Children's home run by Brighton and Hove City Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC032315 1 SC032315 Registered provider: Brighton and Hove City 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

A local authority runs this short-break children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 February 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children’s home: SC032315 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2018 Full Outstanding 23/03/2017 Full Outstanding 10/05/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC032315 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people engage in a wide range of activities in spaces that include a sensory room, soft play garden room and a large activity space filled with musical instruments and touch-screen devices. This enhances their experience of the short break. They make excellent progress in developing social interaction skills and creative expression.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff communicate well with young people using digital technology and life story work. Young people make outstanding progress, such as being able to construct full sentences for the first time. Young people make key decisions during their stay at the home, For example, choosing the staff who support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff go above and beyond their responsibility to support young people’s education. They regularly visit schools, so that they can support the young people to achieve their education targets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff advocate for young people, contributing actively to care and support planning. They take a strong role in supporting transitions for young people and challenge decisions when necessary. Staff stay in contact with young people after their transition. Young people come back for tea and see their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Parents spoke positively of the new experiences young people have during their short break. They spoke of the varied and enriching activities that their child may not always have access to at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The environment is of an exceptionally high quality throughout. Staff have given much thought to ensure that young people with a range of disabilities and complex health needs can access the relaxing living spaces. Young people feel at home in bedrooms that have lots of personal touches. A parent said, ‘It feels like an extension of their home.’

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

Young people feel very safe and supported in the home. Parents reflected extremely positively on how much they trust the staff to care for their individual child’s needs.

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

Young people have a clear voice, and staff are attuned to their preferred mode of communication. Staff are aware of any changes of behaviour that may indicate a young person is at risk. Staff understand the safeguarding process to follow in case of any concerns.

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

Staff demonstrate an impressive approach to risk management and show a clear understanding of the young people’s vulnerabilities. They adapt behaviour and risk management strategies rapidly after reflecting on incidents. Staff keep young people as safe as possible. Inspection report children’s home: SC032315 4 Staff are trained in the home’s behaviour management strategy. They demonstrate a thorough understanding of the statutory guidance relating to physical intervention. The number of such interventions since the last inspection is small. Staff are adept at gaining the views of young people with communication difficulties following an incident. This helps to prevent reoccurrence. Staff share strategies with parents, which leads to significant improvement in behaviour in the home environment. A parent said, ‘I feel upskilled,’ and was able to articulate about the improved behaviour of their child.

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

The registered manager plans short breaks exceptionally well. She fully considers the dynamics of the group. Young people enjoy each other’s company, celebrating their differences. Staff are very adaptable and calm when dealing with emergency placements. They carefully assess the impact on others already accessing the service. Disruption to the routine working of the home is minimised while permanent placements are sought.

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

There are outstanding examples of research into safeguarding, such as the development of e-safety guidance. Staff gather a wide range of resources to enable young people with disabilities to understand the risks in the cyber world. One young person had lost access to the internet after being judged to be at risk. Caring and thoughtful work from the team enabled her to engage in online activities safely again.

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

The registered manager adopts safer recruitment procedures. She only employs adults considered suitable to work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager returned to the home in 2017, following an internal secondment in 2016, having been the registered manager previously since 2007. She has excellent leadership skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a noticeably clear vision of the service. She has extremely high aspirations for the young people in her care. She has a very well-developed understanding of the needs of the young people. She identifies key risks relating to their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The well-established team has a wide range of professional skills and expertise. The registered manager has created a culture in which staff are continually striving for improvement. Staff utilise the professional expertise of occupational therapists to ensure that they meet the individual needs of each young person. A parent said that the home is ‘a model of exceptional practice’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The senior team supports staff well. Senior team members ensure that staff have training of a high quality and it is regularly reviewed. Staff have the skills to deliver the best possible outcomes. Supervision is regular and of high quality. Morale in the team is very high. Inspection report children’s home: SC032315 5 Monitoring and evaluation are of an extremely high standard. The registered manager uses the comprehensive internal and external monitoring to develop practice. Parental complaints are rare. The manager handles these effectively, ensuring that parents have an active voice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work with other professionals including those from education and health to ensure that care planning is tailored to the needs of individual young people. Staff keep excellent records, keeping young people’s goals at the centre of their practice. Key- workers meticulously monitor progress and provide regular updates to the registered manager. Consequently, young people make outstanding progress.

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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: SC032315 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Brighton BN3 3BQ

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Inspector

Peter Jackson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032315 7 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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