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

Unique reference number SC438624 Inspection date 01/08/2012 Inspector Guy Mammatt Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/03/2012 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

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.

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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 inadequate .

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Overall effectiveness

The overall judgement is inadequate because there are breaches of regulations and failures to meet national minimum standards. The standard of recording at the home is poor; many entries do not support the correct action taken and have required information missing. The systems to monitor the home’s performance required by the management team have not correctly identified many shortfalls in the recording.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have varied outcomes. The current young people have settled into the placement well and shown a period of stabilising behaviour within the home. Young people of school age have excellent attendance and are making good progress at school. However, the service has had limited success in engaging young people over school age in a daily routine to find them meaningful work or training opportunities. Young people enjoy living at the home and have a good relationship with the staff team.

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Overall effectiveness

Improvements are required to ensure that young people are fully protected by the home’s procedures following an allegation of abuse. The follow up work for the use of restrictive physical intervention requires attention to ensure the recording of each incident is accurate and young people are given the opportunity to discuss incidents they are involved in. The Statement of Purpose requires updating to ensure it portrays an accurate description of the service offered for young people. Risk assessments that are in place to manage the identified risk presented by young people are not individualised and do not adequately protect young people. Improvements are required to the monthly monitoring systems to ensure effective consultation. Improved use of the visitors book is required to ensure the safety of young people living at the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The home has been through a period of instability since the last inspection with the Registered Manager absent for a noticeable period of time. Having recently returned, the Registered Manager demonstrates a good understanding of the behaviours and the capabilities of the young people, and has good ideas for their placements within the home. However, immediate attention is required to improve the facilities and surroundings within the home for the young people to use and to improve the standard of care provided as a whole.

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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) keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the Statement of Purpose and children's guide (Regulation 5 (a)) 28/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the children's home is conducted so as to make proper provision for the care, education, supervision and where appropriate treatment of the children accommodated there; this is with particular reference to ensuring individual risk assessments are specific to the risks identified for each young person (Regulation 11 (1) (a)) 28/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the children's home is situated of any allegation of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the children's home (Regulation 16 (2) (b)) 28/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that any events listed in column 1 of the table in schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event indicated in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30(1)) 28/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that the records of restraint are signed by the person making the record and include the details of any methods used to avoid the need to use restraint are documented in the volume for this purpose (Regulation 17B 3 (i) & 4 (b)) 28/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that the records of restraint include the date, time and location of, the use of the measure (Regulation 17B 3 (d)) 28/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that the records of restraint include confirmation that the person authorised by the registered provider to make the record has spoken to the child concerned and the person using the measure about the use of the measure (Regulation 17B 3 (d) & (h) 28/09/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

29 maintain in the children's home the records specified in 28/09/2012 (2001) Schedule 4 and ensure that they are kept up to date; this is with particular reference to entries made in the visitors book (Regulation 29 (1))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the system referred to in Regulation 34 paragraph 1 shall provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities (Regulation 34 (3)) 26/10/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children’s home used by children are kept clean and reasonably decorated and maintained. (Regulation 34(3)) 28/09/2012

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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 that children understand how their views have been taken into account, and where significant wishes or concerns are not acted upon, they are helped to understand why (NMS 1.2)  ensure all sanctions and rewards for behaviour are clear, reasonable and fair and understood by all staff and children (NMS 3.8)  ensure where any sanctions, disciplinary measures and or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home (NMS 3.18)  ensure that the care and support provided to children minimises the risk that they will go missing and reduces the risk of harm should the child go missing; in particular, ensure transport is available to collect young people who go missing (NMS 5.1)  ensure children understand their health needs, how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to make informed decisions about their own health (NMS 6.2)  ensure children are encouraged to participate in a range of positive activities that

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Recommendations

contribute to their physical and emotional health (NMS 6.3)  ensure where children no longer receive compulsory full-time education, where appropriate the home supports them to participate further education, training or employment. (NMS 8.9)

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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

