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

Assurance visit report: SC064011 1 SC064011

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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 registered with Ofsted on 19 April 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 20 February 2019

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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:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. 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. Assurance visit report: SC064011 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

The children benefit from warm relationships with a core number of regular staff. These staff know the children well and are effective at interpreting their needs. However, several staff have recently resigned. Although the vacant posts are being recruited to, the manager has yet to implement a clear plan to reduce the impact of staff changes on the children.

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The care of children

The children speak positively about their experiences during the lockdown period. They enjoyed using the wide range of outdoor play facilities in the garden. They spoke excitedly of their exercise walks to the beach and local parks. The staff utilised a range of skills to keep the children occupied. Working on arts and crafts became popular as well as playing on computer consoles, which the children enjoy.

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The care of children

Staff demonstrate a clear focus on enabling the children to keep in touch with the people who are important to them. During the lockdown, staff have made sure that relationships are promoted by using video calls. These have also been used to prevent unnecessary delays in the children participating in specialist assessments. This creative approach to communication has helped to prevent the children feeling isolated during the lockdown period.

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The care of children

Education has continued to be an area of focus. During the lockdown period, the children have maintained their learning with support from staff at the home and the in-house school. Staff have used positive rewards to encourage the participation of some children who found home learning more difficult.

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The care of children

The children largely understand the potential health implications of the COVID-19 virus. They know the importance of following hygiene routines, wearing masks and socially distancing. Staff have talked through the changes in government advice with the children as they have arisen.

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The safety of children

The children living at this home are safe. The adults take precautions to minimise the risk of the virus being introduced to the home. Visitors are asked questions relating to their health before they are allowed in the home and handwashing is directed upon arrival. However, one child continued to go missing regularly during the lockdown. The staff failed to develop clear guidance and strategies to minimise the risk to those who were staying at home. This was a missed opportunity to identify the potential risk to the staff and children who followed lockdown requirements. Assurance visit report: SC064011 3 Individual plans provide staff with clear guidance and strategies to enable them to meet the children’s needs. Where appropriate, the staff work with parents to agree holistic approaches between them. This partnership working ensures a consistent approach to supporting the children.

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The safety of children

When an allegation is made against a member of staff, appropriate timely action is taken and external safeguarding agencies are contacted. However, the designated officer reflected that the correct format for notifying children’s services about an allegation is not always used. This sometimes results in key information being missed. Notifications to Ofsted are also not made in a timely way, which prevents an immediate response from the regulator.

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The safety of children

The staff have understood the impact of the children spending longer periods of time together during the lockdown period. They have combatted this by ensuring that the children have frequent opportunities to spend time outside the home separately and to engage in activities in different parts of the home. This has resulted in a reduction of sibling-style issues between the children.

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The safety of children

When unwanted behaviour arises, the staff use sanctions such as the loss of time using gaming consoles. Children are not offered an opportunity to put things right or helped to develop more positive behaviours and the manager does not consistently review the effectiveness of the measures used.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has worked for the organisation for many years. He is currently recruiting new staff to counter the recent staff changes. However, he has not considered the need for the core staff team to be supported through the period of change and how this may impact on the children.

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Leaders and managers

Safer recruitment checks have taken place for new staff. However, in one record sampled, insufficient identity checks had taken place prior to the staff member starting work.

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Leaders and managers

Staff from other homes and agency supply staff continue to cover gaps in rotas. The manager tries to ensure that consistent people are used to minimise the impact on the children. Regular handover meetings are held to set clear expectations for all the staff.

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Leaders and managers

Parents and social workers speak positively about the progress that the children are making. They trust the manager’s child-centred approach and speak positively about the open communication and collaborative working style of the core staff.

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Leaders and managers

Not all information held on children’s records is clear. Many records remain in draft form for long periods. Some records sampled, including placement information, children’s plans and risks assessments, were incomplete. Management oversight and review of the quality and accuracy of children’s records are inconsistent. The Assurance visit report: SC064011 4 registered manager makes use of the independent reports to inform improvements in the home.

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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 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— 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 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— 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)) 29/11/2020

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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 requirements are that— full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 29/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC064011 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ Page 63, paragraph 14.13)  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

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Recommendations

understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46 to 47, paragraph 9.38)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited, 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: 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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Inspector

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