Children's home run by My Choice Children’s Homes Limited in Mid Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 1 SC064011 Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. 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 registered with Ofsted on 19 April 2012.

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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: 8 November 2023

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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: SC064011 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2023 Full Good 16/11/2022 Full Good 08/02/2022 Full Good 20/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are established members of the household and are settled in the home. Children report that they feel well cared for and have positive relationships with the staff who care for them. One child said, ‘It’s hard to settle in but it’s alright when you get used to it; staff are chilled.’ Children have opportunities to have their views, wishes and feelings heard through children’s meetings, key-work sessions and through natural day- to-day conversations. Children are comfortable and relaxed in their surroundings and engage well with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is supported by staff, and all the children are accessing full-time education in local schools and colleges. Children’s educational needs are known and responded to appropriately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Health needs for children are met; children have access to all necessary health services, and routine appointments are maintained. One child is supported to access twice-weekly psychotherapy to help them process their past trauma and experiences. This has assisted them in regulating and managing their responses to felt emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been involved in decorating the house for Halloween, making a display, and they all worked together to make a Halloween cake. During the inspection, the children attended an annual awards ceremony and received medals for their achievements, which were celebrated by staff. There is a diverse staff team, and children have recently been involved in celebrations of Black History Month.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning for adulthood is well supported. Children are given age-appropriate responsibilities, and staff work with them to continue to develop these skills. One child shops and cooks two meals for themselves each week and is gaining confidence in navigating the local area independently and using public transport.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are well planned. A local authority social worker said, ‘[Name of home] offered a great transition and went over and above to support [name of child] moving in.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and has adequate areas both indoors and outside for children to play and enjoy. Some areas of the home are looking tired, and these require attention to ensure the house remains well maintained. The children report that they have all they need. However, there is a lack of personalisation, and there are missed opportunities for children to experience feelings of inclusivity and to further promote self-esteem and self- worth. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 4

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

The human resources department has sound recruitment processes in place, practice is consistent and it follows safer recruitment principles. The manager maintains oversight of these recruitment practices and has full access to associated records. These practices prevent unsuitable people from being recruited.

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

Staff monitor and manage children’s internet use appropriately. Children have access to a range of online devices and platforms, and e-safety is well managed in the home with a good level of oversight of the children’s online presence.

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

Physical interventions are low; staff receive training in physical intervention and de- escalation techniques and only use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children safe.

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

There have been a high number of missing-from-home episodes. Staff are clear in their responses when children go missing. However, one child’s risk assessment was not regularly reviewed following missing incidents.

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

Allegations and child protection concerns are well managed in the home, and the manager ensures that external professionals are informed and consulted. The manager submits safeguarding notifications to the regulator; however, these are not always swiftly reported. The manager ensures consultations occur with the local authority designated officer, when necessary, and children’s social workers. This supports independent, external scrutiny and oversight.

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

There are some practices that have been inherent in the home for a significant period, and they have not been reviewed or reconsidered. Children have alarms fitted to their bedroom doors as standard, and some doors in the home are locked without a clear rationale for these restrictions being in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s monitoring and review processes are not yet effective and have failed to identify gaps in records, including missing statutory documents for children and risk assessments that are not up to date. The manager completes detailed quality of care reports. However, there are missed opportunities to complete an in-depth analysis of some aspects of practice, emerging themes and patterns in the home. For example, there is drift in the manager’s response to the shortfalls and recommendations identified by the independent person, who visits the home monthly. The manager has completed an action plan to address the shortfalls identified by the independent person and this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Core staff training is well maintained, and the training is managed and monitored centrally through head office. Staff value the training on offer and feel this complements and enhances their practice. However, staff are not clear on the home’s model of care as Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 5 outlined in the statement of purpose, and not all staff have been trained in the model of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are complimentary about the home, the manager and the wider organisation. They feel that the support available to them is good, meets their needs and they are supported in their role. However, there are some inconsistencies in staff receiving regular supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

When team meetings take place, these are well attended. However, there are some inconsistencies in the frequency of these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Professionals have provided positive feedback and are complimentary about the collaborative working with the staff in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a stable and established core staff team, and this ensures consistency of care for children. When agency staff are used, the manager ensures these are consistent individuals. The manager has been in post for several years and knows the home, the children and the organisation well. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 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 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.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that responses to maintenance concerns are promptly actioned and that the home is clean, tidy, free of clutter and the environment is homely and inclusive.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2025

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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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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 31 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 31 January 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should lead a team that provides high-quality care for all children living in the home. They should lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children that is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s

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Recommendations

Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2). Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 8

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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: SC064011 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3a, Mill Green Business Estate, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1XQ

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Inspector

Cassie Martin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064011 10 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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