Children's Home run by Keys Education Ltd in Herefordshire

Unique reference number SC062074 Inspection date 23/08/2012 Inspector Dawn Bennett Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 11/01/2012 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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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to accommodate up to four young people of either gender. The service is operated by a private company. The home is a detached property standing in its own grounds in a rural location.

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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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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

This children's home is adequate overall and adequate in every outcome area. The permanent staff team have positive relationships with young people and are liked and respected. They effectively stabilise high risk behaviours and support young people to re-engage with their families and with education. Young people feel settled at the home and feel they are making progress. Young people generally feel safe and can identify an adult they would talk to if they felt unsafe. Staff recognise the particular vulnerabilities relating to the diverse needs of the young people and take appropriate actions to support them. The Registered Manager has recently left and the organisation are currently recruiting to fill the vacancy. There is a clear interim management measure in place, with an acting manager in post. The acting manager is being proactively supported by the organisation. The organisation is currently

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Overall effectiveness

investigating a number of complaints from a neighbour, the parish council and police about the impact of the home on the local community and resources. As a result of this inspection three requirements and three recommendations have been made. These are to ensure the quality of staffing, staffing levels and ensuring staff knowledge best meets the individual needs of the young people receiving a service at the home. The service is also asked to develop proactive and productive partnership arrangements within the local community and other professional agencies to ensure positive outcomes for young people.

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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) the registered provider shall carry on or manage the home with sufficient care, competence and skill. Specifically this relates to the need to develop positive partnership working with representatives of the community and other agencies as identified within this inspection report (Regulation 9(1)). 30/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure staff have been trained in current good practice that specifically meets the policies and procedures of the parent organisation (Regulation 26). 31/10/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) undertake a functional analysis to ensure the rota and staffing arrangements in the home meet the needs of the children. (Regulation 25) 30/09/2012

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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 staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of young people leaving care, and training keeps them up to date with professional, legal and practice developments and reflects the policies, legal obligations and business needs of the home (NMS 18.1)  ensure children receive personalised care that promotes all aspects of their individual identity and are each treated as an individual rather than a member of a group (NMS 2.1)  ensure children receive personalised care that promotes all aspects of their individual identity and enables them to develop emotional resilience and self- esteem that will prepare them for independent living. (NMS 2.2 and 2.6)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are adequate .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people make good progress in certain areas of their lives but adequate progress in others. For example, some young people have good attendance at school and college, and their educational achievement and progress is good. However, for others, motivation to achieve reduces once they have completed their education. As a result they do not experience employment or acquire all the practical and life skills they require to prepare them for adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are in good physical and emotional health but do not always take responsibility for their own health. They have an understanding of key health risks but sometimes choose not to change unhealthy aspects of their lives. One young person stated: 'I know the risks to my health but it is my choice to smoke.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people know how to share their wishes and views. There are systems that promote young people's involvement in the development of the home and their future, such as young people's meetings and key worker sessions. This means, young people's views and ideas are acted on in a timely way and have an impact on the home and their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people make good progress in reducing high risk behaviours and feel they have become settled in the home. They enjoy interacting with staff and peers within the home environment and during activities away from the home. While young people access community facilities with staff they are not developing individual interests in the community. Some young people have joined clubs in the community but attendance has not continued. Others have not developed interests or friendships outside the home and do not use unsupervised time to develop independence.

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Quality of care

At present the quality of care provided to young people does not address all aspects of young people's developmental needs or inspire young people to consistently engage. The core group of permanent staff are well liked and respected by the young people. One stated 'Staff are outgoing, easily approachable. They are fun to be with and are very caring.' Staff are nurturing and promote a safe environment with clear boundaries and expectations. They effectively support young people to stabilise their behaviours and to engage with their families, education and college. They celebrate and reward young people's achievements in these areas.

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Quality of care

The care provided by the home does not stretch young people to become independent, self-reliant and resilient. Young people are provided with planned care; however, this does not include planning to ensure young people engage in the boarder community outside the home. For example, young people are not experiencing, then choosing to engage in, activities or hobbies in the local community or outside the home. Young people learn to cater for themselves and do their own laundry but do not learn about, or experience, other aspects of living independently as an adult, for example, employment. One form of voluntary work, dog walking, has been introduced to young people but it is not regularly experienced with any commitment or intent. It is an activity, rather than an individual's vocation. Young people, who have demonstrated historical risks when given their own personal money to manage, are leaving the care of the home without learning this skill. Young

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Quality of care

people are not active members of the local community and have minimal knowledge or interest in wider or national events or issues. Apart from the television, there is little evidence about the home of simulating information, papers, magazines, internet, displays or photos of events, interests or celebrations.

