Children's home run by Southern Adolescent Care Services Ltd in Crawley

Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 1 SC038522 Registered provider: Southern Adolescent Care Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home registered to care for up to five children who have complex needs or EBD (emotional and behavioural difficulties).

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager at the home. The post has been vacant since 2 September 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A compliance notice in respect of regulation 12, the protection of children standard, was issued on 3 August 2021. At the monitoring visit undertaken on 17 September 2021, the steps specified in the notice were found to have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/07/2021 Full Inadequate 07/01/2020 Full Good 22/01/2019 Full Good 13/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the end of July 2021, following the home being judged to be inadequate, there has only been one child living at the home. This child has made good progress and feels safe, stable and secure at the home. The staff team has developed a strong, trusting and nurturing relationship with the child and the child is clearly valued and held in high esteem by the staff members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care and consistency being provided by the staff have enabled the child to overcome a reluctance to engage in education. The child’s engagement with education is positive and the child is now motivated to do well and has career aspirations. The child has also been able to engage positively in a wide range of recreational activities and develop new hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s needs have been clearly defined and the staff have developed new skills in relation to how the needs can be met. This is partly attributable to the staff receiving specific training which had a strong focus on effective communication strategies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The organisation has access to a range of childcare specialists who are available to contribute to the care planning process. Individual therapeutic support is available to children. This service has benefited the child living at the home and has resulted in the child developing increased levels of self-confidence and emotional well-being. The child is better equipped to begin exploring significant past events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s physical health needs are being fully addressed. The recording and administration of medication are managed well, and staff are familiar with the potential side-effects of prescribed medication. A healthy lifestyle is encouraged and there are many opportunities for physical exercise and preparing nutritious meals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a strong commitment to hearing and acting on the views of the child. For example, the staff have identified an independent advocacy service which the child could access if necessary. The child has contributed to the care planning process and the child’s preferences are clearly recorded on the case file notes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A careful and considered approach is being taken to developing the child’s independence skills. This has resulted in the child gradually gaining the confidence to engage in some community activities without being supervised by the staff. These activities have been appropriately risk-assessed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding practice at this home has improved significantly since the home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection in July 2021. A comprehensive staff training programme, with a strong emphasis on the protection of children, has been Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 4 implemented. The staff have improved their knowledge and skills in relation to keeping children safe. The staff team now demonstrates an understanding of how to reduce the level of risk that children may be subject to in the community. Staff know what it means to be professionally curious and can provide clear examples of the questions they would ask if there were emerging concerns for a child’s welfare.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff have a detailed knowledge of the needs and vulnerabilities of the child living at the home. The associated risks have been thoroughly assessed and there are clear strategies in place for staff to follow, to minimise the potential for the child coming to harm. Individual key-work sessions with the child are clearly focused on helping the child to keep safe. For example, creative work has been undertaken to promote healthy relationships and assist the child to understand when a relationship could become harmful.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The quality of the relationships that staff have built with the child is a strong protective factor. The child feels safe and has the confidence to share sensitive information with staff. This enabled them to take swift action when it became apparent that the child was vulnerable to being exploited online. There are additional measures in place to ensure that the child remains safe when accessing the internet. The staff have worked effectively to ensure that the child engages and cooperates with these measures.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff speak confidently about the approach taken to promoting positive behaviour. They can describe the various techniques they are now taking to de- escalate potentially volatile situations. There is an effective behaviour management plan for the child. The child has been fully involved in developing this plan and is invested in the strategies and support that staff will offer when difficulties arise. There have been no occasions when physical intervention has been used to manage behaviour since the inspection in July 2021.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are clear procedures for staff to follow if they have concerns for a child’s welfare, including responding to children who may go missing from the home. A police officer who was spoken to during this inspection expressed confidence in the ability of staff to take appropriate action in the event of a child going missing. The staff also have a clear understanding of the action they should take regarding any concerns that might emerge about a colleague’s practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers and staff had not fully considered the implications of using a particular type of lock on the bathroom doors, and the difficulties this could present in an emergency. The managers took prompt action to resolve this issue before the inspection was completed.

