Children's Home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in Lincolnshire

Unique reference number SC419429 Inspection date 30/05/2013 Inspector Tracy Murty Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 28/11/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The children's home can accommodate up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home provides single sex occupancy placements only.

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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

There has been a change of Registered Manager and some staff in the home since the last inspection. Staff continue to work with young people with dedication and a commitment to ensure their holistic needs are met. Staff work proactively with parents and carers to promote and support contact. Young people therefore, enjoy regular and meaningful contact with significant others in their lives. The staff team also actively support young people to secure suitable educational placements and work closely with other agencies to promote improved outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people do not currently feel that their views about the quality of care they receive is sufficiently taken into account in the running of the home. They report some concerns in relation to the quality of relationships with the staff team due to recent changes. Young people report feeling safe in this home and are kept safe from harm by the staff team.

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Overall effectiveness

One shortfall was identified at the last inspection. The Registered Manager has ensured that all staff now record more fully any incidents of restraint and methods of control.

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Overall effectiveness

Several shortfalls have been identified at this inspection. These relate to changing and sleeping arrangements for staff; bathroom accessibility for young people; food safety; the maintenance and décor of the home and vehicles; consultation with young people; and records held in relation to allegations against staff.

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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 there is suitable sleeping accommodation for staff working in the home which does not necessitate them sleeping in communal areas of the home (Regulation 31(10)(b)) 15/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there are a sufficient number of lavatories within the home for use by young people. This is with specific reference to the downstairs toilet and access to it by young people (Regulation 31(5)(b)) 15/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there are suitable facilities for persons working at the home for the purposes of changing and storage (Regulation 31(10)(a)(i)(ii) 15/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there are appropriate risk assessments for health and safety purposes and subsequent action taken. This is with specific reference to the checking and taking action in relation to perishable food items (Regulation 34 (schedule 6)(13)) 15/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the home used by young people are kept clean and reasonably decorated and maintained. This is with specific reference to the condition of all carpets and sofas within the home. (Regulation 31(2)(e) 15/07/2013

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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 young people 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. This is with specific reference to providing feedback from resident's meetings and complaints made by young people (NMS 1.2)  ensure the regular monitoring of all records kept by the home, to identify any concerns and take immediate action to address any issues raised by this monitoring. This is with specific reference to vehicle maintenance checks (NMS 21.2)  ensure that a copy of any allegations made against a particular member of staff, a record of any action taken and the decisions reached is kept on the person's confidential file and a copy is provided to them. (NMS 20.7)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are adequate .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make adequate progress in relation to forming attachments and emotional resilience while living in this home. A particular strength of the staff team is their commitment to promoting contact between young people and their families. One Independent Reviewing Officer praised the staff team in relation to contact saying, 'They are really good in how they deal with contact, they support young people to see their families and also supervise some contacts.' This enables young people to feel valued and secure.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people take part in a range of social activities in the local community. They report satisfaction at being able to identify and take part in such activities as boxing, swimming, attending the local gym and cinema. They also enjoy 'pamper nights' in the home with staff, watching DVD's and going on trips to local places of interest. This increases their confidence over time and enables them to take appropriate risks.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The staff team work hard to try and engage young people in relation to their attendance in education provisions. The staff have secured further educational placements for some young people. Social workers praise the staff team's proactive response in this area. From their starting points, young people make adequate progress in relation to their educational attendance and attainment. While some young people attend education on a regular basis and have made satisfactory progress, others do not attend regularly. This has impacted on their attainment and progress.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people feel supported to develop practical and life skills while living in this home. The staff team support them to develop skills in such areas as using public transport, budgeting, food preparation and meeting their own personal care needs. This increases their personal confidence and enables them to plan for a move to adult life with confidence and increased ability.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people feel supported by staff to ensure that their holistic health care needs are met. Staff support and encourage young people to attend regular appointments and they enjoy good physical health. Their emotional health needs are met through the regular attendance of a counsellor, who visits the home each week to work with the young people. The staff team have also sought the help of the looked after children nurse, to support young people on such areas as dental care and sexual health. Young people develop a sense of awareness in meeting their own health needs, supported by the dedicated staff team.

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Quality of care

Young people report a recent unsettled period within the home, due to a change of Registered Manager and staffing. This has had a noticeable impact on their feeling of security and stability. Some young people report a loss of confidence in how their wishes, views and feelings will be taken into account and acted upon. Young people feel confident in their ability to make external complaints about any aspect of their care. The staff team provides them with contact cards on admission to the home, with key contact details for them to use. Young people report satisfaction at this and in being able to access advocacy and other services. All young people have personal mobile phones and access to a phone to make calls in private within the home. Parents also report satisfaction at the level and quality of communication with them by the staff team. One parent reported, 'the staff call me and let me know if there is anything happening I need to know about. I have no

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Quality of care

concerns about how they keep in touch with me.'

