Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC454901 Inspector Amanda Ellis Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Registered person Broadwood Residential Limited Registered person address Laganwood House 44 New Forge Lane Belfast Northern Ireland BT9 5NW Responsible individual Heather Ann Laffin Registered manager Melanie Jayne Tait Date of last inspection 05/02/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 16/05/2014

p.1

Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

p.2

Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

p.2

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home offers care for up to five young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2014 Interim good progress 12/06/2013 Full adequate

p.3

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.

p.3

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the registered person implements a missing child policy. Regulation 16 (4) (b) & (5) (i) (ii) 19/06/2014

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.3

Recommendations

 ensure information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will helpful to the child when they access their files now or in the future, with spe regard to ensuring that all safety evacuations are recorded. (NMS 22.5) 4 of 9

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress in relation to developing secure and safe attachments with the adults who care for them. Young people, who previously could not sustain relationships, now relate well to the staff at the home. This enables them to explore their understanding of their backgrounds and develop a more positive self- view. Outcomes for young people improve because they receive stability of care delivered by a skilled staff team.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people good

The home provides care to young people who have had traumatic life experiences and are in crisis. A nurturing approach to the young people, combined with consistent routines enables young people to learn to control risk-taking behaviours. Where young people occasionally engage in risk-taking behaviours, multi-agency support effectively reduces incidents and minimises further risk. Young people have improved life chances because of living at this home.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people good

Some young people have had a significant history of educational failure. However, the home ensures young people benefit from educational packages that are creative and meet individual needs. Attendance is supported and consistent and achievement rewarded. This means young people make good progress in education in relation to their starting points.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from improved health with the promotion of healthy diets and active lifestyles. Some young people engage in harmful activities, such as smoking and substance misuse. In such circumstances, staff and other professionals provide advice, guidance and support. Consequently, young people are able to make informed decisions about their health based on good levels of understanding and knowledge. This means that young people learn how to stop harmful behaviours and in time, benefit from overall good health outcomes

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy a range of stimulating activities and active lifestyles. The management team have an ethos of supporting young people to use their time in a positive way. Consequently, young people improve social skills and benefit from enjoyable activities, such as swimming, boxing, cycling and attending clubs.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people effectively learn independence skills. Support and guidance from staff, prepares young people to have the necessary skills to make the transitions to alternative placements, rehabilitation to birth families and to live independently. As a result, young people are prepared and confident of success when they move from the home. 5 of 9

p.4

Quality of care good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with the staff team and with each other. Staff place young people’s needs at the centre of their care practice. One social worker commented ‘They are very proactive in making sure that all the services are in place to meet all of her needs. The support is very good; they are in tune with her needs and her point of view. It is very evident that they understand her and want to make sure her needs are met’. Staff are motivated and conscientious in engaging with young people. Consequently, young people feel valued, cared for and respected with the quality of the care they receive.

p.5

Quality of care good

Young people say that they feel listened to and that their views are taken into account, considered and acted upon. For example, they engage in regular house meetings that consider issues such as food choices, activities, decoration and routines of the home. This means they make a positive contribution to the home and service provision develops in line with young people’s views about the quality of their care. As a result, young people feel they are fully involved in the running of the home.

p.5

Quality of care good

Care planning, risk assessments and behaviour management plans are individualised and comprehensive. Care planning clearly identifies issues that relate to diversity, this means the home can effectively address equality issues. Young people are actively involved in their care planning, which means that they are able to make choices and contribute to their care plans. They receive consistent care because their care planning is individualised, comprehensive and up to date. Consequently, staff are able to deliver effective support to young people.

p.5

Quality of care good

Young people receive a guide, which contains information on their care, advocacy, and the details of people they can contact if they wish to raise a concern. This ensures that they understand what to expect from the care they receive. Young people know how to make a complaint to staff and outside agencies. When complaints are made, they are dealt with in line with the homes policy.

p.5

Quality of care good

The home has a strong ethos about all young people attending and achieving in education. Many of the young people have not consistently attended or engaged with education prior to coming to the home. All of the young people have re-engaged with education since coming to the home. They have clear education plans and receive individualised support. Staff and education providers maintain good communication. This ensures a consistent approach and enables young people to sustain their placement. As a result, young people are supported to achieve their educational potential.

p.5

Quality of care good

The home provides a healthy environment that ensures young people access a range of services to meet their physical, psychological and emotional needs. Comprehensive health care plans mean staff can ensure young people’s holistic health care needs are met. Medication is very well managed, with robust administration, storage and 6 of 9 recording processes. This means the arrangements for dealing with medication are safe and effective.

