Children's Home run by Keys Education Ltd in South Gloucestershire

Unique reference number SC067561 Inspection date 31/01/2013 Inspector Michael Williams Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 16/08/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is run by a private company that runs other children's homes in the surrounding areas. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children, who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

In August 2012, the full inspection of the home judged its overall effectiveness to be good and recommended one area for improvement. This interim inspection found that the home has made good progress since then.

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Progress

The home has taken account of the recommendation made at the full inspection: to appropriately protect each child's privacy and confidentiality needs. This recommendation related to one young person's concern at the time about staff tidying their bedroom after they had declined to do so. This is no longer an issue for the young person, or any other young person at the home. All young people can lock their bedroom doors and staff usually only enter their bedrooms with their consent. Monthly registered provider visits check if children's privacy is protected.

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Progress

The full inspection reported that the home was back on a good track after a period of disruption. A change in the composition of the group of young people has resolved this disruption. To minimise the risk of such disruption happening again, the home introduced an assessed impact and management strategy, covering each of the young people in placement. To date, this strategy has successfully contributed to ensuring that the home only provides admission to young people whose assessed needs they can reasonably expect to meet. The Registered Manager and staff positively described the current group of young people.

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Progress

To facilitate proper oversight, since the last inspection Ofsted have received reports of: monthly registered provider visits to the home; the Registered Manager's six monthly review of the quality of care; and notification of relevant significant events. The manager's report of their six monthly reviews is exceedingly comprehensive. It provides oversight of areas such a safeguarding, overall outcomes for children, and their health, education, emotional and behavioural development, and family and social relationships. Notifications received show very effective arrangements for the protection of children. The home refers any safeguarding concerns to their local safeguarding children social work team, and when necessary the Registered Manager works together with the Local Authority Designated Officer for child protection.

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Progress

Overall, outcomes for young people have continued to improve since the last inspection, supported by continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Both have progressed further down the good track they were back on at the last inspection.

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Progress

Some young people are making good progress; in particular, with their educational attendance and achievement, and preparation for independence. Staff have developed a good working relationship with the teachers at their new education setting. Other young people have struggled to manage themselves constructively at times. However, they are now displaying less challenging behaviour, and the home is continuing to work together with their placing social worker to try and access the specialist services they need to make progress. Young people admitted since the last inspection has settled in well, feel happier in their new environment, and pleasantly surprised at how well their family contact is going.

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Progress

Promoting young people's positive behaviour and relationships has continued to be a focus of the home. For example, over the same period of time, the home's positive consequences log contains many more records of rewards than the number of sanctions recorded in their negative consequences log.

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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