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

Inspection report children's home: 2625942 1 Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is privately owned. It opened in May 2021. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2625942 2

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improvement to be good

A number of children have moved into, and on from, the home since its opening. Staff supported two older children to move on following a period of negative behaviour between children. Although this has continued, children are being supported by staff to understand the impact of their behaviours. This helps children to form appropriate attachments to each other and understand when other children, for whatever reason, leave the home.

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improvement to be good

The home has recently welcomed younger children. Their move into the home has, in the main, been appropriately planned when this has been possible. Staff were observed to engage well with children during the inspection. However, the skill of staff in working with younger children has been identified as an area where further development is needed. Specific training in working with younger children has been planned for the staff team.

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improvement to be good

Children are being supported to engage in their educational placements. There are individual learning plans to reflect each child’s needs. This bespoke approach is seen as positive by professionals working with the children. Staff support one child to travel a significant distance to school. However, the child’s views and the impact of this travel on their presenting behaviours are not fully understood by the team.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to take part in a range of enjoyable activities. Children have enjoyed taking part in summer games which included children from other homes in the organisation. Children are helped to explore their own individual interests outside the home. This is important as they begin to develop their sense of self.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual vulnerabilities and associated risks are, on the whole, well understood by staff. Children’s risk management plans provide strategies to address identified risks. However, the information recorded for one child does not reflect significant risks following an incident. This is concerning, due to the potential impact on the child’s safety. There were improvement measures being put in place during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Fixtures and fittings in the home have been damaged due to behaviours that others may find challenging. Staff continue to work on addressing children’s individual needs. A number of previously identified health and safety issues were being addressed during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Practice concerns in relation to two incidents of staff restricting children’s movement have been appropriately investigated. However, the use of another physical Inspection report children's home: 2625942 3 intervention by staff, in relation to one child, was not recorded. This did not provide an opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice or understand the impact of the intervention on the child. There is a workshop planned for staff around developing awareness of deprivation of liberty safeguards.

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good

The registered manager has acknowledged the challenges the home has faced since it opened. The manager has addressed practice issues appropriately once these have been recognised within the staff team. However, the monitoring of the quality of care provided to children is not sufficiently developed at present. This means the manager does not have an appropriate level of oversight to identify practice issues.

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good

The review of incidents is not sufficiently detailed. The registered manager is not consistently identifying specific learning from these incidents. Staff are not provided with new strategies when responding to behaviours that challenge. However, the registered manager does talk with children following known incidents.

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good

The deputy manager supports the registered manager effectively. Staff feel supported by the management team. Staff are provided with a blend of individual and group supervision. However, inconsistency in the frequency of individual supervision does not contribute to effective monitoring of individual staff practice.

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good

The responsible individual addressed shortfalls identified during the inspection in a timely manner. The responsible individual recognises the strengths and areas for development within the home. They provide additional training and opportunities for reflection for staff to develop their knowledge. This will help staff to provide an improved quality of care once they have put into practice their new learning. Inspection report children's home: 2625942 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)) 30 September

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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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(d)) 30 September Inspection report children's home: 2625942 5 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

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)) 30 September

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)) 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— 30 September Inspection report children's home: 2625942 6 the name of the child;

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) Inspection report children's home: 2625942 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

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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: 3a Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

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Inspectors

Maria Lonergan, Social Care Inspector Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2625942 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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