Children's home run by Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd in Lewes

Inspection report children’s home: SC403905 1 SC403905 Registered provider: Rubicon Children’s Homes 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 home provides care and accommodation for up to five children with emotional and social needs. The home has a separate one-bedroomed annex within the main building to support children who cannot manage in the larger group, or who are preparing for independence.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since January 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC403905 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/08/2018 Full Good 23/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC403905 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff form warm and nurturing relationships with children, allowing children to feel safe and confident in their home. Children have made good progress since coming to live in the home, and small successes are celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The wide age range and the differing needs of the children living in the home create a genuine family atmosphere. Older children are supportive and helpful to the younger children in the home, in caring and appropriate sibling-style relationships. One-to-one staffing means that all children can spend time away from the group if they are feeling overwhelmed or if they want individual attention and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s needs are at the forefront of all decisions about the running of the home. Children’s views and ideas are threaded through the brightly coloured individual plans; and in the day-to-day choices children make, such as choosing activities and meals. Children said that they are listened to by the staff and, if what they would like to happen can’t be achieved, the staff explain to them why. The children have learned Makaton so that they can understand and communicate with one child who uses this in addition to verbal communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend education as planned. Staff understand individual children’s barriers to learning. They support children by maintaining a clear routine and programme of activities for those who are out of education. Strong joint working with, and challenge by, the virtual school reduces delays in sourcing appropriate school placements for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn about healthy lifestyles and what this means for them. They learn to cook meals for themselves and for the group, with staff guidance, including how to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables in interesting ways. Staff have good links with emotional well- being professionals and source appropriate therapy for children. It is positive that staff do not rely on statutory bodies to meet all of the children’s mental health needs.

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

Children are confident in their surroundings and will approach staff with worries or concerns. All children named at least one member of staff they could go to if worried or upset. Staff, including the housekeeper, have a clear understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and focus on reducing risks. Children are helped to learn what their triggers are. Staff understand that all behaviour is a form of communication and support children to learn other ways to express how they are feeling.

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

Children’s plans are clear about how their needs will be met, and how concerns about self-injurious behaviour can be reduced. The main risk assessment for each child includes only key points to form a safety plan. These are written in conjunction with emotional well-being professionals. The plans are vibrant and easy to read in the event Inspection report children’s home: SC403905 4 of an incident and are also easy for children to understand. Each child has a sensory box to help them to be distracted or diverted into safer ways of expressing their stress or anxiety.

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

Staff support children well to recognise situations that may place them at risk of harm. Children learn to respect and value themselves, increasing their confidence. As a result, some children go missing from the home much less frequently and recognise when they may be being groomed or exploited.

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

Processes for reporting any safeguarding or child protection concerns are clear. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to protect children and the need to report any changes in children’s presentation.

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

Children are protected from avoidable risks through safer recruitment practice and regular checks of fire detection and fighting equipment. The home is much cleaner since the appointment of a housekeeper, who is happy in her role and feels a valued member of the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since January 2019. There is a home manager in place who has made an application to be registered with Ofsted. There have been delays in her submitting her application, that have been beyond the applicant’s control. In the meantime, the responsible individual maintains a regular presence in the home, with strong oversight and positive engagement with children and staff. Staff said they feel well supported by the management team, and are confident in their abilities due to the effective training they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have an excellent understanding of children’s needs, including children’s goals and targets. Children’s progress is actively monitored through regular reviews of their plans alongside staff, a therapeutic consultant and the children themselves. Where there are gaps in children’s information, staff take steps to fill these by contacting placing authorities, escalating their concerns with local authority staff as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers use a range of monitoring tools to evaluate the quality of the service being provided. They have recognised that the scrutiny by the independent visitor in line with regulation 44 has not been robust enough, due to overfamiliarity with the service. Managers are actively seeking and trialling new independent visiting arrangements. The managers’ monitoring and oversight are of a good quality, and children central to all decisions that are made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some shortfalls in the scrutiny and monitoring of the language within some records, particularly in highly emotional situations such as incidents and physical interventions. In addition, some one-to-one sessions do not explain that the child’s emotions have been considered when talking about potentially upsetting topics, such as grooming. Managers have acknowledged the concerns raised at the inspection and it is likely the new computerised recording system has not prompted managers to review the Inspection report children’s home: SC403905 5 records.

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(h)) 29/11/2019

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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: SC403905 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rubicon Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 St Andrews Place, Southover Road, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1UP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Louise Whichelow-Ellis

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC403905 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 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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