Children's Home run by Springfield Road Children’s Homes Ltd in East Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC412296 1 SC412296 Registered provider: Springfield Road Children’s Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children. Its Statement of Purpose states that the home supports children whose behaviour has become a danger to themselves and to others and who require intensive support from carers.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 20 March 2019.

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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 outstanding

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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: SC412296 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2018 Full Good 29/06/2017 Full Good 04/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC412296 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure– that staff– assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 28/06/2019

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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

The registered person may only– employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that– the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; 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)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, is recorded in writing. 28/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC412296 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff deliver individualised care in a safe, nurturing environment in which children have opportunities to develop and learn to manage their emotions and keep themselves safe. The children experience warmth and attentiveness from the staff and develop trusting relationships, knowing that the staff will respond to their needs. The children speak positively about the care that they receive from the staff and say that they feel safe living in the home. One child stated, ‘Staff are nice; they care’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the particularly strong relationships that the managers and staff develop with children’s families. Children receive valuable support to improve and maintain their relationships and to achieve their goals. Staff work collaboratively with children’s families to promote children’s safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

With a sharp focus on meeting children’s emotional needs, staff help children to develop the ability to manage their emotions appropriately. Their behaviour improves. A social worker commented that a child’s self-harming behaviour had decreased in the short time that the child has been living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to supporting children’s education. Managers are proactive and challenging when the placing authorities are slow to identify appropriate education placements. Staff are sensitive and encouraging in their support for children who have not been attending school, to help them to re-engage with their education and fulfil their potential.

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

Detailed, individualised support plans and risk assessments clearly identify children’s needs and the measures that staff should use to help to protect them. Staff carefully consider risk management and acknowledge the need for children to become independent and to take appropriate risks. Through effective key working, staff help children to be aware of the risks that they face and how to keep themselves safe. Some incidents have not been included in children’s individual risk assessments. This has the potential for staff not fully to recognise and understand the current risk factors relating to children’s behaviour.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of the children’s complex needs. Through the positive relationships that staff have with the children and their thoughtful and sensitive care, children respond and their behaviour improves.

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

There are occasions, particularly in the initial stages when children move into the home, when they leave without permission. Staff react effectively and apply agreed procedures to safeguard them and to ensure their safe return. Staff are aware of the risks of child Inspection report children’s home: SC412296 5 sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation, and liaise appropriately with external safeguarding agencies to implement agreed safety plans. Through the intense work by the staff, children are reducing their incidence of absence from the home without permission.

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

The staff use physical intervention only as a last resort to prevent the risk of serious harm. Managers monitor and review incidents closely to evaluate safe practice and consider more effective ways of supporting children who are in distress. The staff are resilient when faced with periods of challenging behaviour, continuing to explore the reasons for the child’s behaviour. As staff come to know and understand the children, they are able to de-escalate difficult situations effectively.

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

Managers are diligent in ensuring that all recruitment checks on new staff are completed before they commence working at the home. However, there was no evidence that on one occasion a significant gap in an applicant’s employment history had been explored and the reasons considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Although only recently registered, the registered manager has had extensive experience of overseeing the service in her previous role as the operations manager. Together with the responsible individual, who is a qualified systemic psychotherapist, and other skilled and experienced senior leaders, the registered manager leads the staff team effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Senior managers lead by example, with passion, genuine warmth and aspirations for children to develop and achieve their full potential. All staff know the children very well and understand their complex needs and the progress that they are making. Relationships between the staff and children are meaningful and positive and help children to feel safe and secure while living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers lead by example and model good practice. They provide the staff with strong support and guidance to safeguard children and promote their development. Staff receive regular, reflective supervision which is supplemented by staff meetings, which now have a focus on group supervision with opportunities for staff to analyse children’s behaviour and explore alternative support strategies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Effective partnership working with external agencies and professionals is embedded in practice. Managers are proactive in challenging responses from other services to ensure that decisions are made in children’s best interests. A social worker commented that communication with managers is productive in agreeing approaches to support the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal and external monitoring of the home is thorough and drives continuous improvement. Managers have a clear focus on areas for development and for building on the home’s strengths. Inspection report children’s home: SC412296 6

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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 difference 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: SC412296 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Springfield Road Children’s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Cornfield Terrace, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4NN

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC412296 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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