Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Cambridgeshire

Unique reference number SC370910 Inspection date 26/06/2013 Inspector Elaine Cray Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/12/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children’s home, owned by a private company, is registered for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, aged between 11 and 17 years.

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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 outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people with complex difficulties and challenges make meaningful and excellent progress at the home. They receive well planned and individualised care. Young people make significant progress not least because their emotional, social and safeguarding needs are consistently met by staff.

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Overall effectiveness

The effective and proactive management of the home is an outstanding strength. The strong focus on maintaining positive and meaningful relationships between staff and young people results in excellent outcomes for young people. These positive relationship building skills also result in excellent working partnerships between staff, external agencies and young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people develop emotional resilience and self-confidence because they are treated with a high level of respect. Young people live in a vibrant and extremely nurturing environment. Awareness and tolerance of equality and diversity is identified, celebrated and promoted.

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Overall effectiveness

There are exceptional safeguarding outcomes for all young people. They develop a growing awareness about their risk taking activities and how to make more positive lifestyle choices. There are significant reductions in missing from care reports, risky behaviours and a total reduction in offending behaviour.

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Overall effectiveness

There is a strong commitment to help young people address significant deficits in educational attendance and achievement. Young people grow in confidence and develop positive identities. Their personal awareness matures and they feel fully supported in their transition from a challenging adolescence into young adult life. There is a clear focus on robust quality assurance. Young people's views are an integral part in the development of this excellent service. The existing standards are consistently maintained and strategic management promotes further improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

There are no statutory requirements or recommendations made as a result of this inspection.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make exceptional progress in this service. They emotionally and physically thrive due to robust safeguarding and a strong ethos in building positive relationships and attachments.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people value how they have better ways to stay safe and enjoy positive relationships. Young people expressed that their outcomes and future life chances would not be as positive had they not come to the service. Their comments include, ‘Staff have helped me in the most brilliant way’ and, ‘It is all better, everything is better and I’m safer.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people who have experienced significant trauma and present complex behaviours grow in self-confidence and forge emotional resilience. They develop positive identities and develop meaningful social relationships. Young people feel more confident and secure. They say, as older young people, they are ready to live more independently as they are more confident about making safer life choices and associations.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people acknowledge the importance of attending and doing well in education. They have addressed some significant deficits in both educational attendance and achievement. Young people have plans for further education and some are already involved in vocational employment. All young people look forward to becoming valuable young adults in society.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy significantly improved health. They are encouraged to understand and be proactive about their own medical and health needs. Young people physically and emotionally develop because they can explore and discuss a range of health issues. They develop a good understanding of how lifestyle choices can impact on their health. Young people have practical awareness about sexual health, and the impact of drug use. They lead healthier lifestyles including healthy eating, exercise, improving personal hygiene and being less involved in significant risk-taking activities.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people grow in confidence and develop resilience because they are given positive gender role models. They have positive opportunities to express their sexuality and have positive awareness of gender. They grow in self-esteem and have a greater understanding of the role of adults in their lives. They now consider and explore their perceptions about age and gender-appropriate relationships. This results in the young people having more positive expectations of themselves and others and less scope for exploitation in their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people blossom, expand their tolerance of others and value relationships. They develop in adolescence because they live in an environment that proactively identifies, develops and celebrates difference. They are given excellent opportunities to make sense of their backgrounds, experiences and behaviours. They are encouraged to express themselves in terms of sexuality, gender image and culture.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people are consistently cared for and thrive because frameworks for care, safeguarding and preparing young people to live independently are extremely effective. Staff are extremely dedicated and consistently concerned with the welfare of young people at the service. These qualities coupled with an excellent understanding of young people’s needs result in outstanding care planning and quality of care.

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Quality of care

Care planning, risk management procedures and behaviour management plans are comprehensive. Plans are meaningful because staff understand and respect how young people’s challenges and experiences have impacted on them. Social workers and workers from other agencies are extremely positive about the close working partnerships with staff at the home. Their comments include, ‘All the work we do is about participation and this is facilitated by the home.’ and, ‘Staff are so welcoming and positive.’

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Quality of care

The child-centred framework ensures the needs, choices and personalities of young people are focal to their placement plans. Young people invest in their placements because care strategies are discussed and tailor-made. Written plans provide staff and young people with clear and practical strategies and support. Young people are fully included in reviewing their progress and setting new objectives and goals for their future plans.

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Quality of care

Young people live a homely and comforting environment. They take great pride in the house. They are involved in choosing items and the décor of the house. Visitors are very impressed by the young people’s and staff’s efforts, saying the home is ‘a wonderful, welcoming place’.

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Quality of care

Young people’s education is supported and facilitated. Staff are very proactive and work tirelessly to find placements that will re-engage and support young people with learning and employment opportunities. Staff maintain good working relationships with local schools, colleges and employment agencies. They are proactive in finding and encouraging young people to enjoy and pursue a variety of activities and leisure opportunities. Staff facilitate comprehensive and practical programmes to ensure young people develop independence skills and feel ready to move on. The practical focus on domestic and budgeting tasks is fully complemented with an emphasis on young people developing self-esteem, confidence and social skills. The effectiveness of the independence framework is extended with good working relationships with leaving care services. Young people are supported to feel competent and confident about

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Quality of care

Young people’s physical and emotional health is systematically promoted and monitored. They are supported with detailed and individualised healthcare plans. Staff demonstrate an excellent knowledge of health issues relating to young people’s diverse and varied backgrounds and lifestyle choices. They are proactive and liaise well with appropriate health and advice agencies. Young people’s health is promoted and protected with safe and effective procedures for the storage and administration of medication.

