Lansdowne Secure Unit

Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 1 Lansdowne Secure Unit Registered provider name: East Sussex County Council Registered provider address: Lansdowne Children’s Centre, Hawks Road, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 1NP

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this secure children’s home

This secure children’s home is operated by a local authority and is approved by the Secretary of State to restrict children’s liberty. The home can care for up to seven children aged between 10 and 17. There were four children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The home provides care for children accommodated under section 25 of the Children Act 1989, who are placed by local authorities. Admission of any child who is under 13 years of age requires the approval of the Secretary of State under section 25 of the Children Act 1989.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The commissioning of health services in this home is the statutory responsibility of NHS England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Education is provided on site in dedicated facilities.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

Children’s education and learning good Children’s health requires improvement to be good How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 2 The secure children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 17 September 2024

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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 secure children’s home: SC031490 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/09/2024 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good 14/12/2021 Full Good 03/08/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress. Staff have a good understanding of children’s individual needs and use this knowledge to provide targeted support and care. As a result of good quality care and support, children become more confident, their emotional well-being improves and they are better able to achieve their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are nurturing relationships between the staff and the children. Children speak positively about the staff and were heard laughing and joking with them. Children feel that the staff are genuinely there to help them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A range of multi-disciplinary reports are thoughtfully compiled and contribute meaningfully to children’s secure accommodation reviews. These reports are child friendly, strengths focused and clearly outline the successes for each child. They provide a balanced view of progress and identify ongoing areas for development. Children’s views and achievements are recognised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff deliver targeted intervention work with children in line with their individual care and support plans. In a very few cases, this work is not always consistently recorded in children’s case records and occasional stigmatising language is used including in daily records. This is not helpful to the children. These records are important so that children can have a good understanding of their childhood both now and when they are adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain positive relationships with children after they move on from the home through well-planned outreach work. For example, staff visited a child in their new placement and spent time paddle boarding with the child. This ongoing connection helps to provide emotional continuity and reassurance during a period of change. The key worker has also scheduled regular telephone check-ins to continue offering support and to maintain the trusted relationship. This demonstrates the home’s commitment to children’s long-term well-being and helps give children the best start in their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a safe and secure environment, though in parts it lacks some homely touches. The manager has recognised this as an area for development and has begun to consider how improvements can be made to better reflect the needs and preferences of the children.

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Children’s education and learning: good

Children benefit from a broad, personalised curriculum that provides them with the knowledge and skills that they need for their next steps and interests. Most children have high aspirations of progressing to further learning, including university.

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Children’s education and learning: good

Staff know the children very well. They assess what children know and can do when they arrive at the home. Leaders liaise with children’s previous settings, the professionals Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 5 who work with them and the children to establish a detailed understanding of the children’s needs and interests and to inform the curriculum. Staff develop positive relationships with the children. They are appropriately qualified and receive relevant training according to the role that they carry out and the needs of the children they teach.

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Children’s education and learning: good

Most children have missed significant amounts of education. They develop their confidence to learn and make good progress in their learning and in the development of their reading skills. Children start to use technical vocabulary accurately and can readily recall what they learn. Most teachers provide relevant and developmental feedback on children’s work. It shows what children have done well and what they can do to improve the quality of their work. In a few instances, children do not revisit their work to make the recommended improvements. This limits the development of their deeper understanding.

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Children’s education and learning: good

Children participate in creative and interesting enrichment activities that support the development of their wider knowledge and understanding of life in general. Children receive high-quality and impartial information about their next steps and future careers. Leaders integrate careers education, information, advice and guidance effectively into the curriculum. Staff provide opportunities for children to explore their interests and future career aspirations. These include visiting a recording studio and celebrating national and international events, such as VE Day and Black History Month.

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Children’s education and learning: good

Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken effective action to improve children’s attendance to education. Work is ongoing to support children to attend following times of crisis.

