Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Leicestershire

Unique reference number SC063997 Inspection date 13/02/2013 Inspector Tracy Murty Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 16/10/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This privately-owned children's home provides accommodation for three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The provider organisation operates nationally, providing a range of care services for children and young people.

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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 satisfactory progress .

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Progress

At the last full inspection in October 2012, the overall effectiveness judgement for the home was good with two recommendations set within the inspection report.

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Progress

The Registered Manager and staff team have maintained quality of care and outcomes for young people. The home has fully addressed the two recommendations made at the last inspection. The Registered Manager now ensures that young people receive written responses following each young person's meeting. This ensures that all issues and requests raised by young people during those meetings receive prompt consideration by the Registered Manager.

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Progress

The Registered Manager has implemented more robust management systems to track and oversee vehicle maintenance checks on a weekly basis. This ensures that company vehicles remain roadworthy at all times. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated by the staff team now. This ensures that all assessments for young people remain relevant and provide the level of support and supervision they require at all times. The Registered Manager has ensured that each young person has been offered the chance to read and consider their files. This is in order that they may consider information recorded about them by the staff team and add personal statements. Young people have expressed a keen interest in this and staff are in the process of arranging times for this.

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Progress

Young people continue to attend educational provisions on a regular basis. From their starting points, they begin to see the value of education and to achieve academically. One young person stated, 'I was not going to school before I moved to live here. The staff have really helped me to do well with my education and to see that I am capable of doing well.' Regular communication between the staff team and education providers further ensures that young people feel supported to do well.

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Progress

Young people have a range of social activities provided for them in this home. The staff team work imaginatively to ensure that young people's interests are met. The recent purchase of a garden shed will enable young people to store and work on their bicycles, as this was something they raised in a young person's meeting. Young people also take part in skateboarding, going to the cinema and trips out. Young people also go on holidays with the staff, with one group about to go to the seaside for a week. Young people report feeling supported and listened to by the staff. They report satisfaction at the level and type of activities they can take part in.

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Progress

Young people maintain contact with family and significant others whilst living in this home. The staff team work closely with parents/carers and placing authorities to ensure that contact plans are adhered to. Young people report satisfaction in the level and type of contact they have whilst living in this home. The Registered Manager maintains regular and meaningful communication with relevant parents to ensure that they remain involved in the lives of their children. The staff team offer practical support to young people in contact arrangements. Staff take young people to contact meetings and offer them high levels of practical and emotional support throughout. The Registered Manager ensures that there are sufficient staffing on duty to support contact arrangements at all times.

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Progress

Young people report feeling safe in this home. Placing authorities also report no concerns in relation to the safety and protection of young people placed here. Robust and regularly reviewed risk assessments further ensure that young people's holistic needs are known and met at all times. Incidents of young people going missing from care remain very low in this home. Use of electronic surveillance affords further protection for young people during the night. Placing authorities, parents and young people give consent for the use of such surveillance and recording of it is detailed.

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Progress

Young people feel very supported in preparing for their move to independence. Detailed work is done with young people by the staff team to ensure that they develop the necessary skills to move towards independent living. One young person stated how sad they will be to leave this home. They feel the Registered Manager and staff team have really supported them to get ready for the move. This young person commented, 'There will not be a dry eye in the home when I move out, I am excited but also very sad to leave.' Young people feel encouraged and supported to manage their own finances, to buy their own food and meet most of their needs with minimal support.

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Progress

Young people who will be moving towards independence should have in place a pathway plan. This is devised by the placing authority in collaboration with the staff team. Some young people in this home do not have a pathway plan in place and are due to move from the home in the very near future. The lack of a clear and detailed plan could affect the smooth transition of care leavers to more independent living arrangements.

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Progress

Young people receive appropriate support in relation to their holistic health needs. Staff support young people to attend all routine health appointments. They also receive therapeutic intervention and regular contact with the local looked after children's nurse. Recording of the health needs of young people is detailed and up- to-date. It would assist young people in understanding their current and previous health needs, if they were to request to see their files at any time.

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Progress

Young people take part in regular review meetings to discuss their care needs. The details and results of all statutory reviews are not recorded on every young person's file. Responsible staff would not easily be able to ensure that actions set at those review meetings were met.

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Progress

The Registered Manager has not ensured that all relevant notifications have been sent through to Ofsted. Appropriate and prompt action has been taken by the staff team in response to individual events. The placing authorities for young people have been advised of all relevant events and report satisfaction at the level of communication from the home. The lack of making formal notifications to Ofsted has not affected the safety of young people at any time.

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Progress

The home has a detailed Statement of Purpose which has been very recently reviewed and updated by the Registered Manager. It contains detailed and relevant information, which clearly sets out what services will be provided for young people in this home. A copy of the most recent version has not been sent through to Ofsted as per regulatory requirements.

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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 that the registered person shall keep under review, and where appropriate, revise the statement of purpose and 14/03/2013 children's guide and notify the HMCI of any such revision within 28 days (Regulation 5(a)(b))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if 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 in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 30(1)) 14/03/2013

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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 the home contributes to the development of each young person's pathway plan for "eligible" care leavers and works collaboratively with the young person's social worker or personal advisor in implementing the plan (NMS 12.2)  ensure that the result of all statutory reviews and reviews of Placement Plans are recorded on the child's file, and individuals responsible for pursuing actions at the home arising from reviews are clearly identified. (NMS 25.8)

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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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