Children's Home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in West Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC014650 1 SC014650 Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organisation and provides care for up to four children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2023.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC014650 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2023 Full Good 29/11/2022 Full Good 16/03/2022 Full Good 06/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC014650 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make exceptional progress from their individual starting points. This is due to the passion and dedication of the entire team of staff who have high aspirations for each child and provide a home full of love and acceptance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment is warm and welcoming. Staff are proud of the children and take every opportunity to celebrate every achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff exhibit kindness and warmth towards the children and each other. Staff listen to children and are keen to hear their views. They have a clear understanding of children’s backgrounds and needs. Consequently, staff know the best ways to support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have strong relationships with children and treat them with dignity and respect. Staff focus on ensuring that children have good emotional health and well-being. As a result, children feel nurtured and cared for. The subject of mental health is openly discussed and highlighted as an important part of life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to build and maintain healthy relationships with each other. They support and encourage each other to attend education, revise for exams and take part in a range of positive activities. This helps children to grow in confidence and build friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children attend school or other educational provision. They are learning and are making good progress. Staff are ambitious for children and support them to attend and do well in their education. There is effective liaison with schools and colleges. When one child was excluded from school, the registered manager tenaciously advocated for the child to retain their place and provided a member of staff to support the child in school. Staff are also incredibly supportive of the children’s revision schedules and never give up on encouraging children who may struggle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children spend time with their families and other people who are important to them. Staff work incredibly hard to collaborate with parents and other family members proactively and positively. This approach has enabled a child to move back to their family home. Staff are sensitive to families’ needs and build confidence in family members that their children are in a safe place and well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who are new to the home are always welcomed sensitively and with the best possible planning. The views, needs and feelings of other children living in the home are considered. This enables children to settle quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children, family members, staff, social workers and other professionals are unanimous in their praise of the support that children receive. The social worker for one child told Inspection report for children’s home: SC014650 4 inspectors, ‘Carers in the home know and understand the child’s personality traits and work with us closely to ensure their needs are met.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to develop their independence appropriately, while being suitably protected from unsafe situations or people. This helps children to build their self- confidence and learn to keep themselves safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children feel confident to immerse themselves in a variety of cultural activities and events, such as food festivals. This enables them to celebrate difference and to gain a better understanding of own identity.

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

Children feel safe and are protected from harm. Staff work closely with other professionals and children’s families. Staff understand what they need to do should an incident occur or if a child was to tell them something concerning. Children become safer because of the robust approach of staff and the support that they provide.

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

Staff manage difficult behaviours well and are skilled in de-escalation and diffusion. Consequently, restraint is rare and is only used as a last resort. Reviews are held with children after any incidents. These discussions are thorough and honest, and staff work hard to help children to make different decisions in the future.

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

Records of missing-from-care episodes demonstrate that there is a robust response from staff to ensure that children return safely when they go missing. Staff and managers ensure that they fully understand children’s motivation for leaving the home without permission and work closely with children’s families and other professionals so that they can take proactive steps to reduce the risk of a reoccurrence. The frequency of missing- from-care episodes has reduced dramatically in recent months.

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

Staff treat children with dignity and respect. They experience sensitive care and support at difficult times. This helps children to develop a positive self-view and increases their ability to form and sustain relationships.

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

Staff know the children well. The positive relationships between staff and children constantly promote an open culture where children can share their worries or concerns. Children know how to raise complaints. When they do, they are supported by staff, who ensure that they understand the outcome.

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

Managers work closely with other professionals to meet children’s health needs and ensure that specialist support is provided when needed. The systems for storing and administering medication promote safe practice. Consequently, medication errors are infrequent. Those that have occurred since the last inspection have been minor and have not had a negative impact on children’s well-being. Nonetheless, managers have taken them seriously and responded by providing staff with additional training and competency assessments where necessary. Inspection report for children’s home: SC014650 5 Children live in a safe and homely environment. All staff and children know what is expected in an emergency to keep themselves and others safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is well respected by all who work with her. She displays unwavering passion for providing the best possible care for children. Staff are proud of their contribution in helping children to succeed and are committed to ensuring that they flourish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is inspirational, confident and ambitious for children. She is influential in improving their lives and has created a culture of high aspiration and positivity for staff also. Staff are positive about the support that they receive. Induction, training and supervision are highly effective and prepare staff well for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager knows the home’s strengths and weaknesses extremely well. She regularly monitors the quality of care provided and the progress that children make. This approach has ensured continuous and sustained improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers ensure that staff are fully informed about the therapeutic model of care that is at the centre of the home’s ethos. They make good use of research to ensure that children’s care is delivered in a trauma-informed way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Proactive steps are taken to involve other professionals and children’s families in care planning. Continuity of care is promoted by working in partnership with people who are important to children, and children are thriving as a result. Inspection report for children’s home: SC014650 6

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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: SC014650 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: My Choice Children’s Homes Limited, Unit 3a Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

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Inspectors

Emma Haskell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Jacob Robson, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC014650 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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