Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Windsor and Maidenhead

Unique reference number SC438624 Inspection date 15/03/2012 Inspector Jennie Christopher Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 01/11/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Brief description of the service

This privately owned home is registered for up to two children with emotional or behavioural difficulties. The company has a separately registered education service that children from the home can attend.

p.4

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

p.4

Overall effectiveness

The home has high aspirations for the young people in its care. Individualised placement plans clearly demonstrate how the young people’s social, emotional and health needs are met. Young people receive strong support from an enthusiastic, though newly formed staff team, enabling them to improve confidence and self- esteem. Young people benefit from positive relationships with staff, feeling they support them and keep them safe. They feel listened to and that staff are interested in their ideas. Consistency of staff approach to young people ensures clear messages and appropriate boundaries. Professionals commented positively about the service and the commitment that staff demonstrate to young people. Young people are actively supported to voice their ideas concerning the daily running of the home. Young people talk positively about the home and range of activities they are able to take part in. They are prepared for independent living through a comprehensive and

p.4

Overall effectiveness

There is a regulatory shortfall in the recording of restraints. Improvement is also recommended for: making sanctions and rewards clear and consistent; staff members having completed their probation before becoming shift leaders; records to be legible, clear and non-stigmatised and for timings of supervision being recorded.

p.4

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.

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that records of restraint are signed by the person making the record; that the length of restraint is recorded accurately and the details of measures used to prevent the restraint are documented in the volume for this purpose. (Regulation 17B (3)(i), (4)(a)(b) 30/04/2012

p.4

Recommendations

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

p.5

Recommendations

 ensure that measures of restraint are applied for the shortest time possible (Volume 5, statutory guidance, para 2.99)  ensure sanctions and rewards for behaviour are clear, reasonable and fair and are understood by all staff and children (NMS 3.8)  ensure that staff members who are placed in charge of the home, including shift leaders, have substantial relevant experience of working in the home and have successfully completed their induction and probationary periods (NMS 17.5)  ensure a record of the length of each supervision is kept in the home (NMS 19.5)  ensure records are legible, clearly expressed, non-stigmatising and distinguish as far as possible between fact, opinion and third party information. (NMS 22.4)

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress in many aspects of their lives in respect to their starting points. They receive individualised support, enabling them to have improved confidence, self-esteem and develop a better understanding of their abilities. Targeted support from staff enables young people to take positive steps to manage their issues and have a greater understanding of their past. Young people are valued and respected as individuals.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

All aspects of physical and emotional health are promoted. Young people have a strong awareness of the importance of good health and healthy lifestyles. They enjoy excellent support to target areas of concern, such as a healthy diet and exercise. Their emotional health is well monitored. All young people benefit from tailored packages from both in house and external professionals to support emotional well being. Individualised books allow young people to reflect on their emotions and progress they have made in certain areas and make new targets detailing how they will achieve these.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Attendance in education is exceptional and young people achieve to the best of their abilities. Young people are encouraged to maintain friendships from school and contribute to the local community. A young person planning a birthday celebration was actively encouraged to invite friends from school as well as family. Young people are able to enjoy a wide range of activities, such as swimming and Scouts, continuing the healthy living and social aspect of educational programmes. Staff facilitate family contact and support parents to maintain positive boundaries. This includes enabling parents to provide healthy snacks during contact through hampers supplied by the home.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people know how to make complaints and have access to various external organisations for advocacy and support. Constructive use of weekly meetings and key work sessions enables young people to raise any concerns. Bullying is not tolerated and young people feel confident staff can manage this. Within the home young people develop a wide range of age-appropriate practical skills for independent living. These include helping with daily chores and keeping their personal space clean and tidy.

p.6

Quality of care

Young people enjoy positive and constructive relationships with staff and are supported to build relationships with others. A young person commented that he liked staff and could talk to them about anything. Whilst a parent reported that, ‘staff are doing their best’ to support her son. Young people are listened to and are supported to express themselves. This was demonstrated when staff actively supported a young person to decide how he was going to celebrate his birthday. Young people are routinely consulted on aspects of their daily living, such as what activities to do and menus for the week. Through this, young people also learn the need to share and consider the wishes of others. A young person commented that he ‘splits the menu choices’ with other young people. Staff do individual work with young people to ensure they understand when their wishes cannot be met and the reasons for this.

p.6

Quality of care

Staff have consistently high aspirations for young people and support their educational placements with robust communication between home and school. Close working with school staff enables young people to achieve to the best of their abilities, even on days when they are struggling to attend. One teacher said the home ‘perseveres’ when the young person is refusing school and they work on joint practices for consistency of approach. Young people participate in varied activities to complement their educational, social and emotional needs.

