Children's Home run by Southern Adolescent Care Services Ltd in West Sussex

Inspection report for children's home: SC061795 1 SC061795 Registered provider: Southern Adolescent Care Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, there were four children living in the home. Staff are referred to as adults in this report.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2023 and is suitably 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: SC061795 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2023 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/05/2021 Full Outstanding 08/10/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC061795 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress living in the home. Adults are confident in their roles and provide a warm environment for children to explore who they are and process their feelings and trauma.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers are positive about the progress children make. They comment that the consistency in the adults’ caring approach means children know that they have space to learn and make mistakes, without breaking relationships with adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated like a typical family home. It is well kept and there is plenty of space for children to spend time together or alone. Children are relaxed in the home and have genuinely made it their own. They have their friends round and were relaxing in the sunshine, playing music as is typical of children their age.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children struggle to attend formal education settings. The adults are open and supportive and seek suitable activities for children to engage in during the school day. There are strong links with the virtual school and schools and colleges. Adults advocate well for children, helping to remove their barriers to learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff sit down and eat together and enjoy varied meals. They provide a space for adults and children to engage in family-style conversations, laughing and joking. Adults respond well to children making inappropriate comments about differences, such as sexuality. This is done in a supportive manner, giving a clear positive message, to help children understand and learn about equality and being respectful of others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are mostly in good health. There are excellent links with child and adolescent mental health services as well as specialists within the organisation to help children understand their emotional well-being. Children learn about healthy lifestyles and how they can make better choices and understand healthy diets and exercise.

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

Children are confident in their surroundings. Their interactions with adults show they feel safe. They all say they have at least one adult they would go to if they were worried or upset. The adults know each child’s risks and vulnerabilities and do all they can to keep them safe.

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

Adults recognise that children’s behaviour is a way to communicate how they are feeling. When children express behaviours of distress, adults respond appropriately and ensure children know that they are still loved and cared for. Physical interventions are rarely used. Records are a little confusing when more than one hold has been used during an incident. Inspection report for children's home: SC061795 4 Children do go missing from the home. The adults have strong, well-rehearsed responses when a child is missing from home, including looking for them in known locations and liaising with the police as needed. On their return, children are welcomed warmly. Children say they know the adults care about them and worry about them when they are away from the home. Adults follow up with children’s social workers to ensure that return interviews take place.

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

Children do not raise bullying as a concern. Disagreements between the children are well managed by the adults, through an educational approach for all involved. Close liaison with specialist support teams in the organisation and community means children who are at risk of exploitation or substance misuse are well supported and guided on how to reduce the risks.

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

Children are protected from being cared for by unsuitable adults through safer recruitment practice. The home is well maintained and there are regular checks of the firefighting equipment. Children know how to respond should the fire alarm sound.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The adults are a cohesive team who are led by an enthusiastic and committed manager. The adults approach the manager for support, advice and guidance, knowing that they will be well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is comprehensive, meaning adults have the skills they need to care for children in the home as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose. The adults are empowered and are confident in their roles, due to the approach taken by leaders. Regular supportive supervision provides adults with time to reflect on their skills and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s plans are highly detailed and child-focused. They are regularly updated, highlighting the progress children have made and how they will develop further. However, the language in records of children’s individual meetings is not consistent with other records and sometimes includes jargon and is not child-friendly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are welcomed to the home in a warm and nurturing way. There is careful consideration of who can live together, and plans are reflective of the needs of all children in the home. However, plans do not consider if adults have the skills to meet the needs of the child moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager continually reviews the processes in the home, seeking to constantly improve the quality of care for the children. The reports by the independent person suitably challenge the quality of care. The manager responds promptly to any shortfalls identified. The home’s development plan links to the manager’s regular monitoring and leads to a continually evolving approach to care in line with changes in policies and guidance. Inspection report for children's home: SC061795 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, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have the skills and training to meet the needs of children, before they move into the home. 28 June 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the language used in children’s records, plans and reports is child-centred and does not contain jargon. Additionally, ensure that records of physical interventions are clear when more than hold has been used to support the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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 Inspection report for children's home: SC061795 6 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: SC061795 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Southern Adolescent Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC061795 8 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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