Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Cambridgeshire

Unique reference number SC370910 Inspection date 20/05/2011 Inspector Caroline Oldham Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 23/03/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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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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 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

This children’s home, owned by a private company, is registered for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, aged between 11 and 17 years. The home is domestic in style and set within a housing estate.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

The home has individual placement plans and care plans for each young person which reflects their particular needs. However, document trails involving key working sessions, which is produced from the plans, is not always firmly in place to assist staff to provide consistent care.

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Overall effectiveness

The young people have had some changes to the management of the home since the last inspection and their own needs have changed, but these transitions have been managed well. Young people feel involved and contribute to their plans for the future and are clear about their short and medium term plans. Young people and staff have good working relationships and young people speak positively about the care that they receive.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff team receive training and supervision to ensure that they have the necessary skills to meet the needs of the young people, although staff on probation are not consistently receiving supervision at the frequency set out in the organisations policy documents. The home's Statement of Purpose and young person’s guide sets out clearly the services provided and these are kept up to date ensuring that social workers, young people and their families understand what the home can offer.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe, and are kept safe, through good procedures and well trained staff.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that children's views, wishes and feelings are acted upon, in the day to day running of the home (NMS 1.1)  ensure that children pursue individual interests and hobbies (NMS 7.2)  ensure that staff evidence the support they offer to children to progress their social and emotional development and enable children to develop emotional resilience and self-esteem (NMS 2.2)  ensure that new staff receive regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff in accordance with the organisation's policy and procedures. (NMS 19.4)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are satisfactory . Young people have well documented individual care plans which address their specific needs and interests. Young people are actively involved in the planning for their futures through the consistent and appropriate support of the staff team. Each young person has a key worker to ensure that action plans arising from the care plan are followed through with the young person, but these sessions are not always well documented. Observations and discussions with staff and young people show that young people have established comfortable and trusting relationships and that staff generally provide clear boundaries and expectations.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home is dedicated to encouraging appropriate contact with family members and others who are important in the lives of the young people. Social workers confirm that contact arrangements are well managed in a clear and concise manner to ensure all involved understand the arrangements. Contact arrangements with family members are well supported by staff, both in practical arrangements, and in emotional support. In some circumstances family members are encouraged to visit the home and enjoy contact time and a meal. Staff manage any restrictions regarding contact sensitively to ensure that young people remain safe. Consequently young people enjoy positive contact arrangements with family members. This is a real strength of the staff team.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have good access to a range of health care professionals and are encouraged to have regular check ups and to keep themselves in good health. They have access to specialist care if required and there is therapeutic input available through the organisation. The young people are learning the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise, although some opportunities for activities are not followed through. It is not clear whether this is a reluctance of the young person to participate, or poor document recording. Young people enjoy activities in the house and garden such as the trampoline and activities in the community such as walking and drama. They are developing confidence and self-assurance in addition to having fun through these leisure pursuits.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are well supported in attending school and are making very good progress through the commitment of the staff team. For young people who are no longer of school age, work placements in keeping with their interests are found. Staff encourage young people by knowing the anxieties that hamper attendance and consequently young people benefit from the routine and skills learned from working in the community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home is proactive in offering a very comprehensive independence programme including short courses covering skills such as first aid, and health and safety. Staff also assist with practical preparation for independence such as meal preparation, budgeting, and self care. Young people are encouraged to open a bank account, care for pets, clean their bedroom and bathroom and manage their laundry. Social workers state that staff establish a good rapport with young people and work towards independence; they identify issues and acknowledge achievements. When young people initially move out into independent living they receive weekly support visits from staff to work with young people in the initial weeks. This is a real strength of the provision.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is satisfactory .

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Quality of care

Generally young people feel positive about their home and the care that they receive from staff. They are encouraged and supported to express their views in reviews and to contribute to their future plans. They are making sound progress and continually developing in confidence. Behaviour is generally good; young people understand the expectations and understand that there are consequences for poor behaviour. They think these are fair and reasonable. Young people rarely go missing, although there are good procedures in place in the event of this occurring. Young people get on well with one another and they said that there is no bullying in the home. They know how to make a complaint, but no young people have made a complaint since the last inspection.

