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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2674792 1 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

This local authority children’s home provides care for up to five children who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties as well as being diagnosed with mild autism. There are currently three children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were both registered on 4 May 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: 1 November 2022

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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: 2674792 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/11/2022 Full Good 18/07/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2674792 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with consistent and positive care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make significant progress in their education, health and ability to make friendships. Children who have previously not had important health checks, have been supported to overcome any anxiety attached with seeing health professionals and have had comprehensive treatment as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s overall progress is tracked through star charts that map their progress in several areas. Staff, children and managers contribute to these. There has been significant development in this system since the last inspection. The focus now is on helping children to understand and celebrate the progress that they have made and then think about the next areas to work on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children have historically had challenges in accessing education consistently. Staff have worked hard with relevant education professionals to ensure that children have an achievable timetable in the right schools. When children are not in school for a period, there is a bespoke mentoring programme that supports children to develop their interests and skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are well understood. There has been a change to the way that 1:1 work is recorded, and this is now done via records of ‘our conversations’. This has helped children to develop their understanding of the discussions being had. It also ensures that records will be more meaningful to children in the future. However, some language used in reports is inappropriate. Staff need to ensure that when recording information, it is done with respect to children and demonstrates the same care that is given to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a variety of activities available to them and are always consulted about what they want to do. Alongside trips to local parks and activity centres, children have also been on activity holidays. Children talk with real affection about these experiences and are happy with the memories that have been made, all of which are recorded in personalised memory books.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home this is well planned. The manager consults with other professionals and ensures that staff have a good understanding of children’s previous experiences and risks.

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

Staff respond appropriately when children go missing. They follow protocols and help to support them to come home. When children return, staff talk to them about the risks that they could face and alternative strategies that they could use. This approach has reduced the frequency with which children go missing from care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2674792 4 Staff manage difficult behaviour well. This is due to the good-quality relationships that they have with children and the effectiveness of the strategies that they follow. Consequently, the frequency of physical interventions has reduced. When restraints are required, staff and children have the opportunity to debrief. However, restraint records do not always contain sufficient detail, often relying on restraint names or anecdotal phrases. This reduces the effectiveness of the manager’s oversight and may not be helpful for children should they review their records in the future.

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

Allegations about staff practice are responded to swiftly and effectively. External professionals are consulted as required. Recruitment processes are effective and include children’s questions at the interview stage. The use of temporary staff in the home has significantly reduced. When their use has been required, the manager works closely with the agency, to ensure that the impact on children is minimised.

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good

Both the registered manager and deputy manager have high aspirations for the home and the children that they care for. However, decisions made at a senior organisational level have significantly compromised the manager’s ability to maintain effective oversight in one instance. Specifically, a decision was taken that a child should move out of the home. However, senior leaders requested that the child continued to be supported by staff offering the child some outreach support in their new placement, with the registered manager supervising this arrangement. This was not an effective or practical arrangement. The manger advocated for the child and escalated his concerns. However, the situation continued for several months.

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good

Leaders have a good understanding of the progress that children make. This is captured through review reports, risk assessments and the previously mentioned star charts. The registered manager is a strong advocate for children, especially when he feels that decisions are not in their best interests.

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good

All staff receive regular and effective supervision. This allows them to explore any thoughts or concerns that they may have. There is a good review of previous actions. This allows staff, the registered manager and leaders to continue to monitor the progress being made.

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good

Staff feel well supported. Leaders are present in the home and have an ‘open-door policy’. Staff feel listened to and valued in their work. Inspection report for children’s home: 2674792 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, 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

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 28 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv) 28 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 28 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2674792 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect.

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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: 2674792 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

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2674792 8 regulates and inspects 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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