Children's Home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in West Sussex

Inspection report children‟s home: 1250194 1 Registered provider: My Choice Children‟s Homes Ltd

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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 children‟s home is owned by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have a range of emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home was last inspected in January 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

The organisation also provides education through its independent school, which is registered with the Department for Education.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 5 July 2017. Inspection dates: 17 to 18 July 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 good

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good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 1250194 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: 1250194 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 registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose contains the correct details for each member of staff regarding their qualifications and dates of completion. 30/09/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the young people make good progress during their time at the home. For some young people, this has taken time as they are supported to manage previous life experiences that may hinder progress. Recent months have proven significantly positive in terms of progress made by the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improved placement matching means that the young people live in an environment where they can form positive relationships. Young people who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively and with carefully considered planning, including detailed impact risk assessments. This is a much-improved area and one the registered manager continues to focus on. When the young people leave the home, work promotes positive endings wherever possible, and the staff help the young people to build on their life stories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Detailed care plans and risk assessments enable the staff to deliver individualised care and support. Most of the young people build trusting relationships. For those who find relationship building difficult, staff are sensitive to this and support the young people to experience the benefits, even if it takes time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people‟s significantly improved education attendance has resulted through the staff‟s continued emphasis on the importance of the young people gaining an education. The staff support the young people to maintain an education placement and work towards a meaningful career in adult life. Inspection report children‟s home: 1250194 4 The young people also make progress in their health and emotions. They have access to an external therapist and other specialist professionals where needed. Their health needs, including their mental and sexual health needs, are identified and managed with the staff working collaboratively with a range of external professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have a voice in the running of the home, from decoration to food choices and activities. They are supported to actively participate in the day-to-day and more complex decisions about their lives, as appropriate. They are sensitively helped to understand where it may not be possible to act on their wishes and where other action is taken that is in their best interests, for example limiting pocket money in hand to encourage a healthier diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are treated with dignity and respect. The staff respond positively to their identity and family history, including race, gender identity, language and faith, for example religious dietary requirements such as halal foods.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work proactively and positively with parents to promote meaningful and safe contact where appropriate. Any contact difficulties are shared with social workers and discussed at length to review and implement new strategies and arrangements.

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

The staff provide very good support to the young people that is helping them to feel safe and be safe. As a result, the young people can express themselves freely in a safe space knowing that the adults caring for them are trusted and are able to respond appropriately. For some young people, this trust may take time. Individual, up-to-date and regularly reviewed risk assessments address any known vulnerabilities effectively and set out what action the staff take to address the risks. Much-improved impact risk assessments undertaken at referral stage means better placement matching and less risk of young people to each other.

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

The young people‟s risky behaviours have significantly decreased since the last inspection. For example, the number of episodes of going missing and serious incidents involving the police have dropped dramatically over the last few months.

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

Young people are protected by the staff, who are well informed about safeguarding and child protection. They know when to pass on concerning information and make referrals to safeguarding agencies. The registered manager maintains good record-keeping, including chronologies, and follows up all referrals with the external safeguarding agencies.

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

There is a proactive response from all those working with the young people that reduces actual harm or the risk of harm to them. For some young people, this may take time. The response includes regular contact and planning with the young people‟s social worker, their families and other professionals.

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

Investigations into allegations or suspicion of harm are shared with external agencies and managed quickly and fairly. Support is given to both the person making the Inspection report children‟s home: 1250194 5 allegation and the person who is subject to the allegation. Senior leaders work with the manager to carry out investigations into any concerns raised about the care provided in the home. Disciplinary procedures are activated if needed.

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

Careful recruitment prevents unsuitable people from being recruited. The young people are further protected as the physical environment is safe and protects young people and staff from harm or the risk of harm. All the health and safety checks are regularly carried out.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The young people live in a well-managed home. The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2017. He is suitably experienced and skilled to lead a team of staff and manage the home. He receives regular support from senior leaders in developing the home and his skills. The staff say that he provides good support to them and knows the young people and staff team well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the staff team. The home is now fully staffed and so provides improved consistency of care for the young people. The members of the current staff team are enthusiastic and show commitment to the young people. The staff team has a range of experience and the new staff who have joined the team have many transferable skills that fit well in the home. The training, development and induction programmes are well organised and effective. The staff have access to a wide range of training subjects relevant to the needs of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home‟s statement of purpose sets out the ethos and objectives of the home. However, it does not have the correct details for each member of staff regarding their qualifications and dates of completion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since registration in 2017, the registered manager has worked hard to increase the stability of placements for the young people, which he is achieving. The admission procedures have improved, with detailed consideration given to new referrals. The manager communicates well with the local authorities in relation to information gathering regarding the young people who may move to live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring of the home and the quality of care it provides is well organised. The registered manager uses the organisation‟s systems for ensuring that all aspects of the service are frequently monitored. A review of documents during this inspection demonstrated that the registered manager monitors significant events and reflects on how the staff have managed incidents. The monitoring undertaken by the home‟s independent visitor is particularly effective at identifying any shortfalls in the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the service as identified in his six-monthly review of the service. Areas he identifies and has worked on, and continues to address, over the last six months include: developing a more therapeutic ethos in the home, improved educational success, having a staff team working collaboratively to deliver the home‟s aims and goals and supporting young people to Inspection report children‟s home: 1250194 6 have positive experiences of moving on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home needs some maintenance and improved cleaning in some areas. The registered manager has identified this and has an action plan in place to address it. During this inspection, maintenance personnel were on site carrying out works and the staff were implementing a new cleaning plan.

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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: 1250194 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children‟s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

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Inspector

Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1250194 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 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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