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Quality of care

Young people are aware of how to complain. They have access to an advocacy service and information about external agencies. Expectations about their rights, the home and their placements as looked after young people are set out in their own individualised young people’s guide.

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Quality of care

This home provides a vibrant and open environment where communication processes are excellent. Social workers say that the home has ‘such a good sense of community’. Young people have clear ownership of the house as their ‘home’; they call the house ‘home’. This nurturing and open culture is reflected in how the office door is usually open and staff levels ensure they are readily available for a chat with young people. Relationships with the staff and their dedication is clearly valued and exemplified when young people’s comments include, ‘It’s a miracle for the staff put up with me for so long.’ and, ‘I wouldn’t change anything…. it’s all fine.’

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected and their safety is promoted by a staff team who place safeguarding in the highest priority. Young people live in a safe, secure and stable environment. Safety strategies are effective because the robust and regularly reviewed policies and procedures are implemented by experienced and competent staff.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff work tirelessly to ensure that safeguarding strategies are inter-connected and closely monitored. Relevant and meaningful inter-agency liaison facilitates effective safeguarding and positively impacts on young people’s well-being. Robust reporting procedures to the core safeguarding agencies are complemented with proactive liaison with a range of support agencies. For example, young people are engaged with groups that provide support around issues such as sexual exploitation and drug or alcohol misuse. Leaders within these agencies are very positive about how inter-agency liaison impacts on young people. Their comments include, ‘We have made good working links, and have done some good work.’ and that the work done has helped young people, ‘to have better lives in the future.’ Young people develop understanding about the underlying and contributory factors to their risk taking behaviours. They all

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Safeguarding children and young people

agree their personal awareness in how to promote their own safety is greatly improved.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Safeguarding strategies focus on robust risk assessment. Risk management strategies respond to a complex range of safeguarding concerns and challenging behaviours. Strategies to safeguard young people are clear and structured. Young people receive a consistent and dedicated response from staff. Staffing levels are allocated to ensure that all young people are supervised, kept safe and receive appropriate support.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say they feel safe and secure. They identify significant improvements in their behaviour, risk-taking activities and a total reduction in offending behaviour. Young people say that making attachments and positive relationships with staff is the main contributory factor to these improvements.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Emotional resilience is developed and nurtured as young people are encouraged to explore their experiences in one-to one key working sessions. They are also supported to access external therapeutic support. Young people are more able to understand their behaviour. Making meaningful attachments with staff enables them to express their anxieties and seek positive attention. These developments have resulted in a significant reduction in incidents of self-harm by young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Excellent liaison with the police has resulted in a reduction in young people being reported missing from care. Individual protocols are drawn up and agreed between the young people, the police, placing authorities and staff at the home. Local police and staff work together. Combined knowledge about the individual profile of each young person is key to engaging young people to manage their behaviour and safety. Positive working together relationships also result in young people being less resistant to police authority.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are confident that staff will manage their concerns with regards to bullying. There is a strong emphasis on talking about attitudes and behaviour. Young people acknowledge that such discussion significantly contributes to how they respect each other’s differences and treat each other.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected with robust recruitment processes, including checks on agency staff working at the home. Visitors are checked, vetted and monitored. All staff are trained in and knowledgeable about their own and other agencies’ roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a safe environment. They know what to do in the event of a fire. The house is safe and secure; health and safety checks are an integral part of the daily running of the home.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

Strong and dynamic leadership promotes a safe and child-centred service. The staff team’s energy and vision consistently contributes to the excellent care framework and outcomes for young people. Young people thrive and staff develop in this positive environment.

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Leadership and management

Well trained and extremely motivated staff ensure young people are excellently looked after, valued and enabled to explore their potential. Staffing levels are effectively managed and in keeping with the service’s Statement of Purpose. There is a consistent response to increase in the risks and needs of the young people.

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Leadership and management

Staff are knowledgeable and competent because they receive thorough induction and good quality training. They are developed and challenged with regular supervision. Staff are able to meet the complex needs of the young people. Their training is complemented with relevant and contemporary consultation with a variety of social care agencies.

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Leadership and management

Management systems are established and robust. Procedurally the service is very sound. Records are clear and accountable. The manager has an extensive knowledge of the legal framework and carries out regular and comprehensive management checks. These checks, alongside monthly checks by an independent visitor, ensure a robust audit against the requirements and standards set down for registered children’s homes.

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Leadership and management

Monitoring processes impact on young people and staff practice at all levels. Trends and patterns are used to address improvement. For example practices relating to promoting the safety of young people are discussed and reviewed daily. Regular professionals’ meetings are held to review practice. Staff are adept in adapting their practice in order to gain the best impact for young people. They meet the complex needs of young people because they embrace working with others and are fully open to consultation and new ideas.

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Leadership and management

Young people and staff value and invest in the management and on-going development of this home. The views of young people are integral to the clear commitment, energy and ambition to continuously improve the service. Strategic development of the service is set out in a comprehensive development plan.

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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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