Children's Home run by Crusoe Care Limited in East Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 1 SC434573 Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to two children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. It is owned and run by a private organisation. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since August 2011.

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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 good

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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: SC434573 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Good 21/06/2023 Full Good 13/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children in this home enjoy relationships full of love, care and compassion with the adults who care for them. Children benefit from a stable and consistent home environment. Many staff have worked with the children from the very beginning of the children’s time in residential care. Children enjoy secure and settled placements. Staff use this time to form strong and mutually beneficial relationships of trust with the children. In turn, children thrive and achieve positive outcomes in all areas of their lives, including education, personal independence, social development and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have been highly successful in creating an environment that genuinely feels like a family home. Children are swift to acknowledge this and identify this as a strength. Staff share a clear ethos and vision for the atmosphere that they want to create in the home. This ensures that the children’s experience of care and support is very closely aligned with the staff’s aspirations for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live rich and fulfilling lives at the home. Staff have created a great blend of access to activities and opportunities, both in the home and in the community. However, staff work hard to also give children the space and time to just be in the home, enjoying relaxed social time together with staff. In doing so, staff have managed to create a natural, family-like feel to life at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff say that the motivating force for their work is creating positive memories and experiences for children who have had incredibly challenging starts in life. Staff deliver on this commitment successfully. As a result, children are happy, settled and confident. Children speak highly of the staff and reflect very positively on their lives in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Both children are approaching major changes in their lives in the coming months. Staff are doing an excellent job of helping them to prepare for these changes. In doing so, they are reducing the inevitable stress that these life changes bring. Staff encourage children to plan for change well in advance to give them adequate time to prepare for the practical and emotional challenges ahead.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities of children in their care, and they provide consistent, thoughtful care to help children stay safe. However, the written plans for children are generic and do not clearly set out their individual needs and safety plans.

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

Although written plans are not sufficiently specific for each child, safeguarding practices in the home are generally of a high quality. Taken alongside the good relationships that children have with staff and how well staff know the children, this is helping to ensure that the children are kept safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 4 Staff treat children with the utmost respect, and this creates a strong culture of positive relationships. Children are kind to each other and respectful to the staff. Staff give children space to take acceptable risks and learn from their own mistakes.

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

Partnerships with the professional networks for children are strong. Staff foster these links to ensure that all parties are working collaboratively for the shared benefit of children.

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

One child’s social worker said, ‘Staff keep [name of child] effectively safeguarded. The manager and staff always seek meetings when concerns are high and promptly send incident reports and updated safety plans.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children at the home benefit from an enthusiastic and committed team of leaders who all share common goals and ambitions for the children. Leaders’ understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home is first class. They use this comprehensive insight to drive forward effective change and improvements to standards of care and safeguarding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders have embraced the feedback from previous inspections and addressed all concerns, requirements and recommendations. This, in turn, has ensured that staff have enjoyed an enhanced focus on professional development and there are much more clearly defined plans for continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders’ confidence and clarity have been central to bringing positive change and further improvements for children to the home in this last year. Leaders can readily identify progress points for children and know the children well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders are excellent role models for staff and children alike. Staff praise the support and input they get from the leadership team. Staff can identify big improvements in the training, support and supervision that they get from line managers. Staff feel highly valued and that their views matter when it comes to decisions about the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This is mirrored in the very confident voice of children in the home. Children say that they are regularly consulted on decisions being made. They can influence change and clearly feel able to share their views and thoughts openly with the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and staff have been highly successful in creating an inclusive space that truly celebrates difference. Children are comfortable and confident to express their identity and feel safe and supported in doing so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders provide excellent oversight and monitoring of practice in the home. They use the understanding and insights they gain from this to inform well-considered and Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 5 ambitious development plans. Staff share a strong commitment to continually improving the experience of care and support for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 6

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, risk management plans should be more tailored to meet the specific, individual needs of each child. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 4, paragraph 9.5)

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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: SC434573 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crusoe Care Limited 06843979

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 25 Clinton Place, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 1NP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy McIlwaine

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Inspector

Peter Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC434573 8 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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