Children's Home run by The Amicus Community (Arundel) Ltd in West Sussex

Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 1 Registered provider: The Amicus Community Arundel Limited 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 part of an independent children’s therapeutic community which is accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It provides therapeutic care for up to five children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2012.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2020 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Good 18/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build trusted and warm relationships with the adults. As a result of purposeful trauma-informed interactions, the children experience a sense of security, belonging and acceptance. This provides the foundations for the children to heal and make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living with the adults who care for them and with each other. Adults help the children to recognise and name their feelings in the safety of the group living environment. Without exception, the children make tremendous strides in developing their communication skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend a small nurturing school run by the organisation. Many of the children who come to live at the home have experienced poor school attendance and disruption to their education. Adults recognise the children’s developmental trauma as a primary need. Through the adults’ support and encouragement, and the integrated team approach between the school and the home, the children develop an eagerness to learn and attend school daily.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy living at the home. They connect their relationships with the adults to what makes this a good home. Adults model kindness and acceptance. This leads to a relaxed atmosphere where the children turn to the adults for support and comfort. Consequently, the children relish spending time with the adults, who in turn enjoy the children’s company.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to develop their interests and passions. A wide range of well-considered activities and experiences are provided for the children to enjoy. Children attend a range of local clubs, such as Guides and Scouts. This helps the children to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively with careful and considered planning. For example, a therapeutic assessment of a child’s needs is started before they move to the home. This is aided by the registered manager’s expectation that social workers provide detailed child and family information in a chronology, together with other relevant information. Consequently, when children join the home, the adults have the skills and understanding to meet the child’s needs, alongside considering the needs and feelings of the other children.

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

Adults provide the children with consistent day-to-day routine and structure that is underpinned by a high nurture-intentional parenting approach. As a result, the children learn to know what is expected of them. This provides the children with feelings of safety, predictability and reassurance. Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 4 Adults encourage the children to speak openly about their feelings both in and out of group meetings. Children feel safe to talk about their feelings with each other and the adults at the home. Consequently, the children learn about the impact that their behaviours may have on themselves and others.

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

Children learn how to manage difficult emotions. Older children in the home are articulate in naming how the adults have helped them, in, for example, not hurting other people. As a result, the children develop empathy and learn to take responsibility for their actions without being overwhelmed by shame.

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

Physical intervention is only used when children or others are at significant risk of harm. Detailed positive behaviour plans for each child guide the adult practice and include the views of the children. Records include detailed information about how the adults provide support to the children when they are in distress. However, while the children’s views are always sought after incidents, some of the entries in written records are not dated. This reduces the provider’s ability to understand and scrutinise the actions taken by the registered manager to ensure timely and proportionate practice.

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

Adults have a good knowledge of what is required to manage risk and keep the children safe. Records are kept of individual safeguarding incidents. However, some entries do not record the agreed decisions from partner safeguarding agencies. This has the potential to hinder management oversight in ensuring prompt follow-up actions. Moreover, shortfalls were identified in relation to Ofsted not being notified in a timely manner of some reportable incidents. Children were not put at risk by this, as all other safeguarding processes were followed and addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a well-qualified and longstanding registered manager who is also the director of therapeutic services in the organisation. Managers have a good understanding of the progress that the children make and have effective systems to monitor this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and the adults promote an inclusive environment, where equality is upheld and difference is celebrated. The home is well furnished, warm and welcoming. The investment and care provide a strong message to the children. They know that their well-being and achievements are important to the adults, who genuinely care for them and about them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior management contingency planning and risk management in response to COVID-19 have been excellent. The team of adults who work at the home remained stable during the more restrictive periods of COVID-19. However, there has been a recent turnover of adults. This is being addressed through a continued recruitment drive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management structures in place ensure that the registered manager, supported by the responsible individual, retains the day-to-day management of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 5 Managers use a bank of known adults to supplement any gaps in the team. Agency staff have not been used at the home. This has helped mitigate against any negative impact from the changes in the adult workforce on the quality of care that the children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults benefit from receiving high-quality training that enables them to meet the children’s needs well. Internal training and clinical group meetings are delivered regularly with the adults. This provides a safe forum for the team to explore and develop their knowledge with the home’s theory base and relate this to their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and implements plans to continue to improve the quality of care and respond to the children’s individual needs. The requirements made from the previous inspection have been met. Plans to develop the service are ambitious and support the home’s continual development. Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 6

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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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 14 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that accurate and dated records of restraint are kept. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of completing timely and clear recording, specifically in relation to the outcomes and decision-making following any safeguarding concerns. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 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’. Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Amicus Community Arundel Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Amicus Community, PO Box 79, Arundel BN18 9XA

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1246834 9 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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