Children's Home run by The Amicus Community (Arundel) Ltd in West Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2696602 1 Registered provider: The Amicus Community (Arundel) Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is part of an independent children’s therapeutic community that is accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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 has been registered with Ofsted since July 2024.

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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 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: 7 November 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 children’s home: 2696602 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2024 Full Good 26/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2696602 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaging well in education. They continue to attend the organisation’s school full time and have good attendance. Staff collaborate effectively with the school, ensuring consistent communication and shared strategies. This joined-up approach enables children to receive well-coordinated support tailored to their needs, contributing to the sustained progress they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are consistently met. Staff promote nutritious eating and encourage healthy relationships with food. Targeted work such as the use of ‘happy and unhappy tummies’ has helped one child gain greater awareness of their eating habits and emotional connections to food, contributing to improved well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are valued and meaningfully incorporated into the home’s daily practice. Regular opportunities such as child-led meetings and one-to-one link sessions allow them to express their wishes and feelings in a safe, child-centred way. Consideration is given to each child’s emotional state before sessions, by staff reviewing their timing and approach to maximise therapeutic benefit. As a result, children feel heard, which helps them to be in a good space to enjoy and engage in day-to-day routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to take part in a variety of enjoyable activities. This includes bike riding, walks in the woods, clothes shopping, arts and crafts and playing in the garden. One child, who recently began swimming, has made noticeable improvement in their skills. This progress has led to increased confidence and a deeper enjoyment of the activity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving on from the home are well supported. Staff coordinate with the relevant professionals effectively and prioritise the children’s safety in planned and unplanned moves. One child who is due to move on expressed sadness, but also appreciation for the emotional support they are receiving. This highlights staff’s ability to nurture relationships that promote emotional security and resilience.

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

The safeguarding culture within the home is supported by clear and transparent processes. Staff and managers demonstrate an understanding of their responsibilities and work effectively with external agencies to safeguard children. Records are detailed and clear. However, post-incident discussions with staff and children are not consistently timely, limiting opportunities to check welfare and support understanding of the events. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696602 4 The registered manager has reflected on significant incidents that the home has faced recently. As a result, they take any actions to reduce similar incidents from reoccurring, enhancing the safety and experiences of children.

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

Staff are attuned to the individual needs of the children. For example, one child, who previously struggled to express his emotions, has become more confident through individualised support. A spinning chair was introduced as a sensory tool to aid emotional regulation, resulting in a noticeable reduction in distressed behaviours and improved self-expression.

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

Staff build trusting relationships with children through a calm and patient approach. During the inspection, a child engaged in cake decorating with support from a staff member, which they enjoyed while developing a skill. Consequently, children feel safe and confident in seeking support, promoting emotional security, and enjoy positive relationships with adults they trust.

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

Leaders and managers advocate well for children’s best interests. They are confident in challenging decisions made by other professionals to ensure children’s needs are understood and central to decisions about their plans and care.

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

Consequences are used thoughtfully to promote learning and personal growth. This approach helps children understand the impact of their actions and supports positive behavioural change through meaningful dialogue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager holds overall accountability for care practice; however, the therapeutic manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The therapeutic manager develops trusting relationships with the children. Her presence is a consistent source of reassurance, and children actively seek her out for comfort and connection. This reflects the secure attachments they have formed. Her attuned and responsive approach has contributed to a nurturing environment where children are valued and emotionally supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular opportunities for reflection through clinical and group-based supervision aligned with the home’s care model. Practice is routinely discussed and reviewed to provide and maintain good-quality support for children. However, the frequency of line management supervision lacks consistency, which is a shortfall the registered manager acknowledged and is actively addressing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the registered manager and are supportive of each other. They are reflective of the recent significant events that the home has faced. They report that the support of each other and group supervisions have been key in maintaining emotional resilience and enabling them to continue delivering quality care amidst the challenges. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696602 5 Staff engage in relevant training to provide effective support to children. However, not all staff have completed the required qualifications to work in a children’s home in line with the statutory guidelines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is mixed. Professionals report good communication with the home, while a family member said, ‘I’m grateful for the dedication and professionalism shown by everyone.’ However, one professional highlighted a need for more flexibility from the home in their approach to supporting a child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696602 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

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that recording of management oversight is recorded and that debriefs with staff and children take place and are recorded in a timely manner. 7 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”). (Regulation 32 (4)(a)) 7 October 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice as set out in regulations 31-33. They must ensure that one-to-one line management takes place regularly, in line with the organisation’s policy, to support staff development and performance management. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2696602 7

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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: 2696602 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Amicus Community (Arundel) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coach House, Arundel Road, Fontwell, Arundel BN18 0SX

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Inspector

Chido Mangava, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2696602 9 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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