p.6

Quality of care

Young people are central to the placement planning process and the comprehensive and inclusive plans demonstrate this. Young people know how they will be cared for and what the daily plan is for them. Successes are celebrated through creative approaches. An example is raffle tickets with small rewards on them, which young people can select when they have succeeded in an agreed area. Plans and risk assessments are continually monitored and updated to reflect changing needs. Staff contribute to a ‘Reflection Log’ enabling them to look at areas of young people’s needs and behaviour and to evaluate what has worked well and what they could do differently. This evaluation aids continued focus on positive outcomes for young people.

p.6

Quality of care

Young people are consulted on menus with the emphasis on them choosing, and where appropriate, making healthy home-cooked foods. Young people experience a range of foods from different cultures and the healthy eating theme is extended into active lifestyles with an emphasis on activities, such as swimming and going on walks. Medication is stored appropriately and there is a robust system to ensure safety when administering. In case of emergency, there are qualified first aiders on site at all times. The home is well resourced and located, with bedrooms reflecting the individual interests and tastes of young people. Visitors to the home have commented on the quality of the décor in the compliments book. Regular appraisal of the home ensures the living spaces are maintained to a good standard.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say they feel safe in the home and that staff keep them safe. Staff take positive steps to prevent bullying and awareness is raised through posters and discussion. Young people have reduced the instances that they go missing from care since the start of their placement. When they do, a robust missing from care policy that is supported by the local authority and police force, is followed. On return, significant support is put in place to prevent the young person feeling they need to leave without permission again, including work on safety and keeping safe. Risk assessments and placement plans are amended to reflect this.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Positive behaviour is promoted and rewarded and small successes are celebrated with small rewards. Young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and consider how it impacts on others in the home and what strategies can be put in place to prevent it happening in the future. A social worker commented that staff are ‘attentive’ to young people’s needs and ‘work well’ with them, as they have never had boundaries before. Staff are trained in positive behaviour management strategies with an emphasis on de-escalation and diversion. All young people have individual positive handling plans to ensure consistency of approach, but do not suggest clear sanctions or rewards. Staff do not always complete records of restraint fully and these sometimes lack the name of the person filling in the form, the duration and what other methods have been tried to avoid the need to use restraint.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

The welfare of young people is fully promoted and they are protected from abuse or harm. Staff are aware of the home’s child protection procedures and have an excellent understanding of their role in responding to concerns or disclosures. Incidents have been managed sensitively and appropriately and have been thoroughly investigated, whilst support has been provided for those involved. The company’s recruitment policy ensures that young people are protected from harm by robust personnel checks. Positive steps are taken to ensure that young people are safe from fire and other hazards and risk assessments are robust and thoughtful to ensure young people are able to enjoy age appropriate activities.

p.7

Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good . The provider meets the aims and objectives that are set out in the Statement of Purpose. Staff understand the main functions and ethos of the home. The young people’s guide provides clear information in a friendly and appropriate format. This also acts as a guidebook for safety and general life. It includes sections on why people bully, when it is acceptable for someone to touch you and access to advocacy. It is adaptable depending on young people’s individual needs.

p.7

Leadership and management

The home was registered in October 2011 and is effectively managed by a committed team and is striving to improve. Staff feel supported by seniors and management, including the on call system. Young people benefit from being cared for by the consistent and enthusiastic staff team who feel they ‘put young people first’ and enjoy the support from the organisation’s therapy and behavioural support team. However, due to the home being recently opened, appropriately experienced staff are not always available on all shifts. However, staff have developed relationships with staff from other homes in the organisation and feel they can call on them for support.

p.8

Leadership and management

Staff receive quality, needs-led training, both in house and from the local authority. This is ensures staff have the skills required for the changing needs of the young people. Staff receive regular, challenging and evaluative supervision, although timings are not recorded on individual notes. During individual supervision, issues of performance are effectively challenged, with escalation through disciplinary procedures where required. Staff meetings include time for staff to discuss the national minimum standards, policies and procedures and to receive group support from the therapeutic team.

p.8

Leadership and management

The manager has a strong understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home through effective and evaluative monthly monitoring of the home and records. However, some recording is vague, illegible and at times, opinionated. All significant events are thoroughly recorded and notified promptly. The manager actively seeks the views of young people, their families and other stakeholders via questionnaires to consider new ways of improving the provision. Complaints from the community are well managed and pre-empted with visits to neighbours if there have been insistences of excessive noise or disruption within the home.

p.8