Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Durham

Unique reference number SC423407 Inspection date 07/06/2011 Inspector Michael McCleave Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 28/01/2011 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 provides care and accommodation including full time education for up to 8 children and young people aged 11 to 17 years. The building is a large detached premises located in a village. The bedrooms are single occupancy with showers/bathing and toilet facilities close to the bedrooms. The social areas comprise of a large lounge with television where young people can socialise and relax. There is a well equipped kitchen/dining area. The school is an integral part of the building and where young people will attend as part of their care plan.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

The young people are making satisfactory progress at the home and they clearly benefit from the care and commitment of the staff. They are supported to understand the importance attached to receiving a good education and to achieve their potential both socially and educationally. Staff work hard to help the young people to understand that there are boundaries that have to be respected, if they are to return to live back in the community. The care plans identify clearly what needs to be achieved and the strategies required.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff team is currently affected by the temporary nature of those seconded from other homes and it is this group who form the experienced part of the team. A more permanent structure is required to enable the team to become established as a coherent unit. The management support is weakened by the lack of a deputy manager. A stronger management team would enhance the day-to-day operations of the home. There is a need for a more robust relationship to be established with partner agencies concerned with safeguarding.

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides the young people with a safe environment to live here and they can work with staff to achieve their potential. However, the temporary nature of some staff appointed to the home, means that young people feel they cannot establish any firm relationships with this section of the staff team.

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Overall effectiveness

An area for development is increasing the awareness of young people regarding equality and diversity issues.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the Statement of Purpose has the number, relevant qualifications and experience of persons working at the children's home. (Regulation 4) 30/06/2011

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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 children are actively encouraged to read their files, other than confidential or third party information and to correct errors and add personal statements (NMS 22.5)  ensure effective partnerships are established with other agencies concerned with child protection (NMS 4.6)  ensure written records kept by the home when a child goes missing detail, the reasons why the child went missing, and any action taken in the light of those reasons (NMS 5.10)  ensure there are clear arrangements for staff to deputise in the registered manager's absence, and that it is only staff who have at least one year of supervisory experience. (NMS 17.4)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are satisfactory .

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Outcomes for children and young people

The young people currently living at the home have experience of difficult home backgrounds and of rejection. Their level of self-confidence in adults and their own self-esteem is low. The staff at the home and school, work proactively to improve these areas of negativity among the young people. It is evident that the young people have a lack of trust in adults and much effort is expended by staff to help the young people to develop a more trusting relationship. This is often difficult to achieve given the temporary nature of some staff appointments.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged by the staff to take a more positive view of their health. This is currently proving to be an issue in respect of smoking and adopting a more healthy diet for some of the young people. Links with the looked after nurse have yet to be developed and this health care professional can offer advice and guidance in personal care and for any other health related matter.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Prior to being placed at the home, the young people held a very negative approach to school attendance. Since moving into the home their attendance has gradually improved. Their educational attainment is showing some positive outcomes although it is too early to determine how well they will achieve academically. However, staff at the school and home, are clearly motivated in their efforts to bring about more positive outcomes for the young people. The placing authority is satisfied with the progress currently being made by the young people given their low starting point when initially admitted to the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

There is no direct evidence yet to show how the young people make a positive contribution to the wider community. They are however, actively encouraged to share in decisions made about life in the home and to plan activities such as trips out to places of interest. Young people's meetings are an established part of home life and whilst there is at times a reluctance to engage with staff, the young people are able to influence key decisions that affect them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people maintain essential links with family and relatives as part of their care plan and staff clearly understand the importance of this. Support is provided by staff in planning contact visits and being available to transport young people to contact visits. These can be emotional occasions and staff undertake these tasks with sensitivity.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Although none of the young people are planning to move towards independence at this stage, the home provides opportunities to enable young people to learn life skills that will be needed when they leave care. A well equipped kitchen is available for use in teaching domestic skills and how to prepare meals in a safe hygienic manner. Young people will be shown how to budget and to go shopping with staff thereby enhancing their confidence and ability to manage within the outside community.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is good . The young people are well cared for by staff at the home who demonstrate a positive approach to their work. Relationships between the young people and staff are generally sound. It is recognised by staff, that the young people have experienced previous unsettled home situations coupled with poor educational experiences. Some young people have difficulty in accepting the normal house rules as part of daily life at the home. The home aims to stabilise the lives of the young people through good care and showing the young people that they really matter. Staff work with the young people to develop a trusting relationship and to teach them how to manage socially within normal boundaries. Where tensions are evident involving young people, staff attempt to de-fuse the situation in a calm and measured manner. This is good practice.

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Quality of care

The young people are aware of how to make a complaint and they have access to a private telephone should they wish to make contact with someone independent of the home. The young people's guide to the home, which is given to them on admission, contains information about life in the home, their rights and contact details of the Children's Rights Director and other independent organisations that can provide support if required.

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Quality of care

The care plans agreed with the placing authority indicate clearly the work required with the young people. They are actively encouraged to take a proactive role in any planning about their care, and to attend the statutory review of their care plan. There is a positive culture at the home of encouraging young people to take ownership of their care situation and to influence decisions made about them.

