Children's home run by West Sussex County Council

Inspection report for children's home: 2647153 1 Registered provider: West Sussex County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by the local authority and provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties. The home consists of a four-bedroomed house and a separate two-bedroomed bungalow for children working towards independent living. At the time of this inspection, there were five children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2021.

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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: 15 October 2024

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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: 2647153 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/10/2024 Full Outstanding 03/07/2023 Full Good 14/12/2022 Full Good 15/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2647153 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive due to the care and support provided by a highly skilled and dedicated staff team. Strong, trusting relationships are formed between children and staff, offering the stability and consistency essential for children’s development. Staff demonstrate exceptional levels of nurture, enabling children to make remarkable progress across all areas of their lives from their initial starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children achieve outstanding outcomes in education, social development and emotional well-being. School attendance remains consistently high. Staff provide expert support to children who find engaging with learning challenging, helping them build the confidence and motivation needed to succeed. This year three children successfully completed their GCSEs and are now focusing on their next steps at college or in work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff talk with passion and enthusiasm about the achievements and progress of children. They balance this perfectly with a deep and insightful understanding of the complex lives that the children have experienced. Despite obstacles to engagement and progress, children have excelled this year.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that they seek out additional learning and support when working with children. They ensure that they have the knowledge and information they need to make children’s time at the home successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff help children with complex emotional and behavioural needs to understand the impact of their early life experiences. Through nurturing care, children are supported to make sense of their childhood experiences and build positive memories during their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Professionals speak highly of the staff and manager. They note significant improvements in children’s confidence, emotional well-being and behaviours as a direct result of the time they spend at the home.

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

Staff possess a thorough understanding of each child’s specific vulnerabilities. They are confident in using both internal and external safeguarding procedures and reporting systems. Strong partnerships are maintained with professionals involved in each child’s support network.

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

Staff maintain a sharp focus on risk management, resulting in a significant reduction in behaviours such as going missing, self-harm, vulnerability to exploitation and other challenging behaviours. Inspection report for children's home: 2647153 4 There have been no incidents of physical restraint. Behaviour is managed through dialogue and discussion with children. This helps children to understand what positive relationships look like. As a result, the atmosphere in the home is full of mutual respect and positivity.

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

Children are encouraged to think about their own personal safety. Children said that they recognise that when staff put boundaries in place it is always in their best interests. Staff always go out of their way to explain to children why they make certain choices or set limits. This supports children to learn how to make safe choices for themselves and is a good grounding for their future independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is experienced, highly motivated and provides clear leadership to ensure that children experience high standards of care. He has an in-depth understanding of the children’s needs and is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes. He is a powerful advocate for the rights of the children in his care and will always champion them in any decisions about their futures. He role models this superbly to the whole team and as a result all staff share these values and attributes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel well supported by the whole leadership team and describe supervision as excellent. Leaders are attuned to the emotional demands of working in the home and offer staff regular formal and informal support. Leaders foster a culture of openness and mutual support, with staff highlighting the importance of regular check-ins and debriefs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training and induction are of high quality and tailored to the specific needs of the children. Staff have received excellent training this year on topics such as self-harm, eating disorders and managing agoraphobia, to meet the specific presenting needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager works diligently to build strong partnerships with external agencies. Professionals speak highly of his abilities as a manager. His views and thoughts on this home and wider views on local authority residential services are valued and respected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders promote an inclusive and safe environment that values diversity and champions equality. Children are encouraged to explore their identity and express themselves in a space that celebrates individuality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders use internal and external monitoring effectively to develop ambitious improvement plans. Leaders embrace continuous learning and innovation to enhance the quality of care and improve outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made following this inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2647153 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: 2647153 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: West Sussex County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1RG

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Inspector

Peter Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2647153 7 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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