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good

Senior managers have maintained a consistent presence in the home since the last full inspection in July 2021. They ensured that appropriate day-to-day management arrangements were in place following the departure of the registered manager. An Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 5 experienced interim manager has overseen the running of the home and a new permanent manager has recently been appointed but is not yet registered with Ofsted. The new manager underwent a rigorous interview process prior to being appointed.

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good

Leaders and managers developed and implemented a detailed improvement plan following the inadequate judgement in July 2021. This has been kept under review and progress has been monitored. The plan contained several actions focused on training and developing the knowledge, skills and competency of the staff team. The training programme has nearly been completed. However, there is one significant action in the improvement plan that is yet to be completed. This relates to the completion of a staff skills and competency audit. The lack of completion means that this audit does not yet provide leaders and managers with insight into how effective the training programme has been, whether there are still gaps in the collective knowledge of the team and whether the recent improvements will become embedded in practice.

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good

A fire risk assessment was undertaken in June 2021 and an action plan was subsequently produced. The action plan has not been regularly updated and the anticipated target dates for completion of actions have not been met. The plan therefore indicates that some actions may not have been addressed in a timely way. In addition, leaders and managers did not consult the risk assessor when it was decided that one recommendation would not be fully implemented.

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good

This shortfall has not been identified by managers as part of their quality of care monitoring. Although some aspects of internal monitoring are strong, particularly in terms of the quality of risk assessments and significant incidents, other minor shortfalls were found. For example, monitoring systems have not identified weaknesses in the child’s education support plan. This plan does not specify all the measures staff could take to support and encourage the child to maintain good educational progress. However, the shortfall in the plan has not had a negative impact on the progress currently being made by the child.

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good

Staff receive regular practice-based supervision. The quality of this supervision is sometimes variable. The new manager has received good-quality supervision which has focused on her development needs and maintaining high standards of care in the home. The safety of the child and safeguarding practice have also been explored. However, one member of staff’s supervision notes do not indicate that there was sufficient scrutiny and reflection on practice issues taking place during the supervision meetings.

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good

Senior managers in the organisation have demonstrated a commitment to improving standards in the home before admitting any new children. This has enabled staff to concentrate on learning from the training they have received and reflecting on the potential implications of past poor practice. A learning culture has been established in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 6 Work has been undertaken to improve the admissions process, particularly in relation to assessing the likely impact that a new admission will have on children already living at the home. A detailed impact assessment template has been developed. This is likely to ensure that a significant amount of information is collected prior to accepting a new child. However, the template does not currently initiate a detailed analysis and evaluation of the information that has been received.

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good

The child’s placement plan provides a comprehensive record of the child’s needs and how these will be met. The plan is detailed, apart from the education section. It sets clear goals for how the child will progress towards adulthood and gain increasing levels of independence. The plan is kept under regular review and records the child’s progress. The child has been consulted on the content of the plan and has contributed to the targets being set and the steps towards achieving these.

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good

Although some aspects of leadership and management require further development, the progress made in raising standards at the home since July 2021 has been significant. This can be attributed to the skills and commitment of the senior leadership team. Despite a period of disruption and change, the staff team at the home feels well supported and there are indications that a cohesive approach is now being taken to ensuring that children will be kept safe and their needs will be met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 7

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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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that a staff competency audit is undertaken. 17 December

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that actions specified in the fire risk assessment action plan are completed in a timely way and that the action plan is kept under review. Any deviation from the recommendations made in the fire risk assessment should be agreed with the professional who undertook the fire risk assessment. 17 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the necessary support is given to children to enable them to access their education or training. In particular, ensure that a child’s placement plan clearly identifies the support that staff will give a child in order to maximise the potential for the child to engage positively with their education provision. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13) Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 8  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. In particular, ensure that internal monitoring procedures identify any shortfalls in the quality of care planning or staff supervision. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55,

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Recommendations

paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. In particular, when assessing the impact that a new admission may have, ensure that there is sufficient analysis and evaluation of the information that has been provided during the referral process. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. In particular, ensure that the quality

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Recommendations

of supervision is consistently good for all members of staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Southern Adolescent Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Stephen Collett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC038522 10 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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