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Quality of care

The home is a detached house, providing comfortable communal facilities and three single bedrooms. There is a wooded garden area to the front and rear of the property. The home is spacious, well decorated and maintained by the organisation. It is well positioned to enable young people to access local shops and services. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms and they are allowed to keep small pets. They take responsibility for cleaning and caring for their environment with help and support from staff. Young people are involved in menu planning and consulted about day trips, but notes from young people's meetings do not reflect whether their views and wishes are actively sought with regard to the day to day running of the home.

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Quality of care

Menus show that young people are provided with healthy and nutritious meals according to their individual needs and wishes. They each have an individual menu prepared on a weekly basis and assist with weekly food shopping and meal preparation.

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Quality of care

Staff respect privacy and always knock on bedroom doors. Young people have keys to their bedrooms. Files and confidential information is kept securely and staff are sensitive about handling confidential information.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is satisfactory at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. Young people say that they feel safe and are supported when they do not feel safe, such as on occasions when using public transport for long distance journeys. Staffing levels are adjusted according to the individual needs of each young person to ensure that their needs are appropriately met. Young people report that there is no bullying in the home. They rarely go missing and when young people are away from the home welfare checks are made by phone to monitor their whereabouts and their wellbeing. Although young people are encouraged to have friends outside of the home staff ensure that these friends are suitable. Consequently young people are kept safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have a sound understanding of safeguarding procedures and there is a good level of consultation with social workers. Positive behaviour is encouraged through a system of 'consequences' which results in rewards for good behaviour or sanctions for poor behaviour. Young people respect the system and say that it is fair.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are very good systems in place to make suitability decisions about staff and staff records are maintained to a high standard. The manager retains good evidence, within the home, that all appropriate checks have been undertaken on staff. This ensures that young people are protected from contact with unsuitable adults within the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Health and Safety records are satisfactory and fire drills are carried out on a regular basis. Risk assessments are in place for both the house and the grounds and for individual young people and their activities. The organisation has robust checking arrangements for the recruitment of staff. Visitors to the home are asked for identification and to sign the visitors book.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are satisfactory . There has been a recent change in the management of the home. This has been a difficult time for the young people as they have also been making progress with their future plans and making steps towards moving on themselves. Young people are successfully making moves to independent living and other placements.

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Leadership and management

There is a management development plan which is cascaded in to the home development plan. This is regularly reviewed by the acting manager. She is currently embedding her ethos for the home with the staff team and making improvements. The Statement of Purpose is updated on a monthly basis to ensure that the home meets its aims and objectives. It is a clear and easy to read document available for parents and placing authorities. One significant event relating to the protection of children required a notification to be referred to the appropriate authorities. This is being thoroughly investigated by the organisation but is not yet complete.

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Leadership and management

The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory with attention being made to the individual needs of the young people. Staffing ratios are good and adjusted according to the individual needs of the young people. Social diversity is treated positively and consideration is given to young people's family backgrounds. The home has celebrated different faith days and enjoyed meals from different cultures.

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Leadership and management

The home has appointed one new member of staff since the last inspection. The staff team is now complete and there are sufficient staff to care appropriately for the young people. The new acting manager is now establishing herself and there are generally good arrangements in place for training and supervision. There is an organisational commitment to sound induction training to meet the required standards of the Children's Workforce Development Council and to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) training. Most ongoing training is provided via the organisation's comprehensive programme. However, supervision of some staff during their probationary period has not been carried out at the frequency specified in the Statement of Purpose. This leaves inexperienced staff without a strong system of support.

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Leadership and management

There were three actions raised at the last inspection, one related to the recording of complaints, which are now being appropriately signed and dated and one concerned the imposition of a financial penalty which is no longer to be implemented. The third action concerned fire drills which are now being appropriately documented.

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Leadership and management

Young people's records are held securely in a locked cabinet. Each young person has an individual care plan and an action plan which identifies areas of work for a key working plan. This is put together with the young person and the key worker. This is followed through at staff meetings to ensure that all staff are kept up to date. However, key working sessions are not documented in sufficient detail to demonstrate clearly the progress of the young people's social and emotional development. Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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