Children's home run by Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd in Lewes

Inspection report for children’s home: SC403905 1 SC403905 Registered provider: Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children. The statement of purpose states that the home accommodates children with complex needs who may have experienced trauma, neglect and abuse. At the time of the inspection, there were five children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and suitable qualified.

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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: SC403905 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2021 Full Good 02/10/2019 Full Good 05/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC403905 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care from a skilled and loving staff team. Staff talk confidently about the care that they provide and how they can meet the needs of individual children. Children’s complex needs are well understood, and staff are able to demonstrate how to safely care for children who put themselves at risk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Individual children’s communication needs are well understood, and staff demonstrate skill in being able to react and respond so that children feel consistently listened to and consulted with. Since the last inspection, there has been significant progress in this area. As a result of consistent staff responses and guidance, children have made positive progress in their ability to communicate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain good relationships with families and social workers. This ensures that any concerns are immediately raised and shared. Parents talk positively about the fact that there is daily communication in the form of text messages, meaning that they feel connected to both their children and the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. Children are engaged in education. When children do not go to school, staff work creatively to provide an educational plan for each day to ensure that children continue to learn and re-engage.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional needs are well understood. A combination of therapy, specialist work from staff and detailed clinical oversight ensures that there is a good understanding of how children are feeling. Detailed and skilled family work supports positive changes to children’s family relationships. Children are supported to express how they feel about relationships with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported through weekly house ‘chats’ and regular one-to-one sessions to express how they feel about living in the home. Children feel empowered to make changes in the home and how they are cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is good planning for children moving into and out of the home. Children moving in are supported with visits and given a copy of the children’s guide. This helps them to understand what to expect. Children talk confidently of their experience and how they were helped to settle in. One child’s placement was shorter than hoped. Leaders have reflected on this and why this may have happened.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been able to have a say in how their bedrooms are decorated and these are all personalised. However, the communal areas of the home have not had the same attention. Paintwork in several parts of the home has been damaged through wear and tear and there are also more significant issues due to, for example, water damage. Concerns were raised by local environmental health agencies regarding expiry dates of food stored in the fridge, but these have been addressed by leaders. Inspection report for children’s home: SC403905 4

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

Risks for children are well known. Since the last inspection, there has been an increase in incidents and allegations. Staff understand the reasons for this and, when these things occur, they are well managed. Staff are clear about what their responsibilities are. Clear strategies are in place, and staff share information well with social workers and external safeguarding professionals. While this has not yet resulted in a reduction in incidents, leaders are working diligently with other professionals to reduce the impact.

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

Staff manage behaviour well. When children are unsettled, staff action is proportionate to the incident and there is always a good understanding of the reason why children behave in the way that they have. Good follow-up work is done with staff and children following incidents of restraint. However, reports do not always provide sufficient detail in terms of the restraint itself. These reports have not historically provided leaders with detailed oversight of the actions that staff have taken. Leaders recognised this during the inspection.

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

While the environment is clean and tidy, there have been a few minor concerns raised in weekly fire checks and environmental health inspections. Leaders put in new schedules of work and have taken appropriate action to address concerns.

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

Staff are appropriately vetted before starting work in the home. Rigorous employment checks are undertaken and all staff are then provided with a detailed induction plan. This level of scrutiny and support also extends to temporary staff.

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

Children’s health needs are well met. However, there have been three occasions when there have been errors in administering medication. The staff involved have received updated training. However, there is not always follow-up in supervision or through performance management processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced registered manager who is supported by experienced and devoted deputy managers. Leaders have high aspirations for everyone in the home, whether children or staff. Children are encouraged to make progress and expectations are not limited due to communication challenges.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have a clear understanding of the progress that children make. Monthly reports, end of placement meetings and detailed discussions in staff meetings ensure that progress is understood and celebrated. Leaders have introduced a series of monthly monitoring systems that help provide oversight of key areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are quick to talk about the positive support that they get and how approachable leaders are. Staff receive regular supervision. This is supplemented by Inspection report for children’s home: SC403905 5 clinical supervision and reflective practice meetings to support staff to think about the impact of their work and how they can best support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have been quick to challenge external agencies when necessary. Recently, when there have been some concerns regarding medication for a child, leaders have been quick to respond and are trying to support the team around the child. Leaders are clear why they feel that this challenge is needed and know how key this is for the ongoing safety and success of children’s placements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC403905 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 make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that —

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)) 30 April 2023

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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

In particular, leaders need to ensure that food is safely stored and there is a swift response to weekly fire checks. 30 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes a description of the measure and its duration

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)) 30 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is nurturing and a supportive environment that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most Inspection report for children’s home: SC403905 7 cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC403905 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Clarke Brownscombe, 2 St Andrews Place, Southover Road, Lewes BN7 1UP

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Inspector

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC403905 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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