Children's home run by PJL Healthcare Limited in Wealden

Inspection report children’s home: SC068559 1 SC068559 Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 16 children who have learning disabilities. The home provides long-term and short-break placements. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2015 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 2019

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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: 4 December 2018

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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: SC068559 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/12/2018 Full Outstanding 30/01/2018 Full Good 06/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/08/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC068559 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from trusting relationships with staff they know well. The staff are passionate and child-focused. They go the extra mile to ensure that the children are receiving the best level of care and the most wonderful experiences possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children’s complex and challenging needs are no barrier to success at this home. Children are exceeding expectations in numerous aspects of their lives. The staff seek, and use in their practice, expert advice and guidance from specialists to ensure that the plans for children are effective, aspirational and extend the children’s skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The acceleration of both learning and development for one child has been described by a parent as a ‘total transformation’. Some children who were previously reliant on wheelchairs now rarely use them, while another child who severely self-harmed is now communicating effectively. These are clear indicators of the excellent progress that the children are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Planning for the children’s arrivals at the home is excellent. A thorough process of assessment and matching ensures that children arriving at the home are received by fully prepared staff. Similarly, departures are planned sensitively, with the needs of children central to the process. As a result, children experience well-informed care through their journey at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Parents trust the staff to provide safe and effective care. Regular communication and frequent invitations to events at the home offer transparency through which trust is built. One parent whose child stays for short breaks described being able to relax for the first time in many years.

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

The safeguarding culture at this home is well established. Regularly updated, and high- quality, training ensures that the staff know what to report, to whom and when. Plans to keep the children safe come from a place of enabling practice and measured risk taking in line with children’s ages and abilities. A team of specialists, commissioned by the provider, provide an additional layer of expertise and training for the staff.

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

Risk management processes are of a high quality. The staff have specialist knowledge about behaviour management and this is applied to the children’s plans. This enables the staff to pre-empt, review and reduce the risk for the children. Children who previously had limited access to the community can now experience a wide range of exciting and fulfilling community-based activities. As a result, children are flourishing and enjoying new experiences.

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

The staff’s focus is to empower the children. They use a wide range of communication techniques to encourage them to make choices. One child, who previously struggled to Inspection report children’s home: SC068559 4 communicate, has audible buttons that he uses to tell the staff what he wants. This has been a key element in supporting him to communicate and reduce his frustration. The use of physical intervention is low. An incident committee meets to reflect on the monthly events. The learning outcomes are threaded into the children’s plans and have been effective in reducing the need for interventions.

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

The continued review and revision of care has proved to be effective in making and sustaining positive change. Children’s lives are dramatically improved by the reduction of frustration, the ability to communicate effectively and subsequently a reduction in critical incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly motivated and aspirational. He demonstrates an excellent understanding of the children and the staff. His curiosity to understand the children’s behaviour and find ways to enhance their lives is shared by the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak highly of the registered manager. One staff member described her role at the home as ‘a brilliant opportunity’ and ‘I feel lucky to join such a great team’. Staff retention is excellent. High-quality training and frequent supervision underpin the culture of excellence at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The children’s views are held in high regard. A children’s panel provides additional opportunities for the children’s voices to be heard. Their views are incorporated into the development plans for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Relationships with external agencies are positive. Professionals report that they find the staff to be keen to learn, take advice well and forward facing in their approach. Where the response from external agencies has fallen short of the high standard that is the culture at this home, leaders and managers have effectively advocated for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers use rigorous internal monitoring to continue to develop continuous improvements. The physical environment at this home is very well maintained and offers the children a comfortable and homely space in which to relax.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC068559 5 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

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Information about this inspection

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: SC068559 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC068559 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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