Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Hampshire

Unique reference number SC412476 Inspection date 31/10/2013 Inspector Brian Mcquoid Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 16/04/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home offers small group living to four young people with learning disabilities. It is privately owned.

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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

The home was last inspected in April 2013 when overall effectiveness and all other areas were judged to be good. There were no statutory requirements arising from the inspection, however there were three recommendations which have been found to have been satisfactorily addressed. The manager is now receiving regular professional supervision, records of significant life events are being maintained for each young person, and staff are liaising as necessary with placing authorities in relation to transition plans for young people to move on from the service.

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Progress

All young people have regular contact with their parents which includes overnight stays for the majority. Parents hold the service in very high regard and feel that their children have made significant progress since being at the home. 'Brilliant', 'Excellent manager,' and, 'Very happy with the care provided,' were comments received during the inspection from the parents of three young people. Providing really helpful support for home visits during the summer holidays, helping achieve a successful transition to a new school, and seeing a young person independently choose to spend time in social situations with other young people are just some examples of good practice and progress that has taken place since the previous inspection. The manager of the home has a clear commitment to the continuing improvement of the service. Since the previous inspection she has attended an autism conference with two senior staff members, has devised an action plan to address

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Progress

recommendations from a recent quality assurance audit, and improved the working relationships that the home has with schools attended by young people. The home provides a safe physical environment for young people and scored 98.9% as a result of a health and safety audit carried out during September 2013.

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Progress

Core staff enjoy working at the home and are skilled at managing the challenging behaviour displayed by some young people. There have been no incidents where a young person has been reported missing since the last inspection and there has been a decrease over time of incidents where physical intervention has been used, which are at a low level. Circumstances relating to staffing within the home have created some cause for concern. A shortage of permanent experienced staff has led to the regular use of agency workers and some shifts operating without the prescribed staffing levels or sufficient experienced staff. The manager of the home is actively recruiting both full time and bank staff and also receiving support from other homes operated by the provider. While there is currently no evidence of any significant adverse impact on young people, the situation leaves staff and young people at times in potentially vulnerable situations.

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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 at all times, a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working at the home. (Regulation 25 (1)) 01/11/2013

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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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