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 privately owned home is registered to provide long-term care and short breaks for up to 16 children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is made up of six separate houses. There were eight children and young people living across five of the houses at the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The two managers have been registered with Ofsted since December 2023 but have worked at the home for several years

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected Outstanding

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Outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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Outstanding

Date of last inspection: 11 October 2022

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Outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/10/2022 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Good 19/11/2019 Full Outstanding 04/12/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 3

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outstanding

Children are looked after by caring staff who are attentive and are familiar with each child’s personality and needs. As a result, children make exceptional progress from their starting points.

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outstanding

Staff enjoy spending time with children and provide them with extremely warm and nurturing support. This helps children to build meaningful, trusting relationships with staff.

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outstanding

Some children struggled to engage in education before they came to live at the home, but all children now attend school full time. Engaging and achieving in education has helped children to grow in confidence, improve their communication skills and develop friendships with children outside the home.

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outstanding

Staff and managers make sure that all care planning decisions are made with children’s best interests in mind. For example, when arranging for children to spend time with their families. This ensures the best possible outcomes for children, and they are thriving as a result.

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outstanding

The registered managers have worked tirelessly to ensure that staff work in line with the therapeutic model of care. Consequently, staff are providing high-quality, individualised care. In one example, a child’s medication regime has been reviewed, which has led to a much improved quality of life.

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outstanding

Before children move into the home, the registered managers carefully consider the child’s needs alongside those of children who already live there. This enables managers to undertake a well-informed assessment of the likely impact of the child moving into the home, which results in careful planning and matching.

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outstanding

The registered managers keep children’s care and support plans under close review. If children’s needs change, their living arrangements are reviewed to consider whether they would be best placed in a different house in the provision. This is to ensure that, whenever possible, children live alongside other children who have similar interests and abilities. People who are important to children are involved in decision making, and moves are thoughtfully planned to reduce the risk of children becoming unsettled.

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outstanding

An inclusive approach supports children to maintain positive relationships with their families. One parent told inspectors that their child has ‘come on [in] leaps and bounds’ and that it is obvious from the child’s progress that they are happy at the home. The parent went on to say, ‘[The staff team is] highly skilled, thoughtful, reflective and safe. They are the gold standard.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 4 The houses are homely, comfortable and well-maintained. Children receive carefully planned care in environments which are designed to meet their specific needs, and which reflect their interests and identities. This helps children to experience a sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Children are encouraged and supported to engage in activities in the home and in the wider community. This has a positive impact on children’s social and emotional development, independence and self-esteem.

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outstanding

Children’s safety and well-being are given high priority. Staff have sound awareness of each child’s vulnerabilities and strengths and are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities.

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outstanding

The registered managers are exceptionally good role models and ensure that there is an open, transparent and learning culture. Consequently, staff feel comfortable to challenge each other and report any practice concerns. The registered managers ensure that any learning from incidents is shared with the wider staff team. This responsive approach reduces the risk that potentially harmful situations will reoccur.

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outstanding

Staff are adept at noticing changes in children’s presentation and behaviour. They recognise that those changes may indicate that children are struggling and need additional support. Consequently, the frequency of behavioural incidents has reduced over time.

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outstanding

When children make complaints or allegations about staff, managers respond swiftly and decisively to ensure children’s safety. Safe recruitment practice is understood and implemented. This reduces the risk of unsuitable people being employed to work at the home.

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outstanding

When new staff commence employment, they are closely monitored and supervised until they are ready to work with children alone. This contributes to children’s safety and sense of security.

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outstanding

Processes for managing health and safety matters and maintenance tasks are excellent. As a result, repairs are completed in a timely manner and the physical environment is safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered managers have worked at the home for several years. Staff speak very positively about the impact that they have had since they became in day-to-day charge. Changes in practice have resulted in clearer expectations of staff, and they are providing an improved standard of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 5 Staff recruitment has been an ongoing challenge. Recent recruitment initiatives have been successful, but there is not currently a full staff complement. However, to ensure there was no impact on children, managers proactively decided not to admit the number of children for which the home is registered. Managers recognise that when they can admit children, careful matching will need to take place. New staff speak positively about the training and support that they receive during their induction period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Working closely with other professionals is given high priority by the registered managers. They advocate on behalf of children when they identify shortfalls in the service that they are receiving from other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality supervision and annual appraisals. These provide opportunities for managers to ensure that staff know how to care for children in line with their care plans and to discuss staff development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered managers are aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. They have focused their development plans on successfully addressing shortfalls which existed before their appointment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered managers have worked closely with staff to help them to understand and implement changes to practice. However, at times, this has had a negative impact on the registered managers’ capacity to ensure that all recording systems are streamlined and demonstrate the good management monitoring and oversight which takes place in practice. 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, 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(h)) 31 July 2024

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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 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Megan King and James Kay

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Inspectors

Emma Haskell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068559 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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