Children's home run by PJL Healthcare Limited in Wealden

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 1 SC068559 Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to 16 children with learning disabilities. It provides long-term and short-break care. There were seven children living across four of the six small homes at the time of the inspection. The short-break service remains closed.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since June 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 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

Date of last inspection: 14 September 2021

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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: SC068559 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2021 Full Good 19/11/2019 Full Outstanding 04/12/2018 Full Outstanding 30/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience nurturing and loving care by staff who are committed to building and maintaining positive relationships. Staff understand the children’s individual needs and provide a safe environment for them to make progress and enjoy life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning for the children is clearly recorded. Contributions from the organisation’s therapy team, education providers and other involved professionals and parents keep these plans relevant to the unique needs of each child. These plans demonstrate the child’s journey and their progress. One parent said, ‘My son’s needs are at the forefront of their work.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good school attendance. Staff work closely with the children’s schools, providing a consistent approach to each child’s complex needs. One child has been successfully supported to move to a secondary school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are respectful and sensitive when they are supporting children with their personal care. Staff are familiar with each child’s methods of communication, and enable children to influence decisions about their day-to-day care and the running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have enriching experiences and develop positive memories through a wide range of activities. There is a space for children to have freedom to explore the garden and to play. There is a garden lodge that provides extra space for children to engage in activities such as messy play. Children also have access to an on-site swimming pool.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although children live in a safe environment, some areas require improvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers proactively welcome children’s families to the home. An inclusive approach helps children to maintain positive relationships with their families.

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

Children’s safety is prioritised. Managers demonstrate good safeguarding knowledge and consult other professionals and agencies effectively.

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

High staffing levels help to ensure that staff are able to respond well to children’s vulnerabilities and risks.

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

Staff recognise that a change in a child’s presentation and/or behaviour is a means of communication that the child needs additional support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 4 Children know how to make a complaint. The staff use social stories to help children raise their concerns, receive feedback and to understand the outcome.

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

Managers have advocated for children. For example, managers raised a concern over a move for a child. This has resulted in the child being able to move from one home to another.

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

All staff are trained in the care of medicines. Recording systems are robust and any errors and discrepancies are quickly identified and addressed through daily audits.

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

When appointing staff, managers follow safer recruitment practice guidelines. This means that only staff deemed suitable get to work with children.

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good

The registered manager post has been vacant since June 2022. There are two care managers currently overseeing the home. Senior leaders acknowledge that the care managers have transferable skills but have limited knowledge of managing a children’s home. There are no plans currently for them to apply to be registered with Ofsted. Action is required by the organisation to ensure that the requirement of having a registered manager aligns with regulation.

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good

The previous requirement to ensure that the premises are maintained remains unmet. There is an extensive refurbishment programme in place. However, two of the homes where children are currently living have not been maintained. For example, a shower pole has not been replaced, handles on cupboard doors have not been put in place and walls are left unpainted when repairs have been carried out.

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good

The care manager’s knowledge for the care of children is good. However, not all practice is reflected the records. For example, consent has not been appropriately obtained for the use of surveillance for one child. The hosting local authority has not been informed when children have left the home in line with regulation.

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good

Leaders and managers are passionate in their efforts to be good role models and trusted figures for the children and for the staff.

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good

Staff describe the change of management as being positive, providing a clear vision and improving the quality of care for children. However, leaders and managers have not established a consistent approach to the monitoring of the home.

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good

Staff are supported through regular and reflective supervision. This is enhanced by group and clinical meetings.

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good

Staff receive training that is relevant to the needs of the children. When staff are ready, additional training packages are put in place. As a result, children are looked after by well-informed staff who have the skills and experience to meet their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 5 Feedback is positive about the support and care children receive. There is good communication that results in an effective multi-agency approach that puts the children at the centre of decisions. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 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 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (b)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41 (1)) 31 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should actively seek scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 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: SC068559 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited

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Inspectors

Rebecca Fisher, Social Care Inspector Tony Waite, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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