old, who have a learning disability. This is a local authority home that provides short- and long-stay accommodation.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2007.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/08/2017 Full Good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/10/2016 Full Good 18/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that records are clear and detailed. 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the child; details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered 28/02/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 4 person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the effectiveness of sanctions is recorded consistently.

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4) This is with reference to ensuring that records, such as risk assessments and care plans, are kept up to date and contain the necessary details.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive high-quality care which helps some to make huge strides in their lives. Their disabilities mean that they need carefully thought through support, and this is delivered with enthusiasm and diligence by a staff team that shows genuine warmth and care. Children‟s different needs and idiosyncrasies are enjoyed and celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While the quality of care is of a high standard, some records lack depth or detail and some key documents have not been reviewed or kept up to date. While this has not had an impact on children‟s well-being, it means that some information is lacking or is inaccurate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend full-time education. Staff advocate strongly on behalf of the children in order to ensure that they receive the opportunities to which they have a right.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children‟s individual methods of communication. They understand children‟s behaviours as communication and this helps the staff to ascertain the children‟s wishes and feelings. As a result, the children are able to influence how they are cared for and are able to make choices in areas such as activities and menus. While the children may not be able to understand the concept of making a complaint, staff are aware of how they make their displeasure or unhappiness known. This means that issues can be addressed promptly and the child reassured and comforted. Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 5 A „can do‟ approach by the staff team means that strenuous efforts are made to give the children opportunities to take part in enriching and interesting activities. Incremental approaches support the children to develop confidence and this helps them to expand their interests, social skills and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful support is provided to children who struggle with attending health appointments. This has had great success in some cases. Consequently, children‟s health needs are more thoroughly understood and their needs better met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain good contact with their families. Members of staff are very good at working with families to ensure that they feel involved in their child‟s care. Liaison with families and the support given to them is a strength of this service. „They have done a fantastic job, my child loves it there,‟ reported a parent. These sorts of comments about the service from families are not unusual. They underpin and confirm the efforts made by the team to reassure families that their children are safe and loved at this home.

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

Children‟s well-being and safety are at the centre of practice. Their learning difficulties make them particularly vulnerable and this means that staff have to plan effectively and in detail to ensure that they are kept safe.

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

All members of staff are trained in safeguarding matters and know what to do and who to inform if they have any concerns. Managers are quick to address any matters and implement plans swiftly to protect the children. There are clear processes in place to follow in the event that a child is missing from the home. There was one incident in September which was swiftly responded to and protocols followed. As a result, the child was returned home without any harm. The registered manager ensured that the incident was examined and strategies implemented to prevent reoccurrence. Recording about this incident, made by members of staff, does lack detail and this has been recognised by the registered manager.

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

Children have bespoke behaviour management plans to guide staff and to help them develop their coping strategies and social skills at a rate commensurate with their understanding and abilities. Staff help the children to manage their anxieties and to have clear guidance and support readily available when it is needed.

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

Some children are able to understand the consequences of their behaviour. This has meant that some sanctions, such as loss of time on electronic devices, can be implemented for negative behaviour. The effectiveness of these measures is not consistently recorded by staff and this makes monitoring difficult.

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

On occasion, physical intervention has been used to prevent injury. The records of these incidents are good and give clear explanations as to why the measure was used. Senior members of staff review these to ensure that practice has been appropriate and to assess whether any changes are needed to strategies or care plans. Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 6 Recruitment of staff is thorough and ensures that all necessary background checks are completed before a member of staff starts work. This ensures that only staff with appropriate employment histories work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides clear, strong leadership. She is very aware of the strengths and weaknesses of this service and plans accordingly to improve the quality of care. She is also very aware of the progress children have made and ensures that success is celebrated and shared so that the children, and their families, can be proud of their achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong core of experienced staff who show commendable commitment to the children in their care. All receive appropriate training and regular supervision which enables them to reflect on their practice. The training and support ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to provide highly effective care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is going through a period of change, which includes the appointment of a bursar and assimilation of staff redeployed from other homes run by the organisation. This has been well structured, and staff feel well prepared and welcomed into the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recording in some documents lacks detail and this can inhibit review and assessment of events. For example, some risk assessments and care plans have not been updated or do not show that they have been reviewed to ensure that they are still relevant. This has not been consistently identified by staff responsible for auditing the documents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and senior members of staff are very good at maintaining contact with all stakeholders, including child protection agencies, social workers and parents. The sharing of information is effective in ensuring that issues and incidents can be addressed quickly, and this promotes children‟s safety and well-being. Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 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: SC037447 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: County Hall, West Street, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1RQ

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Inspector

Paul Taylor, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC037447 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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