Children's Home run by The Cuckfield Care Consultancy Limited in West Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC066466 1 SC066466 Registered provider: The Cuckfield Care Consultancy Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private children’s home is registered to accommodate up to six children. The home’s statement of purpose states that it provides medium- to long-term placements for vulnerable children with emotional, behavioural and psychological needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 7 December 2016.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC066466 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/05/2018 Full Outstanding 25/07/2017 Full Good 15/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC066466 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy excellent, respectful relationships with staff who understand them and know them well. Personalised approaches enable children to manage their emotions and keep themselves safe. Children experience warmth and a high level of nurture from highly experienced and skilled staff. This creates an atmosphere of calm. As a result, children feel happy and secure, and are thriving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff are ambitious for children. They understand care-plan goals and support the children to achieve their potential. As a result, children move on successfully, whether this is to foster care, semi-independence or a more specialist provision. Effective outreach and aftercare mean that children can still benefit from the relationships they have built with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Education is highly valued by staff. They work with school staff effectively and have established excellent links with the virtual school. Most children have positive educational experiences in line with their needs. Those children who currently attend school achieve 100% attendance. When children have experienced disrupted schooling, there has been a collaborative approach to creating fresh opportunities, with the aim of addressing barriers to education and supporting re-engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff are committed and enthusiastic. They understand their strengths and weaknesses, and work together to provide the best care possible. The staff’s pride in their work creates an environment where the children want to invest in their future. Children are encouraged to consider those who are less fortunate. Children engage in fundraising ventures, which have included donating money to the local hospice and preparing to take part in a charity run. Staff help the children to think about and work towards becoming the adults they aspire to be.

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

Staff are successful in providing a safe and stable environment where children can settle and progress. Staff guide children to take responsibility and help them to consider the consequences of their actions through encouragement and modelling positive behaviour. For example, a child who went missing regularly, no longer goes missing. Staff help the children to celebrate their successes and understand the positive impact their choices have on their future.

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

The registered manager and the staff know the children well, and are highly attuned to their needs. Team meetings are used to assess and analyse children’s behaviour. Staff agree approaches that will help to protect and develop the children. These approaches include providing access to external therapy. Staff are honest, direct and caring in their approach to addressing behaviour. Staff maintain consistent boundaries and Inspection report children’s home: SC066466 4 expectations, which are respected and well received by the children. Children want to behave well and progress.

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

Professionals complimented managers and staff on their skill in responding to complex health needs. Staff have addressed health needs with great sensitivity and care to help enhance the quality of children’s lives. When specialist support is needed, staff strongly advocate to secure appropriate services.

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

Staff promote opportunities for the children to develop independence. This allows children to take proportionate risks while at the same time enabling the staff to manage their safety Children are given the freedom to experience childhood norms, such as travelling to school independently and using local resources, in line with their age. Staff help young people to develop specific skills in readiness for independence.

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

The children are educated on a range of relevant subjects. This raises their awareness and understanding and helps build resilience. Creative displays on particular themes help children to explore and talk about these topics. The themes for these displays have included anti-bullying, ‘Do good, be kind’ and ‘Are you healthy’ help children to explore and talk about these topics. As a result, a child was able to speak up about being bullied in school and gain support to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly competent and enthusiastic, with a strong sense of pride in how she manages the home. She leads by example, spending quality time with children and working closely alongside staff. She is incredibly insightful in her understanding of the children’s needs, using this to guide and inform staff practice in how best to support the children’s development, well-being and safety. The manager’s aspirational attitude and commitment help children to achieve the best outcomes possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers work effectively together to provide exceptional leadership. Professionals described the setting as offering an ‘impressive service’. They commended managers for their ‘above and beyond’ approach to helping the children and providing a unique care experience. One social worker commented, ‘It is the best children’s home I’ve ever worked with, in my 10 years in social work.’ Professionals and families recognise and value the level of dedication of managers and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The exclusive relationship with placement teams makes sure that new placements are carefully planned to ensure the best match.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training is extensive and focused on the children’s needs. Staff have received bespoke training in safeguarding subjects to further embed and enhance practice. Workshops cover topics such as breast ironing, gang affiliation and knife crime. Therefore, staff are exceptionally skilled in recognising key indications linked to exploitation. Inspection report children’s home: SC066466 5 Staff said that they ‘could not expect any more’ from the leaders and managers, who hold the children’s best interests at the heart of the service. They are supportive and take a hands-on approach to supporting the staff and children, for example, by taking children away on breaks in the caravan and on holiday abroad. This ensures that children benefit from new opportunities and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is dedicated and forward thinking. She asks questions about the service, such as ‘What do we do well?’ and ‘What can we can do better?’ and ‘What else could we do?’ Development work is informed by this process and challenges the manager to consider how staff can help children to progress even further. This approach inspires a culture which is outstanding.

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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: SC066466 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Cuckfield Care Consultancy Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ashburnham, Cuckfield Road, Ansty, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 5AG

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Inspector

Joe Davys: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC066466 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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