p.5

Quality of care good

The home is spacious, homely, well decorated, and maintained. Young people’s bedrooms are individualised and young people have choice in their decoration preferences. The home is in a rural area with access to a vast array of outdoor activities.

p.6

Quality of care good

The promotion of equality and diversity is very evident within this home. The staff team support and encourage young people to understand their own individuality and to respect and celebrate the diversity of others.

p.6

Keeping children and young people safe good

Systems in place ensure that the staff team keep young people safe from harm. Young people are kept safe by the committed staff team and manager. Policies and procedures are clear and understood by the staff team and followed at all times. A wide range of relevant training opportunities ensures that staff have the necessary skills to work with young people on safeguarding and child protection issues.

p.6

Keeping children and young people safe good

There has been no use of physical restraint in the home since the last inspection. The home does not use physical restraint as a method of behaviour management. While staff are suitably trained in restraint techniques, the home prefers to use diversionary and de-escalation techniques to manage behaviour.

p.6

Keeping children and young people safe good

Positive behaviour is promoted through a range of incentive and reward schemes. Young people learn to improve in their interaction with staff and each other because of effective behaviour management practices.

p.6

Keeping children and young people safe good

Overall risk taking behaviours are decreasing; however, some young people continue to engage in behaviours, such as self-harm. The staff team have the appropriate skills and training to deal with the behaviours. They are proactive in ensuring a multi- disciplinary response addresses harmful or risk taking behaviours. They work hard to identify the underlying issues associated with risk taking and engage young people in helping them to take responsibility for their behaviour and minimise the risk. This means behaviours are monitored, controlled and risk of harm reduced.

p.6

Keeping children and young people safe good

Incidents of young people going missing from this home are minimised through staff awareness of factors that lead to young people going missing. Missing from care protocols for individual young people and clear risk assessments enable staff to take prompt and responsive action, with records being very clear and detailed. Staff are effective in their work with all safeguarding agencies. However, omissions to updating missing from care policy, with reference to local protocols, have the potential to cause delay in initiating safeguarding processes. Whilst this has had no direct impact on safeguarding young people, it has the potential for ineffective 7 of 9 practice.

p.6

Keeping children and young people safe good

The recruitment and selection of staff is robust, clear and prevents any unsuitable persons from working in this home. Visitors to the home are asked to sign in and identification is checked. This further ensures young people are protected from significant harm.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

The home has a variety of risk assessments for the building and equipment. Fire drills and checks are carried out at suitable intervals and health and safety issues are regularly considered.

p.7

Leadership and management good

The manager became registered in this post in November 2012. She has a National Vocational Qualification at level 4 in health and care with children and young people and is currently undertaking the level 5 Diploma. These are suitable qualifications. She has substantial relevant experience of residential childcare within this service.

p.7

Leadership and management good

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection. One requirement and one recommendation have been made because of this inspection. However, these shortfalls do not significantly impact negatively on the welfare or safety of young people.

p.7

Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from a home that improved and developed since the last inspection. The manager demonstrates a commitment for continual improvement. The development plan reflects practical proposals for continued improvement, with plans for staff development, training and emphasis on child-centred practice. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and takes action to tackle weakness and make improvements.

p.7

Leadership and management good

The home's Statement of Purpose has been updated to reflect changes in regulation and staffing. This means it accurately describes the aims and ethos of the service, enabling young people and involved agencies to understand the services and facilities the home provides and care provided. Young people are provided with a copy of the children's guide on admission to the home. This clearly sets out the complaints procedure and has details of relevant agencies and professionals for them to contact.

p.7

Leadership and management good

Staffing levels ensure good levels of support, which meet the needs of the home and the young people in placement. Agency staff are sometimes used to provide increased staff support. In such circumstances, the home endeavours to use agency staff that are known to the home and the young people, therefore enabling continuity of care. The management team provide a reliable presence, offering support on shifts and an on-call service. Staff participate in a training programme, which is relevant to the young people’s needs. Supervision is regular and staff are positive about the manager and the quality and consistency of the support they 8 of 9 receive.

p.7

Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from effective management and monitoring of the home. The Registered Manager undertakes routine monitoring activities and comprehensive monitoring visits by an independent visitor provide an additional level of quality assurance. This ensures that young people receive a consistently good quality of care.

p.8

Leadership and management good

Records are generally of a high quality, clear and stored securely. However, minor omissions in detail have the potential to provide incomplete records of care provided. In this case, the record for the fire evacuation for one young person had been omitted, although it had been undertaken.

p.8

Leadership and management good

All notifications are carried out as required and appropriate action is taken to follow procedures and protect young people. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.8

Leadership and management good

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.9

Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

p.9

Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

p.9

Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

p.9

Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

p.9

Information 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.

p.9

Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

p.9