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

Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 1 SC373941 Registered provider: East Sussex County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority. Up to four children live in the home, with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2022.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/05/2021 Full Good 11/06/2019 Full Outstanding 01/08/2018 Full Good 01/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, four children were living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children an appropriate level of affection and praise. This helps children to develop positive relationships with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to contribute their views about their care. Although this may not change their plans, it does help children to feel valued and to be assured that their views matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education. Staff are mindful that children have often experienced disruption to their education. Consequently, staff move quickly to remove all barriers that can impact a child’s school attendance and ability to engage in learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in local clubs and groups and go on holidays of their choice. Staff are committed to helping children to pursue hobbies and interests, such as football and beachcombing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with health professionals to ensure that children have access to the right support and advice in relation to their physical and emotional health. Children learn how to make healthy choices, including trying new foods and exercising. Some children are attending routine appointments for the first time thanks to the dedicated support of the staff.

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

Staff are acutely aware of the children’s vulnerabilities and their responsibility for protecting every child. Trusting relationships with staff are at the heart of safeguarding practice.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff take prompt action. Staff follow children’s missing-from-care protocols and work closely with the police. This coordinated approach helps to keep children safe. However, records made by staff to capture the action taken are sometimes confusing due to duplication across different forms.

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

Joint working with health professionals means that children with a history of self- injurious behaviour receive a consistent response when they are likely to self-harm. Plans are clear and effective in supporting children to use agreed coping mechanisms when they are struggling emotionally. Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 4 Staff have a good understanding of de-escalation techniques that help them to manage challenging behaviours. Consequently, physical intervention is rarely used.

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

The home requires redecoration and attention to detail with regards to repairs. Some of the fixtures and fittings are institutional. There are plans in place to improve the décor, but there is a lack or urgency from the wider authority. The failure to address this shortfall compromises staff’s efforts in trying to achieve a homely environment for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is ambitious and passionate about providing a good quality of care to the children. They work closely with professionals, and feedback is positive. These partnerships mean that children are protected, feel secure and know that everyone has their best interests at heart.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervisions and annual appraisals. These sessions help to support and challenge staff practice and improve the care given to the children. This is further supported by reflective team meetings, with the children being central to the discussions and agreed actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s care plans are regularly reviewed and updated in line with their changing needs. Children benefit from one-to-one sessions, particularly when a new concern or issue is noted. However, the quality of record-keeping is variable. For example, there is a lack of evidence to show that one-to-one sessions help to support children to develop their life skills. The manager is aware of the issue and this is to be embedded in practice. Furthermore, risk assessments are not always clear and can be repetitive, which leads to confusion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is well established. This multi-agency approach ensures that appropriate support is in place to assist children’s progress and to maximise each child’s potential. Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 5

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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 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

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)(d)) 31 December

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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

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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) (2)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, monitor the quality of records to ensure that they are clear and not repetitive or confusing. 31 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. Children’s homes will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. This includes ensuring that the bathrooms have domestic style showers and that the hallway is in an acceptable state of repair and decoration. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 6 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)

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Recommendations

Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Sussex County Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC373941 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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