Young people enjoy living at the home and have everything they need in their bedrooms. Young people have some involvement in the local community and take part in events organised at local leisure facilities. Young people also take part in a basic independent living programme arranged by the home. This means that young people benefit from engaging in activities with children of their own age and build confidence through developing life skills away from the home. Young people have made good progress to decrease their challenging behaviour within the home environment since moving into this placement.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people make good health choices appropriate to their age and understanding. Others do not demonstrate that they understand how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and how to make informed decisions about their own health. This means that not all young people enjoy good physical and emotional health.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have excellent attendance at school and take part in a full and varied curriculum. This supports their educational achievement and promotes their personal development. Young people over compulsory school age do not sustain training opportunities arranged for them and are not always engaged in purposeful activities throughout the day. This means that young people are not prepared for adult life so that they can reach their full potential and achieve economic well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have good access to family and friends and other people that are important to them. As a result, young people maintain constructive relationships with people that play a significant role in their lives. Staff provide good support to the agreed contact arrangements and deliver effective communication to the placing authorities to ensure that suitable outcomes are reached for the young people and their families.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy sound relationships with each other and interact positively with the staff team. Staff make good progress to get to know the young people and positively address obstructive behaviour displayed by the young people. Staff work cohesively and establish firm boundaries to stabilise the behaviour of the young people.

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Quality of care

Staff carry out regular key worker sessions to ensure the views of young people are incorporated into their placement planning. Staff also use the key worker sessions to discuss pertinent and forthcoming issues with the young people. This ensures young people feel supported and are able to discuss significant events in their life. Young people have the opportunity to take part in weekly house meetings and they say they sometimes attend. Young people feel happy that they have an opportunity to contribute their choice in the food bought by the home. However, some issues raised by young people at house meetings are not followed through. This means that their ideas are not always included in plans for the home’s development.

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Quality of care

Young people’s views are included in their placement plans and their behaviour management plans. This includes discussion about alternative coping strategies for implementation when young people become angry or stressed. Risk assessments, however, are of poor quality. They are not individualised and the risk management strategies are not always relevant for the identified risks. This means that the home does not promote the safety and welfare of the young people on every occasion.

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Quality of care

Young people have access to relevant health professionals. The home arranges for the appropriate support to be put in place to ensure that all young people receive the relevant medical check-ups. Young people have access to specialist therapeutic services through the provider. However, the provider has been slow to initiate this service. Therefore, young people do not benefit from the early provision of therapeutic care to help them to understand their background and current situation.

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Quality of care

Arrangements for dealing with medication are not always safe. On one occasion this resulted in a significant administration error and placed young people at risk. As a consequence of this, the Registered Manager investigated the matter. As a result, more robust procedures are in place.

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Quality of care

Young people have a limited range of planned activities on offer. Staff do not engage young people in activities young people have identified which they would like to experience or participate in. Staff do not make good use of the information provided by the young people for the promotion of their health. Consequently, staff are failing to use these opportunities in order to promote their physical health and emotional well-being.

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Quality of care

Staff are proactive in engaging young people in school and positively address barriers to education to ensure young people begin education promptly at the start of their placement. This ensures young people of school age always have an establishment to attend and become used to the routine and structure quickly. However, staff do not provide an effective level of support to young people over school age to gain employment, further education or training. An effective daytime structure is not provided for these young people, who then spend most of their free time with family and friends. This consequence is supported and facilitated by the staff. This means that not all young people have the necessary structure in place at the home to prepare them for independence and promote their employment prospects.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service has dealt with a number of safeguarding allegations since the last inspection in a satisfactory manner. However, on one occasion, an allegation was not passed immediately to the local area designated officer. As a result, young people were not appropriately protected in line with good practice in safeguarding.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people do, however, feel safe and enjoy living at the home. They have developed a good relationship with the staff team in a short space of time and settled into their new home quickly. Consequently young people have made good progress to stabilise some of their previously concerning behaviours. Outside bodies comment that the Registered Manager has been very thoughtful and intuitive in managing the behaviour of some of the young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have good opportunities to evaluate their working practices with daily reflective sessions and team meetings with the provider’s therapist. However, these are not used to their full potential; additionally, staff do not demonstrate familiarity with the home’s policy on managing behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