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Quality of care

The standard of accommodation is currently being improved and is beginning to look more welcoming and homely. Some areas remain looking tired and bare. The young people have been involved in choosing new colours for rooms and producing new art work for the walls. One young person stated it is a 'cosy environment.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

The measures to promote the safety and well-being of young people are adequate. Young people state they feel safe within the home. The acting manager and core group of experienced staff are well informed. They know the procedures to follow to safeguard young people. Feedback given to the home as a result of a multi-agency strategy meeting was positively responded to. Contact has been made with the local authority designated officer (LADO) in order to develop positive joint working. Members of the organisation, including the home's acting manager, are due to attend a newly formed safeguarding forum run by the local authority.

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Safeguarding children and young people

This home supports young people who can exhibit high risk or socially inappropriate behaviours. While there have been occasions when some young people's behaviour has resulted in incidents in the community leading to complaints to the service, these events have been responded to appropriately. For example, financial reparation has been made to damage caused. Appropriate behaviour is promoted by the staff team who present as positive role models. As a result, young people make positive progress in reducing incidents of high risk behaviours. The organisation takes action when it is identified that this service is unable to meet young people's needs. They work effectively with placing authorities and identify an alternative placement.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Incidents of physical intervention and use of consequences are reducing. This indicates positive developing relationships and progress. Staff and young people feel they have been involved in re-establishing positive routines and practice that promote a more settled consistent environment. The acting manager is challenging the use of consequences with older young people, where discussions with regard to incidents would be more age-appropriate.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is successful in its aim to reduce and stop incidents of young people going missing. Staff attempt to prevent unauthorised absences; through discussion and staying with or in contact with the young person when they choose to absence themselves. Staff manage the majority of incidents proactively without police involvement. They recognise factors that may trigger young people going missing and take action to minimise the risk. They initiate joint protocol procedures when appropriate. The home ensures that young people are provided with physical safety and security. Regular checks are undertaken on the home's fire alarm system and the home's utility services. Environmental risk assessments are conducted and appropriate action is taken to keep young people safe.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are adequate .

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Leadership and management

The overall judgement at the home's last full inspection was good. Two recommendations were made and met by the home. At the home's interim inspection, they were judged to be making good progress. The Registered Manager has very recently resigned and left the service. Interim arrangements are in place and an acting manager is in post. The Registered Manager post has been advertised in a timely manner.

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Leadership and management

This home has a clear statement of how it operates, which is available for parents and others needing this information. Young people know what services they can expect from the home and how they will be cared for.

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Leadership and management

Since the last inspection there have been incidents involving young people from the home in the local community. These have resulted in complaints being made to the service, which were taken to a community meeting where the presence and impact of the home on the hamlet were raised. This meeting resulted in media attention. Some of the concerns raised have been responded to by the home; others are in the process of being investigated by the parent company.

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Leadership and management

Local authorities with young people placed at the home are, on the whole, positive about the service young people receive. A recent local authority monitoring visit concluded the home was providing good care and no recommendations were made.

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Leadership and management

Young people and placing authorities state that a key strength of this service is the core group of full-time permanent staff. Ratios of staff to young people are appropriate and in line with individual young people's risk assessments and the home's Statement of Purpose. However, the permanent staff team's positive practice and relationships with young people is at times diluted by the use of bank and agency staff to cover annual leave, sickness or increased staffing needs. There are also occasions when individual members of the core group of permanent staff are moved to cover at other children's homes within the company. This results in young people not always knowing who will be working with them. Also local authorities are sometimes unable to talk to staff who have an up-to-date understanding of young peoples' placement plans and care.

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Leadership and management

The core group of permanent staff and bank staff have received induction, mandatory training and additional professional training to ensure they are equipped to meet the needs of the young people placed. However, the majority of this training has taken place prior to the service being run the present parent company. Staff have therefore not been trained in line with the=is company’s values, ethos, policies and procedures.

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Leadership and management

This service has some developing strengths as well as some key areas for improvement. The acting manager and organisation recognise this and has addressed a number of those issues and is looking to embed good practice. Monitoring visits undertaken by the provider and also internal management monitoring are well established to support the acting manager to continue to drive up standards.

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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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