Children's Home run by Keys Education Ltd in Herefordshire

SC062074 Unique reference number 21 May 2010 Inspection date Martha Nethaway Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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21 September 2009 Date of last inspection .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children's Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Cripins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the establishment.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is strong Good: this aspect of the provision is sound Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is not good enough Inadequate: 3 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062074

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to accommodate up to four young people of either gender from 11 to under 17 years of age. The service is operated by a private company. The home is a detached property standing in its own grounds in a rural location. The home is close to another children's home, which is overseen by the same Registered Manager.

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Brief description of the service

The overall purpose of the service is to provide medium to long term placements for young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home's stated aim is to provide an environment in which young people can feel safe, cared for, supported and valued as individuals in their own right.

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Summary

This was a full unannounced inspection. The outcome groups relating to being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, positive contribution, economic well-being and organisation were assessed.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is satisfactory. The home has many good features but only satisfactory judgments were achieved in the staying safe and organisation outcome areas. An underdeveloped staff approach to tackling bullying and day-to-day leadership and management which has not yet addressed this underpin these judgements. Despite this, young people do receive good individualised support. Their care in relation to health, education and social development is good. Staff show commitment to continuing to help young people achieve their aims and goals.

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Summary

As a result of this visit, six actions have been set requiring the home to act upon. The overall quality rating is satisfactory. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were no actions or recommendations set at the last inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people’s good health is promoted. Young people’s physical, emotional and well-being needs are being well assessed. All young people have a personalised health plan which describes their specific needs and supports timely access to external health professionals. For example, all are registered with a local doctor, dentist and optician. Young people receive good support in attending these appointments. In addition, access to specialist services is good. One young person commented, 'I am able to see my therapist and my sessions continue to be useful.'

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Helping children to be healthy

The treatment and administration of medicines within the home is satisfactory. Young people receive the correct first aid and minor illness treatment because staff are suitably trained to carry out this task effectively. Staff receive good levels of in-house training on how to manage medication safely. The home's medication policy is detailed and comprehensive. Despite this, young people’s medication records show gaps with staff signatures. This compromises the records and their importance in keeping a clear track of the effects of medication and general 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062074 good record keeping. The company's management team are currently addressing this live issue with the staff group.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision and preparation of meals at the home is good. Young people enjoy healthy, nutritious meals that meet their dietary requirements. Staff recognise that developing healthy eating will have life-long benefits for young people. Young people are encouraged to maintain regular mealtimes and to enjoy them as a sociable event. This means they are developing good habits for life. When possible, young people are involved in food shopping so that they gain a clear understanding and appreciation of healthy eating. More recently, some young people have been involved with growing plants, such as, potatoes. This is likely to encourage young people to eat more vegetables.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people are educated to understand that physical activity is good for them. Young people are encouraged to join local clubs, for example, a local gym and cadets. This ensures that regular exercise helps to maintain their fitness and health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Young people's welfare is satisfactorily promoted. Staff are provided with a good range of policies that specifically address staff recruitment, counteracting bullying, unauthorised absence, complaints, behaviour management and health and safety. Despite this, staff do not always have the right attitude and techniques to counter behavioural challenges and bullying incidents when problems occur. There is a lack of effective monitoring in the home. The company's management team are currently investigating and addressing these shortfalls in practice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young peoples' right to privacy is generally respected. Where staff practice does not promote this trust there are effective systems to reinforce the policy of the home. Young people have access to a private pay phone but this is not working at present. This compromises their ability to make calls without asking for staff permission which is not convenient, private or practical.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are confident about making complaints about any aspect of their experiences at the home. The home's records are monitored by the external line management to ensure a consistent approach with the company's policy and procedure. The home accepts the value of complaints and seeks to learn from them. Young people benefit because the home has a culture where complaints are viewed positively.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare of young people is promoted satisfactorily. The home has a good child protection and safeguarding policy which has recently been reviewed. All staff receive basic training at their induction with further comprehensive in-house training. Staff understand that young people have the right to a caring and safe environment. However, the arrangements in place to protect young people from bullying are only reaching satisfactory. Staff responses and actions did not successfully focus on keeping young people free from a bullying environment. The home's strategies do not create a culture that positively encourages acceptable behaviour to reduce or prevent the likelihood of bullying taking place. The company has taken immediate action and organised an internal investigation to prevent the reoccurrence of this in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a satisfactory approach with young people when they are unsettled. Staff are currently receiving help and training from the company's line management. This is to equip them to plan, support and manage young peoples' behaviour more successfully. The home's records show 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062074 that physical intervention is used relatively infrequently, given the needs of the young people. However, the use of reparation is high with an overemphasis on financial fines. Young people commented, 'this isn't working.' The company's external line management are currently addressing this matter.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people who are absent without authority are protected in accordance with written guidance and are responded to positively on return, which is good. The home ensures that the likelihood of running away is clearly assessed and preventative plans are in place. Staff are helping to educate young people about their risky behaviours and tackling targeted concerns. As a result, young people are rarely absent without authority.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in a home that provides good physical safety and security. Staff recognise their responsibilities in relation to meeting health and safety legislation. The home has good systems in place to assess the variety of workplace activities in the community. Young people are further protected because they have opportunities to participate in fire drills and evacuations.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The company has a centralised recruitment system with a human resource team that pays good attention to the recruitment procedures for recruiting and appointing staff. This ensures that ensures staff are only employed at the home who are suitable to work with vulnerable young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Support to individual young people is good. Staff are able to assess young people's priority needs and help them make changes. Young people identified as having particular needs receive help, guidance and support when needed or requested. Young people participate and are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of their lives. Young people benefit from this supportive culture provided by staff. In addition, young people have access to the company's therapy team. This helps them to understand difficulties in their lives.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The educational arrangements are good. The home has its own educational building at the company's education centre. Young people are attending education. Staff support and encourage young people placed at the home to maximise educational success and attainment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The home has in place, good arrangements for the admission of young people to the home. Young people move into the home in a planned and sensitive manner. Young people and their social workers are encouraged to visit the home prior to placement. For example, young people have a 'day visit' to the home. The company ensures that staff receive basic information concerning the young person.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Good arrangements are in place to ensure that young people’s needs are fully met. Staff complete well-written care programmes that reflect the needs of young people. Staff ensure that the care programme fully addresses the day-to-day care within each area of young people’s lives. However, the outcomes of the review meetings have not been clearly incorporated in the home's care programmes and this has the potential to compromise effective consultation and collaboration with external professionals. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062074 Young people’s statutory review meetings are taking place. Young people are encouraged to be involved in their meetings so that their views and opinions are fully heard.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are able to maintain constructive contact with their families, friends and other people who play a significant role in their lives. Young people are provided with good practical support. Young people commented, 'staff always give a warm welcome when my family members visit.'

