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

Assurance visit report: SC426530 1 SC426530

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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 three children and young people who have a range of emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is one of nine children’s homes operated by this private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 3 September 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 20 February 2020

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit: Assurance visit report: SC426530 2  The absence of key staff has had an impact on the quality of care.  The staff fail to keep children safe.  Staff working at the home fail to follow the children’s individual plans.  The response to COVID-19 has been weak.  The staff have failed to ensure that the children’s rooms are clean and welcoming.  The leaders and managers have failed to adequately respond to serious safeguarding concerns, or to notify Ofsted.

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The care of children

The absence of senior staff members has had an impact on the quality of care being delivered at this home. Agency staff and staff from other homes within the organisation have failed to follow the children’s plans. Subsequent inconsistencies in the care being delivered have had a negative impact on the children.

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The care of children

The children have had mixed experiences during the lockdown. The behaviour of some children has had a negative impact on others. Some have made complaints. However, leaders and managers have failed to consistently respond to them. As a result, not all children have had their voices heard.

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The care of children

The children have found it difficult being cared for by adults who they do not know. They have felt the impact of agency staff and staff working in this home from other homes in the organisation. They realise that there are inconsistencies in the way the adults work and care for them.

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The care of children

Children have been able to remain in contact with important people during the lockdown. The staff helped them to facilitate phone calls and use technology to maintain these important relationships.

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The care of children

Some of the children continued to go to school during lockdown while others learned at home. Since the lockdown eased, three of the children have been engaged in education. Plans to re-engage the newest child in education are under way.

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The care of children

Children are not supported to keep their bedrooms tidy. One child’s bed has no bedsheets. Another bedroom had something spilled on the floor. The staff have failed to ensure that the children’s bedrooms provided them with a clean and tidy environment in which to relax.

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The safety of children

The staff fail to keep children safe. A spike in lengthy incidents resulted in the police being frequently called to the home to manage the children’s behaviour. Furthermore, the inspector identified incidents where the children’s risk Assurance visit report: SC426530 3 management plans have not been followed. As a result, on one occasion, a child was left in a vulnerable position.

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The safety of children

The staff’s response to COVID-19 has been weak. Although visitors to the home have their temperature taken and hand sanitiser is used, the staff failed to follow the risk assessment and government advice regarding COVID-19 for one child who was showing symptoms. Another child frequently went missing during the lockdown.

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The safety of children

Staff, including seniors and shift leaders, have failed to follow the children’s strategies. This has contributed to lengthy incidents where behaviour has become unmanageable and the police have been called to the home. The designated officer raised concerns regarding the staff’s understanding of threshold. Some incidents are referred that do not meet threshold and others that are more urgent are not referred in a timely way. Similarly, serious incidents are not always notified to Ofsted as required. This means that statutory bodies are prevented from reviewing incidents.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager is working towards her level 5 qualification. She has been without key members of her leadership team for some months. This has had an impact on the functioning of the home and the quality of care.

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Leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have failed to provide staff who can deliver continuity of care. When poor performance has occurred, the leaders’ and managers’ response has been poor and minimises the serious concerns that have arisen.

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Leaders and managers

The independent visitor has continued to monitor the home remotely and, more recently, in person. However, not all the information in her reports is factually correct. The registered manager has not used the findings of these reports effectively. For example, a pattern of staff missing weekly fire checks continues, which compromises the fire safety at the home.

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Leaders and managers

The core staff are tired, and some have felt overwhelmed. The lack of consistency and spike in high-level incidents have resulted in some friction in the team. Not all the staff work in line with the children’s strategy plans, which has further affected morale. Some staff have failed to attend team meetings. This is a missed opportunity for the registered manager to share strategies that could improve consistency at the home.

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Leaders and managers

One of the previous requirements has been met. The other is carried forward. Assurance visit report: SC426530 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)) Specifically, ensure that the children are supported to have clean, tidy and well-aired bedrooms and bedclothes on their beds. 29/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the 29/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC426530 5 registered person; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(vi))* 29/11/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(d)(e)(h)) 29/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home— the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 29/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) In particular, ensure that staff receive the additional training identified in investigation outcomes as being required. 29/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance visit report: SC426530 6

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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’s 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 Assurance visit report: SC426530 7 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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Inspector

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