Children's Home run by The Cuckfield Care Consultancy Limited in West Sussex

Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 1 SC066466 Registered provider: The Cuckfield Care Consultancy Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private children’s home is registered to care for up to six children. The home’s statement of purpose states that medium- to long-term placements are provided for vulnerable children with emotional, behavioural and psychological difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 7 December 2016. She is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/08/2021 Full Good 24/04/2019 Full Outstanding 31/05/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience friendly and nurturing care from the staff, who develop positive relationships with them. For the majority of the time, this leads to a relaxed atmosphere in the home, where children turn to the staff for support and enjoy their company.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff make considerable efforts to help the children experience stability and make progress. However, risks in the community have increased for two children. This has contributed to periods of instability for some of the children. In response to this, the registered manager has taken proactive steps to make alternative plans with placing authorities and families, keeping the children’s best interests and safety at the centre of her decision-making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in and consulted about their care. Staff support the children to maintain and develop relationships with their family, friends and others who are important to them. This approach enhances the children’s sense of safety and well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager champions the rights of children who are experiencing difficulties in accessing education. Staff work consistently in supporting the children to develop healthy day and night routines. As a result, when children are not attending school or college, they are engaged in suitable structured activities. This helps them to regain their confidence in education and learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and the staff ensure that children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively and with thorough planning. Care and ongoing support are extended to the children when they leave the home. This includes planned outreach work. The staff offer an open invitation for the children to stay in contact, and many do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a range of recreational and sporting activities. Staff encourage the children to follow their individual interests and extend their social experiences. Holidays in the UK and abroad are actively promoted by the staff. One child, at his request, visited Rome last year. A surfing holiday has been booked for this year at the request of another child. The managers and the staff recognise that such enrichment opportunities broaden the children’s horizons and enhance their life experiences and future aspirations.

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

The registered manager and the staff work in close partnership with the children’s families and with their professional networks. Positive communication and collaborative relationships have built trust and engagement. This creates a strong team around each child and helps ensure that risks are reduced for them. Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 4 Staff promote an open and transparent culture, where the children are encouraged to express themselves and take part in decision-making. Staff recognise that listening to the children is vital in keeping them safe.

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

Promoting independence is a particular strength of the home. Children are encouraged to increase their independence, at the right pace for them. Direct work is structured to meet the children’s individual needs, and it provides a safe space for the children to discuss any issues or worries that they may have.

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

Staff are proactive in encouraging the children not to leave the home when it is unsafe for them to do so. When children have been missing from the home, staff are tenacious in encouraging them to return. This includes staff following the children and searching for them at known locations. This sends the children a strong message that their safety and welfare are of the utmost importance to the staff.

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

Staff use empathy, praise and humour to help the children to manage difficult feelings. Physical intervention is rarely used. On the few occasions that this has happened, it has been to prevent a child or others from being seriously hurt. Behaviour management records are generally well completed. However, a shortfall was found in the recording of the staff debriefs following a serious incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a longstanding and child-centred registered manager, who is instrumental in fostering a respectful and inclusive culture in the home. There has been significant investment in the home to ensure that the physical environment is homely and maintained to a good standard. The registered manager has met the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual and registered manager have welcomed ‘fresh eyes’ from external oversight to help them on the home’s development journey. Leaders and the staff work positively and confidently with other agencies and professionals. External professionals have all commented positively on the good working relationships between themselves and the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager, with the support of the staff team, has worked hard to enhance the quality of care that the children receive. This has largely focused on embedding new ways of working. This includes a move to a trauma-informed model to underpin staff interactions with the children, alongside a comprehensive training plan to upskill the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new training plan identifies the staff’s training needs and is closely monitored by the managers to ensure that each member of staff is up to date and that the training is relevant to the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Two members of staff are outside the time period required for completing their childcare qualification. This is due to changes to the staff assessors in the Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 5 organisation which has been commissioned to provide the training. Managers are supervising the staff’s progress and they are both on track to complete shortly. Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 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, The 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

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)) 10 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b)) 04 August 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 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: SC066466 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Cuckfield Care Consultancy Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ashburnham, Cuckfield Road, Ansty, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 5AG

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC066466 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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