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

Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 1 SC037454 Registered provider: West Sussex County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by the local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who have experienced social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home and one child has moved into the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2024 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Good 08/11/2022 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Inadequate 25/05/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child expressed that they felt that the home was not an appropriate match for them and had requested to move. This was arranged as part of a planned transition for the child. However, a series of targeted incidents from the other children escalated this, and the child was moved to temporary accommodation for their own safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The educational progress of all children is poor. One child has attended school on a few occasions this year but spends most of their days missing from home, not returning until the early hours of the morning. The staff do not engage the other children in any educational activities during the day as the children will often refuse to engage.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered manager reflects that some children have made little progress while living in the home. However, one child has begun to build on relationships with the staff and attended an event in London, which was an achievement for this child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children smoke cannabis, and on some occasions, they have done this in the home or garden. Children openly use vapes around the home. The staff have not built sufficiently strong relationships with children. They do not ensure consistent boundaries, and there is a lack of respect between children and staff. Staff have only carried out minimal work with children to explain the risks of smoking or illegal drug use or the potential impact on children’s health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The plans to guide staff on how to support the children are not informative and do not give staff adequate guidance. For example, plans about how to support children with their emotional well-being do not provide guidance on how to prevent or respond should they show suicidal ideation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When plans identify that staff will have regular discussions with children about key areas of concern, these do not take place or are not recorded. Children are invited to attend regular meetings to express their views and wishes. However, these are often not acted on.

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

Risk plans for children are not updated following serious incidents to support staff to mitigate risks from reoccurring. For example, staff discovered a knife was missing from the kitchen safe that had been left open by staff. This was found in a child’s bedroom. While arrangements have been made to ensure the knives are securely stored, the child’s risk plans have not been reviewed to give guidance to staff and highlight this risk for the child. In another example, children used an aerosol and lighter to make a flamethrower. Again, risk assessments do not reflect these incidents, and staff do not have any strategies about how to reduce this risk. Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 4 The staff do not implement effective boundaries or promote positive behaviour. This has led to several incidents where significant damage has been caused to the home, and police are often called. Consequently, children are at risk of becoming criminalised.

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

Children regularly go missing from the home. One child is missing from home most days, and there are additional concerns that this child is being criminally exploited. The staff contact children when they go missing from home and carry out welfare checks during this time. However, this is ineffective, it continues to be a high risk for some children and incidents have not been reduced.

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

Consequences used to support children’s behaviour are not always restorative or effective. This does not help children to understand their behaviour and the impact that it has on them or others.

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

Safer recruitment processes fail to ensure that staff are suitably vetted. For example, the reasons for applicants leaving previous employment with children and vulnerable adults are not always verified, and records have not been kept demonstrating that Disclosure and Barring Service checks have been completed.

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

The home requires some refurbishments to bring it up to an appropriate standard. The children’s bedrooms are not well kept and lack love and personalisation. One child has had a cracked window for several months. Staff have reported this, but it has still not been repaired. Action was taken during the inspection to repair this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, the registered manager and responsible individual have moved on, and there is a new senior management team in place, including a registered manager. They have implemented an action plan to support improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The new registered manager has reflected on how difficult the operation of the home has been since they recently came into post. They have often been dealing with significant incidents, and this has led to shortfalls in the monitoring and oversight by senior leaders. However, there are plans underway to change the culture of the team, establish effective monitoring systems and give staff the skills and training to feel confident to provide appropriate care and support for the children. Staff report that they have started to see these changes being implemented and are excited about the positive impact they could make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not been provided with regular supervision or an annual appraisal. This is a missed opportunity for the staff to reflect on their practice and promote their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff’s views on how they are being supported are mixed due to several changes in senior leadership and a lack of stability. However, they feel confident in the new registered manager’s commitment to change the culture in the staff team. Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 5 The registered manager has failed to take effective action to report allegations made by a child to the local authority designated officer or Ofsted. Furthermore, a child protection enquiry was instigated, and Ofsted was not notified of this. Learning has been identified with support from the new responsible individual, and retrospective notifications have been made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are shortfalls in the development of staff. Some staff training has lapsed, and refresher training courses for some staff are overdue. Staff lack the skills and experience to support children in areas such as substance misuse and self-harm. Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that there are suitable arrangements to ensure children are safe and that there is appropriate guidance to mitigate and reduce risks.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that action is taken to safeguard children and that staff are confident and competent in their safeguarding responsibilities. 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 7 This also relates to ensuring that the property is maintained to a suitable standard. 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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that:  children are appropriately assessed when referred to the home and that the impact of their care planning is considered against other children living in the home to ensure that their needs can be met and that this does not have a detrimental impact on other children’s care  children’s written care plans are reviewed to provide appropriate guidance to staff on how to support the children  a review of children’s care planning is requested where there are concerns for children’s safety. 30 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 8 the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children receive advice and support about vaping and drug use.

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The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; and

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to:  ensuring children’s views and wishes are listened to. 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 9 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all children are enrolled and engaged in formal education. Where this is in process, the staff must support children with informal learning routines during the school day to help children establish routines and ensure they are provided with activities. 30 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 10 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

 ensuring staff have the skills and experience required to support the children’s needs  establishing effective monitoring and oversight of children’s care  ensuring children receive good-quality care and that children are supported to contribute their views.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 11 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that:  appropriate relationships between children are managed effectively so they do not pose a harm to each other  staff build relationships with children  children are supported to understand acceptable behaviour.

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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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff, including agency staff, are suitably vetted and that safer recruitment processes are in place. 30 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; 25 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 12 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the use of appropriate consequences to promote positive behaviour and learning for children about acceptable behaviour. 25 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 13

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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: SC037454 14

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: West Sussex County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Democratic Services, County Hall, West Street, Chichester PO19 1RQ

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Inspectors

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Shirin White, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC037454 15 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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