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

Assurance visit report: SC364812 1 SC364812

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 19 November 2018.

p.1

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).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

p.1

Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

p.1

Information about this visit

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

p.1

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.

p.1

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: SC364812 2

p.1

The care of children

The children are cared for by a dedicated and thoughtful staff team. The individual needs of children are well understood by staff, who are consistently empathic in their response to the children. This is significant in the context of the children’s individual complex needs, which are communicated through their sometimes challenging behaviours.

p.2

The care of children

Therapeutic support for children in the home is provided through specialist support services. While the needs for one child have recently been appropriately assessed, there has been significant delay in this being completed. As a result, staff did not have the specialist guidance to support this child effectively. Staff now have the appropriate guidance, which they put into practice effectively, enhancing the quality of care the child receives.

p.2

The care of children

There are specialist therapeutic support plans in place for each child, however, not all are up to date. As a result, clear guidance is not always available for staff on how to support children’s changing needs, for example, how to respond to worries as communicated through an escalation of behaviour. During one incident, a child’s dignity was not maintained effectively as staff attempted to respond to and manage their challenging behaviour. Therapeutic support for this child has now been reviewed by the registered manager, and changes made to their support plan to provide clear guidance to staff.

p.2

The care of children

Staff have supported the children well through the COVID-19 lockdown period. Children have been helped to enjoy a range of activities both inside and outside the home. This has included different arts and crafts activities with staff in the home’s activity room. The children and staff welcomed the inspector to take part in these activities during the visit.

p.2

The care of children

Professionals are positive about the quality of care provided by the staff team, which enhances the overall progress the children make. Staff have worked hard to identify a specialised education provision for each child. School places have now been secured for each child from this academic year. These have helped each child to begin to engage in a positive learning environment.

p.2

The safety of children

Staff understand the individual risks for each child. Their understanding is informed by assessments which provide clear strategies to mitigate identified risks. Following an incident involving mis-administering of medication, staff reviewed the child’s specific risk assessment immediately. Strategies were appropriately updated to ensure further incidents do not arise.

p.2

The safety of children

The process for responding to allegations made against staff is implemented effectively. When children have made allegations against staff these have been appropriately recorded and reviewed. This requirement from the last inspection has Assurance visit report: SC364812 3 been met. However, allegations have not consistently been notified to Ofsted as required.

p.2

Leaders and managers

The registered manager has provided a detailed assessment of risk in relation to COVID-19. This provides staff with clear guidance in response to the identified risks. Contingency planning by the responsible individual and senior management team has ensured the well-being of children and staff is paramount.

p.3

Leaders and managers

There is a thorough response by the registered manager to any practice concerns . Supervision provided to staff is appropriately reflective. The registered manager ensures staff have time to reflect on their individual roles. Support provided by the registered manager to staff is good overall. However, the emotional impact on staff of responding to children’s challenging behaviours is not fully understood. Staff are not provided with opportunities to help them fully explore this.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The consistency of staffing within the home is good. However, some staff have worked additional hours to ensure this consistency. This has resulted in staff working for significantly long periods of time. The impact of this on staff well-being has not been recognised by the registered manager or senior management team.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Training provided to staff has helped them to undertake their roles, including specific training focused on each child’s presenting needs. This requirement from the last inspection has been met. However, there has been a delay in face-to-face safeguarding training for some staff, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have not received training in how to support children with neuro-diverse needs. This has been identified by the registered manager as a learning and development target for the whole staff team.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The relationships staff develop with the children result in very few sanctions being used. Where these are put into practice, staff appropriately follow the behaviour management policy. However, this is an organisation-wide policy which relates to the children’s home and the in-house school. This does not provide clear guidance for staff and is not reflective of the statement of purpose for the home.

p.3

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

Assurance visit report: SC364812 4 The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare; treat each child with dignity and respect provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 31/12/2020

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(x)) 31/12/2020

p.4

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.

p.4

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; 31/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC364812 5 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f))

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 31/12/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 31/12/2020

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

p.5

Inspector

Maria Lonergan, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC364812 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.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6