Children's Home run by Crusoe Care Limited in East Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 1 SC434573 Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care for up to two children. The home is owned by a private company which operates another children’s home in the area.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2011.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2022 Full Good 17/02/2020 Full Good 21/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 3

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improvement to be good

The staff have positive relationships with the children who are settled and happy in the home. However, the oversight from senior managers has been ineffective.

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improvement to be good

The previous recommendation in relation to consequences has not been met. Consequences are not restorative in nature. Staff focus on restricting the use of electronic devices and, on one occasion, a consequence imposed was not appropriate or proportionate. This does not prepare children to rebuild relationships or make amends.

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improvement to be good

The children are making progress, and this is measured by targets that are set and monitored by staff and progress rewarded. The staff are positive towards the children and talk about them with pride. However, the children have not been given the opportunity to identify their own targets, and the targets are not always framed positively to incentivise them. This is not in line with the statement of purpose.

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improvement to be good

The relationships between the children and staff are strong and valued by the children. The children living here enjoy the staff’s and each other’s company. They are supported to have contact with their parents, siblings and friends. The children benefit socially from participation in clubs in the community, such as local youth groups and sports clubs. The staff organise shared activities with the children from the other homes within the organisation. As a result, children’s self-esteem and sense of self-worth improves.

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improvement to be good

The children can explore their identity in a safe way. Staff work with social workers and external specialist professionals to help children to understand their sexual identity when needed.

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improvement to be good

Both children attend school and are making academic progress. One child has identified a college that will meet his interests and particular needs. Staff equip and prepare children to travel to and from school/college in a safe and planned way.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to become independent. There is an expectation that they learn self-care skills and contribute to chores that prepare children for the future.

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improvement to be good

Senior managers failed to recognise when a child made a complaint about his care. This was not recorded as such and a formal investigation was not completed to provide the child with a response to his concerns and inform him of the outcome. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 4 Appropriate action was taken when staff found that a child was not taking his medication. Medical advice was sought and the medication was reviewed. However, an investigation was not undertaken to explore if there was any learning that could be shared with the staff group to increase their vigilance.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand the risks to children and how to protect them. They are not risk averse and educate the children to keep themselves safe. However, the risk assessments are not updated and some risk assessments are completed even though there is not an identified risk. Therefore, there is a lack of clarity for new staff working at the home.

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improvement to be good

The fire risk assessment is not completed by a competent person. The risk assessment is brief and lacks clarity on how risk levels are measured and how safety equipment should be used. In addition, staff do not have up-to-date training in fire safety. The responsible individual recognised this shortfall at the time of the inspection and is commissioning an external fire assessor as quickly as possible.

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improvement to be good

Monthly fire drills are conducted and, on the whole, children evacuate promptly. This is reinforced with regular conversations between staff and children. This ensures that children are aware of what they should do in the event of a fire.

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improvement to be good

Direct work with children takes place regularly and is recorded. Staff focus on helping children to manage their behaviours and keep themselves safe. The children share an interest in online ‘gaming’. They know the risks of internet use and how to avoid these. Safety measures and an internet use contract completed with children are further layers of protection.

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improvement to be good

The staff recognise the children’s triggers or any changes in their emotions. The staff skilfully help children to manage their behaviours. As a result, there have been no physical interventions during this inspection period.

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improvement to be good

The children do not go missing from home because this is the place where they feel loved and cared for. There are only low-level incidents, and there have not been any police intervention or concerns about the children’s behaviour.

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good

The oversight of senior managers has failed to develop the service and consistently respond to areas of improvement identified at previous inspections. In addition, a requirement and recommendation from the previous inspection has not been met.

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good

The review of the quality of care has not been completed and provided to Ofsted within timescales. The review does not evidence the children’s views or provide an analysis of the quality of care, and does not identify actions to improve the service. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 5 The children’s care plans, behaviour support plans and ‘My Voice Matters’ reports capture the children’s progress and are informative for those involved in the children’s care.

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good

Currently, the staffing levels are safe. However, there are times when it is a challenge to meet the one-to-care of children as stated in the home’s statement of purpose. The workforce plan has not been updated and does not evidence how any gaps in staffing are addressed in order for the situation to be monitored and regularly reviewed. The lone working risk assessment is out of date and not in line with the statement of purpose.

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good

The staff, including senior managers, do not have regular supervision or annual appraisals. This does not give the manager and staff protected time to reflect on the emotional impact of their role, develop their professionalism and that of the organisation.

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good

These findings detract from the passion and commitment of the senior managers towards the children and the staff. Senior managers visit the home daily, and are visible and approachable to staff and children. Senior managers meet regularly with each other and the deputy manager and team leaders. However, they do not record these meetings. This is a missed opportunity to evidence their efforts to improve the home.

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good

Senior managers protect the ethos of the small, family environment and recruit staff who share their vision. They recognise the strengths and weaknesses highlighted in this report and are committed to taking the necessary action to achieve a good level of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 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

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff understand and implement each child’s risk assessment. 15 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose reflects the quality and care in the home and is updated. 15 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention.

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home— 4 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 7 paragraph (1) does not apply; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In this regulation, "the fire and rescue authority" means the fire and rescue authority under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004(2) for the area in which the home is located. (Regulation 25 (1)(c) (2)(a)(b) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that supervision and annual appraisals are completed in line with the home’s policies and procedures. 15 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it;

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Requirement Due date

and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 15 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 8 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the quality of care review is completed in line with the regulations.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of consequences demonstrate that their effectiveness is monitored. Any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should have an up-to-date workforce plan which should detail the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. This should include plans for staff sufficiency. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s statement of purpose is

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Recommendations

child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in its care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 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: SC434573 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Crusoe Care Limited of 25 Clinton Place, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 1NP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy McIlwaine

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 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 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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