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Quality of care

Documentation relating to young people is clear and detailed. Placement and other plans provide detailed information as to how the needs of young people will be met. Young people state a clear awareness of the content of their plans and in being offered to read and sign them on a regular basis. Weekly key work sessions take place, which enable young people to consider specific areas of need or concern in more detail with staff. A particular strength of the home is its work on independence planning with young people. Detailed and comprehensive assessments of needs are carried out, with young people receiving awards for their achievements in achieving independence skills over time.

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Quality of care

Social workers report satisfaction at the level and quality of communication they receive. One social worker complimented the home on the weekly reports they receive, ' I get a weekly report on how the young person is doing, which includes their educational progress. This helps me to know what they have done and achieved each week.'

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Quality of care

Incidents of young people going missing have reduced and reflect clear risk assessments and plans. Regular reviews and updates of such plans further adds to the positive developments made by young people in relation to incidents of absconding. One social worker reported how impressed they were with how the staff team have worked with a young person, 'the young person has not gone missing since they moved into this home. This is a real achievement and credit to the staff.'

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Quality of care

The home provides sleeping accommodation for its staff within the home. Staff report on-going concerns about the quality of the accommodation provided. This has led to some staff electing to sleep in the living room on one of the sofas during the night. This restricts the access young people have to this room during the night and has had an impact on their ability to freely move around the home at all times.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a large and spacious home. There are some current maintenance and repair issues which have not been addressed by the Registered Manager. Damage to some furniture has not been reported or replaced in some areas. Carpets throughout the home need cleaning and some need replacing due to damage. Young people have not had access to the downstairs toilet without recourse to the staff team and also access issues on occasion to the upstairs bathroom.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people feel safe and are protected from harm in this home. The staff team demonstrate a detailed awareness of both safeguarding procedures and the individual needs of each young person. The Registered Manager has positive and close working relationships with relevant safeguarding agencies and professionals and ensures prompt communication with them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Placing authorities and independent reviewing officers speak positively of how well the staff team engages young people in relation to safety issues. One independent reviewing officer praised the staff for their work with young people on reducing incidents of absconding from the placement. A parent also reported that, 'the staff never give up. If a young person runs off, they follow them and ensure that they return safely.' Key work sessions take place with young people each week and consider any and all incidents of concern with them. This ensures their increased awareness of safety issues and further enables them to develop self-help skills.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Any reported or suspected incidents of bullying are dealt with sensitively and proactively by the staff team. Tracking logs are completed at such times, with the Registered Manager overseeing and monitoring trends and patterns. Young people have clear information provided on placement about the bullying policy and know what action will be taken to address any concerns about bullying. Placing authorities report confidence in how the staff team report and deal with all such incidents to them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The Registered Manager has overseen any allegations against staff in a prompt and thorough manner. Records reflect the actions taken and include responses to young people, where appropriate. There has been one failure to record the details and outcome of an investigation into an allegation on staff confidential records. This has not had an impact on the safety of young people living in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Regular health and safety checks and procedures are followed by the staff team to identify and ensure the safety of young people living in this home. Young people take part in regular fire drills and evacuations, to ensure that they are aware of the importance of such issues. The Registered Manager oversees all checks undertaken by staff on a weekly basis as part of her monitoring procedures. However, the company vehicles have not all had regular annual services undertaken since the last inspection. This could place young people and staff at risk of harm or injury.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Robust staff selection and recruitment procedures ensure that no unsuitable people work with young people in this home. Staff receive training in child protection and safeguarding to further ensure their competence and confidence in working with young people.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are adequate . The home has a detailed Statement of Purpose which clearly sets out the aims, objectives and ethos of the home. Young people receive a guide to the services provided by the home on admission. This includes information about the complaints procedure and who they can contact, including Ofsted.

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Leadership and management

Some young people have reported dissatisfaction at how concerns and complaints raised have been responded to by the Registered Manager. Recent concerns were raised by some young people about perishable food items in the home and an alleged lack of supervision and monitoring of such areas by the staff team.

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Leadership and management

The home employs a sufficient number of staff to meet the needs of those young people placed in this home. Staff receive regular supervision and training and with the exception of the handling of food, perform their roles with confidence and skill. Staff report satisfaction at the level of support and training they receive and feel that it assists them to work with young people.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager undertakes monthly monitoring and tracking of how the home is run and produces detailed reports. She also makes reference to the independent visitor monthly monitoring reports alongside this. However, these processes have not identified a failure to consistently complete checks on the company vehicles.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has a detailed development plan in place. This sets out realistic actions and consultation with young people. The Registered Manager also has monitoring systems in place to oversee and monitor other aspects of the care provided to young people. Such systems provide valuable information on progress made and improved outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

Records relating to young people are detailed, comprehensive and subject to regular review and updating by the staff team. The staff team support young people to identify any specific needs in relation to their culture, ethnicity or religion and in meeting such needs. Staff offer young people the opportunity to read their records and files as appropriate and to make comments and personal statements. This further increases their sense of belonging and worth.

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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 and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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