Children's Home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in West Sussex

Assurance visit report: SC390785 1 SC390785

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 15 January 2018.

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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.

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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. Assurance visit report: SC390785 2

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The care of children

Children benefit from the quality of care provided by a stable staff team. Overall, staff have a very good understanding of the children’s needs. This is reflected in the positive relationships staff have developed with each child. The support provided by staff enables children to make good progress from their starting points. Professionals spoken to were complimentary about the positive impact on the children due to the quality of care staff provide.

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The care of children

Staff actively support children to access educational provision. This has enabled children to engage well in learning, including one child who has experienced a significant period out of education. Children are provided with one-to-one tuition where this best meets their individual learning needs and are helped to develop life skills to support independence.

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The care of children

Children are encouraged to develop positive interests and attend clubs outside of the home. This provides children with opportunities to explore new interests, build self- esteem, and in turn, develop a sense of who they are.

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The care of children

Children are encouraged to spend time with their family, which is a real strength of the home. Staff recognise the importance of continuing the children’s relationships with those important to them, as well as promoting their sense of identity. This proactive approach was evident for one mother who was enabled to maintain face- to-face visits with her child on a weekly basis.

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The safety of children

Staff have an in-depth understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on children in the home. They have helped children to understand how this has impacted on their day- to-day lives. Staff encourage children to talk about how they feel about these changes and respond empathically. The children and staff have worked well together in response to potential COVID-19 related health concerns when they have arisen.

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The safety of children

Overall, staff have a good understanding of the individual risks identified for each child. The risks associated with going missing from the home are well understood. Staff responses to children missing are effective. When children go missing, staff work well with the statutory agencies and appropriately share any emerging concerns. When children return home, staff ensure they have an independent person to speak to. Staff spend time with the children to understand their reasons for going missing and respond appropriately to address identified push-and-pull factors. The impact of this has been a decrease in the frequency of children going missing from the home.

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The safety of children

Risk management plans in place for children who are at risk of going missing are mostly effective. The strategies in place for one child have helped to reduce the time they have gone missing from the home. This has included appropriate use of Assurance visit report: SC390785 3 increased supervision of the child and responding to the reasons for these missing episodes.

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The safety of children

However, for another child, the risk management plan had not been updated. Staff were not aware of changes to this plan recently agreed between the manager and the child’s social worker. There was also no recording of the agreed changes in the child’s records. As a result, staff were not providing consistency of care to the child, potentially placing the child in situations of risk. This was addressed as part of this visit, resulting in an updated risk management plan being shared with the staff team by the registered manager.

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The safety of children

Where children have been missing from the home for extended periods, which has resulted in significant police involvement, Ofsted have not always been informed.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager communicates effectively with professionals. This results in timely and coordinated responses to identified issues, for example, where concerns about members of the public have emerged. Where a practice concern was identified within the staff team, the registered manager undertook a thorough review, resulting in a proportionate outcome.

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Leaders and managers

Overall, staff are provided with clear guidance to inform their practice. Expectations are reinforced on an individual basis through effective staff supervision and shared when the team meets as a group. However, these meetings are not held regularly, as identified through the independent monthly monitoring reports. During these visits, the quality of recording by staff was also identified as an issue. This has not yet been addressed.

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Leaders and managers

The staff report they feel well supported by the registered manager. The induction plan for new staff provides guidance for organisational related learning. However, there is a lack of clarity around some aspects of the induction plan specific to the home, for example, health and safety checks. New staff are provided with a clear training plan. However, there is a training need for the whole staff team, including the registered manager, to equip them with appropriate knowledge to respond to the specific needs of a child placed 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. Assurance visit report: SC390785 4

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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— 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)) 30/11/2020

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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— 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— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)) 30/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 30/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 30/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC390785 5

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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

Maria Lonergan, social care inspector Assurance visit report: SC390785 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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