Children's home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in Mid Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064011 1 SC064011

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My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The staff at this home provide care for up to four children whose support needs are primarily linked to their emotions and behaviours. The provider has access to a range of therapeutic services that can be made available to children depending on their needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 19 April 2012

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place due to concerns arising from safeguarding notifications, in particular children who have been missing frequently and for longer periods of time. This inspection was undertaken by contacting the provider and completing inspection activity during video calls. This was due to the current COVID- 19 (coronavirus) restrictions.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendations from the full inspection in February 2019 were not assessed. They remain with extended time frames and the addition of a further requirement under leadership and management and positive relationships. Progress against these areas will be further tested at a future inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and responsible individual were present during the inspection and were spoken to via video and phone calls. A range of documents were securely sent to the inspector and reviewed as part of the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the children have been missing for extended periods of time. The staff understand their needs and risks and have strategies to try and reduce them. When a child is missing, the staff follow clear strategies, including searching the local area, and contacting known family members and associates to try and identify the child’s Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064011 2 location. The police missing persons’ coordinator stated that the staff share information effectively, which helps to locate the children on some occasions.

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This monitoring visit

A child was missing from the home for several months and was suspected to be living with a family member. The staff made clear and consistent efforts to remain in contact with the child. They visited her in the area in which she resided and adapted strategies to try and encourage her to return safely with the staff. However, the records do not always reflect the efforts of staff during the time that the children are missing.

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This monitoring visit

Key-working sessions are variable in occurrence and quality. For example, one child had less than one session per month, and others twice a month, despite there being concerns that his peers were involved in county lines. This is a missed opportunity to discuss current themes that some of the children are experiencing, such as missing, exploitation and their experiences in relation to COVID-19.

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This monitoring visit

Impact assessments provide the staff with clear information about the children’s risks and strategies to reduce them. However, they contain detailed information about other children, which is in places graphic and would identify them. This has not been revealed or reviewed for its appropriateness through the manager’s monitoring.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager finds the recommendations of the independent visitor useful to underpin improvements. For example, a weekly fire check record was missed once and has subsequently been completed weekly. However, not all tasks that he has delegated to others have been completed effectively or revealed through his own monitoring.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual demonstrated an accurate awareness of the issues raised in this inspection and has plans to support the registered manager with the areas for development.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/02/2019 Full Good 17/05/2017 Full Good 27/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064011 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a-c)(2)(a)(v)) 02/08/2020

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 02/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate 02/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064011 4 qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are clear plans to ensure that staff will meet the relevant timescales for completing their Level 3 Diploma. If an extension is necessary, plans must clearly record, why the plan has been extended, how the registered person will ensure that the member of staff completes the qualification in the shortest time possible and how the registered person will monitor completion timescales.

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Recommendations

 Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 46‒47, paragraph 9.38) In particular, the registered person should ensure that any behaviour management strategy does not constitute a sanction.  Regulation 11(2) sets out the expectations on staff in building a positive relationship with each child and helping the child develop skills to have positive relationships with others. ‘Others’ includes individuals both inside and

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Recommendations

outside the home such as other children in the home, staff, family members, siblings, previous carers and friends (in accordance with their relevant plans). The care planning standard (see page 55) provides further detail in respect of contact with parents, relatives and friends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 89, paragraph 8.6) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064011 5 In particular, the registered person should ensure that all staff have a good understanding of the usual child development milestones for a child who lives at the home.  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46,

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Recommendations

paragraph 9.36) In particular, the registered person should ensure that risk assessments are quickly reviewed following an incident and where necessary amendments made.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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: My Choice Children Homes Ltd, Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064011 6 to 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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