Children's Home run by Anderida Adolescent Care Ltd in East Sussex

Inspection report children’s home: SC028526 1 SC028526 Registered provider: Anderida Adolescent Care

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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 privately owned home is registered to accommodate two children who have social, emotional and/or mental health needs. Children may attend the organisation’s school. Therapeutic counselling is also provided. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 1 October 2018.

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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: 7 November 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC028526 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2018 Full Good 06/10/2016 Full Outstanding 29/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC028526 3

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, to bring the standard of décor at the front of the house and garden in line with the high standards elsewhere in the property.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, for senior managers to monitor refreshers for core training and stay within the organisation’s own best practice guidelines.  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are

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Recommendations

satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) In particular, review the process for pre-placement impact assessments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made exceptional progress during their time at the home. Staff work creatively with children, parents and professionals to form strong networks of support. Staff have supported children who have highly complex backgrounds including serious mental ill health, self-harm, substance misuse and criminal exploitation. The outcomes for these children are excellent. One parent said that, before her child went into care, she couldn’t believe that there was anything that could help him and it was hard to imagine him ever coming back from the situation he had got himself into. She described his time in care as transformative. Later this year, the child plans to return home to his family. Another child who has faced significant issues in early years and adolescence is now studying to become a forensic psychologist. She said that she had become stronger and Inspection report children’s home: SC028526 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

more confident during her time at the home. Children talk about staff with real affection. Professionals and parents have a high regard for the work that is being done. A social worker described the team as, ‘totally child centred’. She said that the work that the team does with children and their families has been instrumental in rebuilding positive relationships. There is a desire to be at the forefront of research and development in relation to the therapeutic model used in the home. All staff have this model deeply embedded in their daily practice and were able to give numerous examples of where this led to positive changes for children. The staff are also sharing their experiences with others, hosting an upcoming international conference, running educational workshops and attending provider network events. The team also works to educate and include all significant others around the child to help them understand the approach that staff are using. This has led to parents

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

and professionals adopting some of the same practices used by the team. There are currently two longitudinal studies taking place to look at the efficacy of the therapeutic model used in the home. These studies will be looking specifically to assess the impact on outcomes for children. Senior managers also strive to keep abreast of developments in childcare practice. They have recently attended training on innovative approaches to working with children with attachment issues. They have also been working hard to reduce the use of institutional language in the home. Managers are supporting staff to understand how the language they use impacts on the child’s sense of self. The home is well decorated and furnished. It reflects the personalities of each child. Children are given a key role in design and decorative choices. The front of the house needs improvement, but this is in the service plan for the year ahead.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have been enabled to build high hopes for their futures. They are ambitious and forward thinking. This is consistent across the staff team as well. The children and staff share a common culture that motivates and inspires change.

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

The quality of safeguarding in the home has hugely improved the life experiences of the children. Not only have staff been able to support children to reduce serious risk-taking behaviours, but they have also supported children to take control of their own safety and well-being. Children have been able to reflect on the choices that they make and the impact of those choices on their own well-being. Children also have a say in the way in which staff support them to manage their behaviours. Children are included in the development of risk management plans and support plans. They can talk to staff about how they think they are most effectively managed in challenging or difficult situations. Staff showed very good understanding of the risks that children present. They were able Inspection report children’s home: SC028526 5 to clearly describe the management strategies in place for specific risks including county

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

lines, child sexual exploitation, and radicalisation. Children have effective risk management plans that are directly linked to their support plans. Plans are clear and provide practical support to manage risk safely. Individual risk assessments for stand-alone activities and events are also very good. Incidents of children going missing have reduced to negligible levels. There are excellent protocols for staff to follow if children leave the home without authorisation. Staff use very good recording systems when children are absent from the home. Staff take every action possible to ensure the safe return of children to the home. Return to home interviews are completed and recorded for all occurrences. Use of physical intervention is very low and always proportionate to situations in which it occurs. Staff training strongly emphasises the use of creative de-escalation. Staff say that this is where the therapeutic model really supports their practice. It enables them to

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

think and reflect calmly in challenging or stressful situations. In one case, it was difficult to see whether impact assessment work had been completed pre or post placement. The manager needs to ensure that there is a clearer mechanism for recording these assessments. Staff all have up-to-date safeguarding training, but the frequency of refresher training is falling behind the company’s own best practice guidelines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a very clear vision for the service and is committed to delivering the highest levels of care and support. This was reflected in all conversations with children, parents, professionals as well as senior leaders within his own organisation. Staff are very complimentary about the registered manager. Staff value his support and leadership. They are clearly motivated by his vision to grow and develop practice at the home. The registered manager has a deeply reflective approach to his work. This gives him a strong capacity for insight into the strengths and weaknesses of his home. He uses this to constantly push forward. Service development plans include the voices, wishes and feelings of children and staff. New staff say that the induction and training is of high quality. All staff describe the support offered as exceeding anything they have experienced before. All staff have regular, and high-quality, supervision. Staff also highlighted the wide range of

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

opportunities to obtain support including supervision, group supervision, staff meetings and optional clinical therapeutic supervision. They also describe regular opportunities to debrief both on a day-to-day basis and after critical incidents. Because of the effective support structures in the home, staff present with confidence and demonstrate a well- developed understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Inspection report children’s home: SC028526 6 The registered manager has strong line management support from his director. This enables him to be able to drive through change at the service with the backing of the organisation. Managers have created a clear flow from children’s support plans to staff supervision through to appraisal. Staff are encouraged to review how they feel they have contributed in all areas of a child’s care and support. This forms a strong foundation for their own personal development objectives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is clearly skilled at developing positive relationships. Whether supporting children, negotiating with professionals or getting alongside families, all reflect very positively about their engagements with him. He inspires confidence and trust in others. Children feel that their voice is valued. They are involved in the design and decoration of their individual homes. They have supported staff to renovate the garden, reinstating a wild garden and beautiful pond area. Children are involved in appraisals for staff. Staff really enjoy this and find their comments and feedback developmental. Children are also involved in consultation on the service development plan. Children reported feeling listened to and included in all day-to-day decision-making.

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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: SC028526 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Anderida Adolescent Care

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6a Neville Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 8HR

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Inspector

Peter Jackson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC028526 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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