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Children’s education and learning: good

Children receive appropriate learning support according to their needs. Support staff liaise with teachers daily to understand lesson content and their role in the lesson. This helps them to ensure that children achieve to the best of their ability, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. Very occasionally, teaching assistants over-support children and intervene too quickly.

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Children’s education and learning: good

Education leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of education and the provision overall. They have implemented highly appropriate quality assurance and improvement arrangements that provide a detailed oversight of the strengths and weaknesses.

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Children’s health: requires improvement to be good

There has been a period of significant churn in the healthcare team and periods of vacant posts. Throughout this time, senior leaders worked effectively with health commissioners to ensure that, although limited, a basic service was provided to children to meet their needs. This period of change led to an inevitable impact on multidisciplinary working, and children have not received the expected quality of health care. While children’s physical health needs have been identified and met, there have Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 6 been delays in psychological formulations and psychology interventions and gaps in occupational therapy, which have impacted children’s outcomes and progress. Most vacancies have now been filled, with the exception of the consultant psychiatrist post. Two senior psychologists are now in post which means children are receiving the psychological support they need, and support and training is being rolled out to care

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Children’s health: requires improvement to be good

There is more work to do to meaningfully embed the framework for integrated care (known as secure stairs) across the home. Leaders recognise that a systemic cultural change is needed to develop and improve collaborative working across care, health and education teams. There are plans in place to improve multidisciplinary working and reduce duplication of meetings. These include the introduction of core support teams for each child led by the psychology team, which meets weekly. This is in its early stages, and the impact on children is not yet measurable.

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Children’s health: requires improvement to be good

Children’s physical health improves while in the home. Their health is assessed immediately on admission and reviewed regularly by the paramedic practitioner who sees most children fortnightly. Referrals are made to community health services such as podiatry, dietetics, physiotherapy and chiropody, and children access universal health NHS services, including dentists, opticians and immunisations. Health staff are professionally curious and tenacious in getting children the support they need for their physical health.

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Children’s health: requires improvement to be good

Children receive the medications they need to treat their physical and mental health conditions. Medicines are prescribed, managed and administered safely. There is auditing and senior oversight of the medication process, and reporting mechanisms are in place for recording errors.

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Children’s health: requires improvement to be good

Information about children’s health is not always routinely and effectively shared with all adults working in the home. Detailed records are kept on the health patient record, which is not accessible by care or education staff for reasons of confidentiality, and medication administration records are not routinely shared. This means that practitioners across the home do not always have accurate, up-to-date information about the child’s physical and mental health.

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Children’s health: requires improvement to be good

The health team does not have access to up-to-date education, health and care plans (EHCP) for all children and is not routinely invited to contribute to the annual review of these plans. As a result, children’s EHCPs, which move with the children when they leave the home, may not accurately describe all the child’s health needs.

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

Children say that they feel safe. Staff are knowledgeable about the children, their risks and their vulnerabilities. They understand children’s care and supervision levels and know what strategies to use when supporting them. This helps them to keep children safe. Risk assessments and safety plans are clear and easy to follow. However, risk Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 7 assessments are not always updated to ensure the same information is reflected and aligned in both documents. This could lead to inconsistencies in staff practice.

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

Managerial monitoring and oversight of all incidents have improved and provide opportunities for staff learning and development to further improve practices with children. Safeguarding meetings have been introduced that assist with ensuring that all incidents are reviewed and have management oversight. Most incidents are reviewed in a timely manner, though a limited few were delayed.

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

The use of physical intervention is appropriate and proportionate. The quality of some children and staff debriefs are variable, and health outcomes for children are not always recorded on the restraint record following children being seen by the health team, though they are recorded on medical records. The impact of this is limited but does mean there are some missed opportunities for staff learning.

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

There has been no use of single separation (where a child is locked into an area alone due to significant risk to self or others). Some children choose to go to their rooms for short periods where they can spend time alone and listen to music, play on their games consoles or watch TV. Some children request their door is locked, and on these occasions, observations and checks are made in accordance with the children’s risk management plan to help them feel safe.