On the whole staff avoid the use of excessive consequences for negative behaviour displayed by the young people and re-enforce positive behaviour with praise and positive consequences. However, on one occasion the Registered Manager identified that staff had made a sanction that was not reasonable; this was a shortfall identified at the previous inspection. He intervened to ensure that the young people are treated fairly and with parity.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The levels of restraint have been high since the last inspection but have now decreased with the current group of young people. However, not all incidents of restraint are accurately and clearly recorded. In addition, young people do not have their comments recorded following the use of restraint. This means all incidents of restraint have not been sensitively and appropriately followed up in discussion with young people in order to reflect how to reduce further incidents.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There have been a significant number of incidents of children going missing from the home since the last inspection, although this has decreased recently, as the young people at the placement have changed. The home has individual missing from home protocols in place for all young people as well as a joint protocol for police involvement for the home. This ensures that the home has clear practices, and agreed arrangements with the local police, to follow to support young people when they go missing. Staff engage young people in interviews following any incidence of them going missing from home. Staff are thoughtful and creative as to how they engage the young people in this conversation. They ensure topics, such as what could have made them safer while they were missing, and offer them the opportunity to speak with an independent person. This means that proactive steps are taken to help young people understand what can keep them safe while they are away from

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Safeguarding children and young people

home. However on one occasion lack of transport provided by the home resulted in poor support to one young person who had been missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The environment is physically safe and appropriately secure with all the necessary environmental and safety checks in place. Fire safety equipment is checked regularly and a good number of fire drills have taken place to ensure that young people are aware of the evacuation procedures. However, the visitors book is incomplete and on many occasions does not record the time of exit for each visitor. This means there is not an effective record kept of all visitors to the home, which could potentially affect young people’s safety.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are inadequate . The management arrangements of the home are inadequate. The management team carries out regular monitoring of all the home’s records. However, the monitoring is ineffective as many mistakes and missing entries are not identified and rectified.

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Leadership and management

The standard of record keeping is poor. Documents are not signed by the author and separate incidents involving the same young person are often recorded on the same record page. For example, two complaints regarding the same member of staff, three days apart, are recorded as one. On a number of occasions, multiple missing from home incidents and restraints are recorded together. This means that each significant event is not treated as an individual concern. The records relating to behaviours displayed by the young people are sometimes bunched together with ineffective follow up work to promote young people’s welfare.

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Leadership and management

The requirement made at the last inspection regarding restraint recording has only been partially met and still does not contain the required information. This is also referred to in the section on safeguarding. One recommendation is repeated for staff to use fair and reasonable sanctions to promote positive behaviour by the young people, as another incident of an inappropriate sanction put in place has been identified by the Registered Manager.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has a comprehensive development plan in place, which identifies the need to refurbish the property and provide adequate resources to meet the needs of the young people. However, appropriate action has not been taken. Although, some improvements have been made to the home, it is not a homely or well-maintained and decorated environment. Limited recreational amenities are provided for the young people. For example, there is no working television, no accessible computer and the outside space is not well looked after or furnished with outdoor play equipment. This means young people live in a home with little stimulation or opportunities to relax and enjoy their favourite pastimes. In addition, general maintenance issues are not promptly addressed to ensure young people live in a comfortable environment.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose is in place and refers to facilities and practices that are no longer in place at the home. For example, there is no longer a pool table at the home and supervision meetings do not always take place at the frequency or duration stated in the Statement of Purpose.

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Leadership and management

Staff do, however, receive an appropriate amount of supervision over a period to guide them in their role. The established staff team either holds the Children and Young People’s Workforce Diploma at level 3 or they are currently undertaking the qualification. All new staff are due to enrol at the next opportunity to ensure that young people are looked after by competent and well-trained staff.

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Leadership and management

A large, extensive children’s guide is place which is suitable to the level of understanding of the current young people. This ensures young people have an understanding of the rules and procedures in place at the home and are able to raise questions. The senior management carry out regular monthly monitoring of the home which includes good consultation with young people and other stakeholders. However, young people, families and placing authorities are not consulted as part of the review of the quality of care carried out by the Registered Manager.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has good communication links with the local police and positive relationships with the local authorities. The Registered Manager has failed to notify HMCI of a significant event relating to the protection of young people at the home. This means that not all information relating the protection of young people is shared with all the necessary parties.

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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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