Children's Home run by East Sussex County Council in East Sussex

Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 1 Registered provider: East Sussex County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home providing care for up to five children who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties as well as mild autism spectrum disorder.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were registered on 4 May 2022.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection of the home and was carried out over two visits as an additional visit was required to gather further evidence.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 2

p.1

Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 3

p.2

inadequate

Children have moved into this newly registered home in quick succession. This has not enabled staff to build constructive relationships with children or to establish a settled culture and atmosphere before other children move into the home. As a result, children’s welfare and experiences have been adversely affected.

p.3

inadequate

The home is currently reliant on the use of agency staff to supplement the permanent staff team. Agency staff have only limited access to information about the children, and therefore they do not understand the needs of the children sufficiently well to provide good care. Children experience inconsistent care due to a lack of integration between agency and permanent staff. Permanent staff have been able to build more effective relationships with children.

p.3

inadequate

Children’s day-to-day experiences vary. There have been occasions when disruptions and the behaviour of children have compromised other children’s opportunities to engage in activities. However, some children have been able to enjoy a variety of different trips and local activities. Special events such as birthdays have been well planned.

p.3

inadequate

While children’s views are being recorded, their ability to inform care practice and decisions about their care is limited. Individual sessions with children are inconsistent, both in frequency and in recording. Follow-up discussions with children after incidents do not occur routinely. Equally, targets for children to achieve are not always agreed or discussed with them first. Children’s meetings do not happen on a regular basis. When they have been held, managers have not always addressed or responded to the issues that children have raised.

p.3

inadequate

At the first visit, the outside areas of the home were unkempt and poorly maintained. Children and the registered manager had raised this with senior managers. By the time of the second visit, the gardens had been cleared but were still bare and unwelcoming. This is a missed opportunity for managers to show that children are being listened to, and limits children’s opportunities to enjoy the garden.

p.3

inadequate

Not all children are engaging with education and there are limited plans to support them with this. For some children who are not in school, education support has been provided in the home while leaders continue to advocate for the children with education professionals and to identify suitable school placements. One child has made progress. They had missed their last year of school but they are now attending daily. Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 4

p.3

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

Plans do not include consideration of all known risks for the children. When plans are updated, they are not routinely shared with staff to ensure that everyone working with the child has the most up-to-date information. Consequently, strategies to help to reduce known risks to children are not always implemented consistently.

p.4

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

There are clear written strategies in place for supporting one of the children. However, no strategies are available for the other two children in the home. This does not allow consistent, informed responses when children are in need of additional support at times of distress. Staff are provided with external expertise regarding behaviour management practice, but the impact of this is limited due to the high number of agency staff who are not familiar with, or able to implement, these plans consistently.

p.4

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

There have been a number of serious incidents such as fire setting, sexualised behaviour shown by children, and a child gaining access to medication and taking an overdose. The registered manager had failed to review significant incidents effectively in order to consider any learning or changes to practice that may be needed in response to these incidents, to reduce the likelihood of them reoccurring. This places children at risk of harm.

p.4

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

The high level of agency staff and the lack of integration of working practices means that teams work inconsistently at times. Agency staff have taken children out of the home with minimal knowledge of their vulnerabilities and risks. Although there have been no significant incidents as a result of this, staff’s knowledge of how to manage children’s challenging behaviours is limited.

p.4

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

The impact of children’s behaviour on their peers is not sufficiently acknowledged or responded to by staff, in order to help children to feel safe in their home. For example, staff locked a child’s bedroom door at their request so that they felt safe when another child was displaying aggressive and disruptive behaviour. Records do not show that, once the incident was resolved, staff spent time reassuring the child. This strategy of locking the door has not been reviewed or addressed by the manager of the home.

p.4

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

Allegations are not responded to effectively. On one occasion, the manager chose to investigate an allegation himself and did not consult with external safeguarding professionals or share the outcome of his investigation. This undermined the safeguards that are in place to ensure that allegations are considered and investigated by independent safeguarding professionals. This leaves children potentially vulnerable to harm.

p.4

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

When children have made complaints about staff, there is a lack of detailed investigation into what has happened. The response to children does not consider staff actions and, on one occasion, the response to a child did not address aspects of the child’s complaint about staff but focused instead on the child’s behaviour. This Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 5 does not allow children to feel confident in the complaints process and how it can support them.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not have effective monitoring and audit systems in place to review the quality of care provided. As a result, shortfalls in the care provided to the children have not been identified.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff frequently use ill-defined words such as ‘heightened’ to describe a range of presenting behaviours. There is no shared understanding of what may be influencing children’s behaviours and therefore no shared approach to helping children who may be in crisis or at risk.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision for staff is inconsistent and has not provided appropriate support. When staff raise concerns about the practice of others, this has not been addressed, resolved or acknowledged. The impact of working with traumatised children has not been sufficiently explored and supervisions do not enable staff to reflect or to resolve their subsequent distress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Sharing of key information has been compromised by the lack of regular team meetings. This means that members of staff are not always aware of concerns, changes to risk assessments and care plans. This compromises teamwork and the provision of consistent care. Staff have identified the shortfalls in communication, supervision and team meetings and have shared their views with managers. Managers have not responded to staff concerns in an effective or timely manner.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As previously identified, there are insufficient staff in the home to provide a consistent level of care. This has been acknowledged by the registered manager and managers in the wider organisation. As a result, there are no plans to increase the number of children living in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

While leaders have a clear vision for the home, their ability to achieve this has been significantly hindered by the dependence on agency staff and the decision to admit children in quick succession. Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

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. (Regulation 7 (1)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s views are considered, to inform care practice, and that they are consulted with regard to their care plans and individual targets. 28 August 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm

p.6

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; 28 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 7 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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

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. *(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 28 August 2022

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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)(d)(e)(f)) 28 August 2022

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 28 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 8 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)) 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. *(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)) 28 August 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 28 August 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3) (4)) 28 August 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

Recommendation

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, staff should ensure that phrases that are unclear and non- descriptive are not used repeatedly when describing children’s behaviour. Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 9

p.8

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: 2674792 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Sussex County Council

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1UE

p.10

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Teresa Lavelle-Hill

p.10

Inspectors

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Amanda Harvey, Social Care Inspector Teri Peck, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: 2674792 11 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.10

Inspectors

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 . 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.11

Inspectors

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

p.11

Inspectors

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

p.11