Children's home run by Seaside Care Homes Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1267413 1 Registered provider: Seaside Care Homes Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to five children who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and highly complex healthcare needs. Due to these highly complex healthcare needs, the home is also registered with the Care Quality Commission for the treatment of disease, disorder or injury and personal care. The home provides both long-term and short-break accommodation.

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Judgement at last inspection: outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, four recommendations were set. The manager has met most of the recommendations. The manager provides enthusiastic and effective leadership. She works closely with the senior team to ensure that the service is consistently well managed and that the quality of care and support for the children remains extremely high.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager takes positive action to continuously drive improvement. However, six of the last seven visits conducted by the independent visitor have been announced. This limits the independent visitor’s ability to provide an accurate evaluation of the service to Inspection report children’s home: 1267413 2 help the manager’s review.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The building is well maintained, spacious, clean and safe. The number of adaptations and presence of specialised equipment does not detract from the warm, homely atmosphere. Since the last inspection, the manager has risk assessed the use of blinds with pull cords and ensured that the blinds have quick release devices. This has improved the safety arrangements at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The assessment of the suitability of the home’s location incudes limited information about risks and opportunities presented by local health and education services. Although the manager has a good knowledge of the local area, improving the risk assessment would provide clearer guidance for the staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager ensures that clear written agreements are in place when audio monitors or restrictive measures such as safe-space beds are used. The use of these measures is periodically reviewed to ensure that there is no unnecessary impact on children’s dignity and freedom of movement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are fully aware that keeping children safe is their core duty. Parents and partner professionals are confident that the children feel safe and secure. The staff receive training in safeguarding, but this does not cover the needs of disabled children. Consequently, staff may not be alert to the issues that can increase disabled children’s vulnerability.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children all have extremely high healthcare needs and therefore the service is also registered with the Care Quality Commission. Meticulous planning before children begin to have short breaks or come to live at the home ensures that the children are appropriately placed. The staff are well supported. They are competent to deliver the bespoke care packages that the children need. As a result, the children maintain optimum health during their stay.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff enable children to express their thoughts, wishes and feelings at whatever level they can. The children are encouraged to use ‘yes’ and ‘no’ boards to make choices. Staff use their detailed knowledge to understand each child’s communication. For example, staff identified that a child would hit staff only when offered personal care during the child’s favourite television shows. Waiting until the show has finished means that the child and staff are both happier. A parent said, ‘They [the staff] see through the complex needs to the child within.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff help children to develop their awareness of the world around them through sensory-based activities. This is a very inclusive service in which the staff refuse to see disability as a barrier to trying new things. The staff are busy planning summer activities. They plan to attend a local disability inclusive outdoor-activity festival again, where the children will have the opportunity to try new things such as rock climbing, go-karting, abseiling and ziplining, and they can party into the evening.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff work very closely with families. The relationships that have developed mean Inspection report children’s home: 1267413 3 that the home is frequently seen as an extension of the child’s family support circle. For example, the children all enjoyed a lively evening at one child’s Grandad’s 80 th birthday party.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is held in high esteem by parents and partner professionals. A partner professional said, ‘[The staff] get a lot out of [the child]. He’s thriving.’ A parent said, ‘It’s really great. They treat him like their own.’

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12) In particular, provide staff with safeguarding training that addresses the vulnerabilities and needs of disabled children.  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under Regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, ensure that visits carried out under Regulation 44 are not always announced, and that the reports demonstrate that the visitor has spent time with

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Recommendations

children to understand the quality of care provided.  Review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report children’s home: 1267413 4

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Seaside Care Homes Limited

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1267413 5 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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