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Quality of care

The home encourages the young people to adopt healthy lifestyles and where required, appropriate health care resources can be accessed. The home can provide extra support through qualified therapists and counsellors as part of the overall care plan. This additional support complements the individual work undertaken by staff to promote the well-being of young people.

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Quality of care

Young people are actively encouraged to participate fully in the life of the home and their views are valued by staff. Young people's meetings are planned, and staff engage informally each day in order to seek their views on a range of topics. There is a listening culture at this home, and young people are able to approach staff in the knowledge that they will be able to express their views.

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Quality of care

Education is given a high priority and young people are expected to attend the school that is attached to the home. This is run by qualified teachers, and staff at the home work in partnership with the school to encourage school attendance. The young people at the time of their placement, did not see education as relevant to them and attendance was poor. This has improved markedly. The school keeps the home's staff regularly informed about progress, thereby enabling a team approach to be taken in overseeing the education of the young people. This is good practice.

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Quality of care

The home encourages the young people to pursue activities that they feel are best suited to their needs and interests. One young person enjoys keeping fit and healthy and they are able to attend the local gym out of school time. Horse riding is another favourite leisure activity and membership of a local stable is supported at the home.

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Quality of care

An area recognised by the manager that requires development, is around improving the awareness among staff and young people of diversity issues. There are plans in place to introduce themed meals at the home to celebrate different cultures and to actively involve the young people in the planning and preparation of these events.

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Quality of care

The building is comfortably furnished throughout, and provides the young people with a home that is safe and well maintained. Each young person has their own individual bedroom that is close to modern toilet and bathing facilities. The large lounge is suitably equipped to enable the young people to socialise and to enjoy leisure time together as required. The home has access to a dedicated car which enables young people to be taken to various activities and for formal meetings when planned. The home is located in a small village and the home's car provides ready made transport.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is satisfactory at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. The staff at the home work to ensure that the young people are safe and systems are in place to guide staff on how to respond to allegations or suspicions of abuse. The young people feel safe living at the home and are confident in making a complaint if required. However, based on a recent incident at the home, it appears that there is a lack of clear decision making and direction involving the local authority and the home. A more robust relationship with the safeguarding agency is required. There are risk assessments in place for each young person, and these are updated as required, to ensure that staff have a good understanding of the behaviour and risks they can pose for their own safety.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has clear procedures to advise on actions to take should a young person go missing, and staff are aware of their responsibilities to ensure that on return, the young person is welcomed back in a calm manner, and reasons sought as to why they went missing. The missing person's log, however, does not always detail sufficiently the reasons why the young person failed to return to the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff are trained in behaviour management including restraint. Staff are aware of the particular vulnerabilities relating to the differing needs of each young person that may trigger certain behaviours. The key to establishing good behaviour, is maintaining a calm atmosphere at the home and developing positive friendly relationships with the young people. Where restraint has been used, this is managed appropriately and for a minimum amount of time to calm a situation. The emphasis at the home is to try and de-escalate a confrontational situation through calm dialogue with the young people. When young people challenge the boundaries set at the home for their safety and well-being, the response of staff is to try and work through the issues involving the young people. This was observed during the inspection.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff have been appointed through the company's recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that they are suitable to work in a children's environment. Their professional development and progress is monitored by the manager on a day- to-day basis and through formal supervision and appraisal.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is a physically safe environment for the young people, and all appropriate checks on fire safety and domestic appliances have been carried out. These measures promote the general safety of the young people.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are satisfactory . This is the first inspection of the home since registration.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose for the home contains information about the service provided. It does not however, contain the staffing structure and details of the experience and qualifications of the staff as required by the regulations. The young people's guide clearly informs the young people in a child friendly way what life is like at the home, and what they can expect living there. This is a well designed document making good use of colours, pictures and symbols. The placing authority for the young people is satisfied with the aims of the home and is confident in the care provided by staff.

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Leadership and management

The management oversight of the home is somewhat weakened due to the lack of a deputy manager. This means that the registered manager is fully responsible for all day-to-day management as well as strategic operations. The consequence, is a lack of management time to offer all the support required by staff. This is particularly evident for those new in post and currently progressing through their probationary induction training. The senior operations manager is fully aware of the weakness currently inherent within the management structure of the home, and has a development plan to improve the staffing ratios of new and experienced staff.

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Leadership and management

The majority of the staff team are new in post, and this has until recently, caused a degree of dysfunction because of the lack of experience in managing young people who display severe challenging behaviour. The team is now enhanced with staff seconded from other homes within the company. However, this is only a temporary arrangement. The staff team are clearly committed to ensuring that the care and welfare of the young people is paramount. The manager currently ensures that all staff receive formal one to one supervision. The new staff are completing induction training and they will be registered to undertake the diploma in child care on successful completion of their induction. There is a commitment to ensure the development of staff through training opportunities.

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Leadership and management

The records maintained at the home contain all required information to enable staff to carry out their duties in respect of individual young people. These are stored securely in the main office and can only be accessed by authorised staff.

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Leadership and management

The internal monitoring of the home is undertaken by an external visitor on a monthly basis. This report outlines the progress of the home and highlights areas for improvements. The last two reports clearly identify that the staffing structure requires attention.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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