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Good arrangements are in place to consult with young people both at an informal and formal level. For example, house meetings are taking place and young peoples' participation reaches a good level. In addition, young people are provided with regular key worker meetings. Young people are being provided with enough opportunities to discuss their own issues, concerns and choices regarding the operation of the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The home has in place operational guidelines for young people who are approaching leaving care age. None of the young people currently living at the home have reached this stage. However, the routines at the home promote young people to be involved in basic cooking and cleaning tasks. Young people are encouraged to start developing social skills at an early stage because this will help them develop their self-esteem and confidence.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The standard of the accommodation is good and adequately meets the needs of young people. The standard of decoration has improved since the last inspection. Internal improvements include new carpeting throughout the home and new flooring in the kitchen. Young people commented, 'the home is safe for young people and it maximises our opportunities for independence and we have good access to quiet spaces, such as the second lounge.' All of the young people have their own bedrooms which are decorated to reflect their own individuality, taste and culture. The arrangements for bathrooms, showers and toilets are adequate to meet the needs of young people.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The home has satisfactory arrangements in place for the day-to-day management of the home. The home is run in a way that satisfactorily promotes and protects young people. The company has now recognised improving effective leadership is key to helping improve the quality of care at the home. The home has organised new interim management arrangements in order to fully address the leadership and management agenda in the home.

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Organisation

The home has in place a Statement of Purpose which adequately describes the aims and objectives of the services that it intends to provide. Staff recognise that this is an important document which helps young people to understand what the home sets out to do and how care is provided. Young people receive a guide that is in a suitable format, such as a graphic picture book, which they can easily understand.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. Young people are encouraged to engage in community based recreational, sporting and cultural activities, so that they can develop skills in social situations and develop respect for others and have fun. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062074 The home's staffing arrangements are sufficient to meet the needs of young people placed at the home. Since the last inspection, staff turnover has increased. The home is going through a number of changes, with new interim management arrangements being organised by the company which intend to improve practice. Where standards have dropped, for example, in the internal monitoring of the performance of the home, the company has already begun to address the shortfalls, taking decisive action.

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Organisation

Just under half of the staff team are trained to national vocational qualification at level 3. This decrease relates to internal transfers and staff resignations since the last inspection. Despite this staff are continuing to receive basic mandatory and additional professional training.

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Organisation

Young people’s case records demonstrate progress and reflect their individuality which is good. Staff ensure that records are kept safe and secure.

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Organisation

The home has a monthly visit to check the quality of the care being provided and to assess and evaluate young peoples' experiences of living at the home. These visits are carried out by a senior representative of the company. The company has a broadly accurate picture of the strengths and weakness of how the home is operating. External line managers are taking action to bring about improvement.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The Childrens Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must comply with the given timescales.

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Due date Action Standard

30 June 2010 keep an accurate record of the administration of all medication, prescribed and non-prescribed (Regulation 21(2)(c)) 30 June 2010 provide a telephone for young people to make and receive telephone calls (Regulation 15 (4)(a)) 30 June 2010 review the written policy and staff practice for the prevention of bullying in the children's home (Regulation 16(4)(a)) 30 June 2010 maintain an accurate and up-to-date record of measures of control used, as set out in the regulations (Regulation 17) 30 June 2010 ensure that placement plans are consistent with any plan for the care prepared by a placing authority (Regulation 12 (4)(a)) 30 June 2010 continue to improve the quality of care provided in the children's home. (Regulation 34(1)(b))

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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062074

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