Children's home run by PJL Healthcare Limited in Wealden

Inspection report for children's home: SC486879 1 SC486879 Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited

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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 is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were four children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

In this report, the staff are referred to as ‘adults’, as this is the term used in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 13 January 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

Date of last inspection: 7 November 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC486879 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2023 Full Outstanding 17/01/2023 Full Outstanding 01/12/2021 Full Outstanding 07/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC486879 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make exceptional progress because they receive high-quality care from a stable group of adults. Adults show unconditional kindness and warmth towards children and respond to them in an empathetic and non-judgemental way. As a result, children feel comfortable to talk to the adults about their experiences, including things that they find difficult.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are given opportunities to take part in a wide variety of enjoyable activities. Since the last inspection, children have benefited from having a holiday abroad. For some of the children, this was their first opportunity to experience a different culture and language.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children access educational settings that give them the greatest chance of success. Adults work closely with the staff at the educational settings to ensure that children receive a consistent approach. One child’s school placement was at risk of ending. However, the child has been able to maintain their placement because adults from the home have provided training to school staff about working with children who have had traumatic early life experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make remarkable progress in relation to their emotional well-being because of their positive experiences. Examples include an increase in the amount of good-quality time that children spend with their families, completing work experience, starting a part- time job and performing in a school drama production. Adults make the most of learning opportunities at the home and teach children life skills such as setting up a bank account, budgeting and cooking. Children’s confidence and self-esteem improve as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

High priority is given to working closely with other professionals involved in children’s lives. Other professionals speak extremely positively about the quality of care that children receive. One child’s social worker said, ‘This is the most reflective and responsive children’s home that I have worked with.’ Children’s health needs are supported by adults through careful planning and effective communication with external health professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and staff receive highly beneficial support from a clinical psychologist. As a result, staff have a thorough understanding of how to meet children’s mental health needs, and children engage with therapy in an environment in which they feel safe. Working therapeutically with children is fully embedded into practice. Inspection report for children's home: SC486879 4

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

Managers and adults know the children exceptionally well, and so they fully understand how to manage children’s known risks. Children’s plans clearly describe how to keep children safe.

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

The frequency of incidents of children going missing from the home has significantly been reduced. This is because there is a robust response from adults to ensure that children return safely when they go missing. Adults also sensitively support the other children to ensure that there is no negative impact on them during a missing-from-home episode.

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

Exceptionally strong professional networking has resulted in the reduction of the risk of children’s exposure to exploitation in the local area. This has made the community safer for children living in the home, as well as for others in the area.

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

On occasions when children make allegations about adults, managers respond robustly to ensure the safety of children. Allegations are thoroughly investigated, and learning is shared with the adults as appropriate. Outcomes are sensitively discussed with children. One child said, ‘I feel very safe here.’

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

Safer recruitment practices are generally implemented effectively. This reduces the risk of unsuitable adults being employed to work at the home. However, one recruitment record seen during the inspection did not demonstrate that there had been sufficient exploration about gaps in the applicant’s employment history. Shortfalls in the record undermine the otherwise thorough process that takes place in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders are inspirational. The registered manager is child-focused, passionate and ambitious about what children can achieve. Leaders advocate strongly for children and do not give up on them, even when they are experiencing significant challenges. The responsible individual has excellent oversight of the home, which provides an additional layer of support and challenge for adults and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has clear plans to address the areas of development that he has identified. He is supported by a highly experienced deputy manager, and they work collaboratively. The registered manager makes good use of the independent person’s reports and their own reviews of the quality of care to drive continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Adults receive frequent and effective professional and clinical supervision from the manager and the clinical psychologist. This provides opportunities for managers to Inspection report for children's home: SC486879 5 ensure that staff know how to care for children well and in line with agreed plans. Supervision is supplemented with effective monthly meetings. As a result, adults say they feel supported by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have developed strong relationships with their neighbours, the local community, and the families and friends of the children. This inclusive approach contributes to children’s safety because there is a coordinated response if concerns about children’s well-being arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Motion sensors are used at night to alert adults if children leave their bedroom. These are necessary to ensure children’s safety and sense of security. However, records do not demonstrate that the use of the motion sensors is kept under review to ensure that they continue to be necessary for individual children. Inspection report for children's home: SC486879 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. This is specific to ensuring all gaps in employment history have been suitably explored. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that any modifications to the environment of the home are made only where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. This is specific to the motion sensors currently used during the night. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC486879 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PJL Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mayfield House, East Street, Mayfield, East Sussex TN20 6TZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alethea Thomas Giles

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Inspectors

Glen Strowbridge, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Emma Haskell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC486879 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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