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

There have been very few occasions when children have been managed away from the group because of risk to others. Children are encouraged and supported by staff to reintegrate back with the other children when safe to do so. Leaders and managers have identified when alternatives could have been used by staff so that children’s routines could be maintained. This learning was conveyed in staff training.

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

Children are confident in speaking to staff about any worries or concerns they may have. There is regular good consultation and information sharing with the local authority designated officer (LADO). The LADO has delivered training to staff on the management of allegations. As a result, staff have increased awareness of their responsibility to share any concerns they may have regarding staff practice and children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement of the service and has a vision for the future that has the best care for children at its core. The manager is open and transparent and conveys professional integrity. When there are difficulties or challenges, she is aware of them and ensures that these have been addressed or is actively working towards a resolution. This supports the continuous progression of staff and professionals and contributes to the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children know how to make a complaint and have done so. Complaints are dealt with in a fair and timely manner, and if children are not satisfied with the outcome, managers Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 8 involve external professionals to explore and investigate further. This provides children with confidence as well as an impartial view and outcome. Children are informed of the actions taken and receive written confirmation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and reflective practice meetings are held regularly and provide good support mechanisms for all staff. In a few cases, formal supervision sessions for some staff are not taking place to the frequency set out in the home’s policy. The manager was fully aware of this and about some staff’s perceptions about middle manager’s contrasting practice styles, and she is taking action to address this. This is not impacting on children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good oversight of children’s plans and managers understand the progress that children are making. They ensure that staff understand children’s needs and as a result children are having positive experiences. In one case, inspectors saw a difference of views in relation to care planning and communication between some permanent staff and regular agency staff where clear direction was not provided by leaders. The manager is very aware of this and, at the time of inspection, was taking action to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems are effective in ensuring improvements in practice and that learning is identified, shared and acted upon. Managers in all disciplines work effectively in sharing best practice through the ‘programme board’ meetings. These meetings focus on setting targets for improvement in care practice and reviewing the impact and effectiveness of the services for children. This work has a specific role in ensuring that each child’s development plan is tailored and is positively supporting the child’s journey.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership work with external agencies is positive. Professionals told inspectors how children have progressed and have positive relationships with staff. There has also been positive rebuilding of relationships with family members. One family member reported that they now understand their child better than ever before and this has strengthened their relationship.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The average occupancy level has been at 57%. The home was closed for a period of time, and on reopening, managers have plans to gradually increase staffing capacity and the number of children they look after. Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 9

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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 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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 home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2e))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring effective and integrated multidisciplinary working across health, care and education. 30 September 2025

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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;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to staff receiving regular one-to- one sessions at the frequency set out in the home’s policy. Supervision must be supportive, reflective and assist professional development. 30 September 2025 Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 10

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained is given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases, children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 49 and 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should ensure that children’s case records are kept up to date. In particular, risk assessments and safety plans need to be updated and contain consistent information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. In particular, embed the framework for integrated care to support all staff to sensitively consider children’s lived experience and have a shared understanding of how to improve their social and emotional well-being. Improve systems and processes for health staff to routinely record updates on children’s health in the shared children’s records and for health practitioners to routinely contribute to children’s EHCP annual reviews. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Specifically, review the home’s premises

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Recommendations

and take action to provide a more homely environment conducive to the care of vulnerable children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should tailor the children’s care so that it is reflective of the child’s needs. In particular, intervention work completed by the children should be captured in their records and its effectiveness evaluated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 21, paragraph 4.5)  The registered person should ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 11

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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 secure children’s home: SC031490 12

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Secure children’s home details

Registered provider name: East Sussex County Council

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Secure children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1UE

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Inspectors

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Jo Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Suzanne Wainwright, His Majesty’s Inspector (FES Ofsted) Geraldine Bates, Health and Justice Inspector (CQC) Inspection report for secure children’s home: SC031490 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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