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

Unique reference number SC419429 Inspector Joanne Vyas Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Direct Care Limited Registered person address Direct Care Ltd PO Box 52 Peterborough PE8 9AZ

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Responsible individual Linda Jennings Registered manager Jacqueline Patel / POST VACANT Date of last inspection 18/09/2013 2 of 9 Inspection date 20/05/2014

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Previous inspection inadequate progress Enforcement action since last inspection A monitoring visit was carried out on 1 November 2013 to assess the home's progress with towards meeting three compliance notices with regards to bullying, management and staff supervision and training. The home was assessed to have fully addressed all three compliance notices, ensuring compliance with the regulations and better outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness adequate

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

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned 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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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/09/2013 Interim inadequate progress 30/05/2013 Full adequate 28/11/2012 Interim satisfactory progress 24/07/2012 Full good

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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 written records are kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response (Regulation 16(2)(d)) 09/06/2014

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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 prescribed medication is given in accordance with the prescription. Thi specifically refers to staff ensuring they check the administration record as we 4 of 9 as the prescription label when dispensing medication (NMS 6.14)  ensure each child’s placement plan is monitored by a keyworker within the home who ensures that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day-to- day care of that child. This specifically refers to the use of discriminatory language by young people (NMS 25.2)  ensure that where practicable, children are involved in the recruitment of staff in the home. (NMS 16.8) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are happy and relaxed in the home. They make good progress in this home particularly with regard to their education, offending behaviour, missing from home and their health. A young person said, ‘I’ve made loads of progress. Since I’ve lived up here I’ve changed loads.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have good contact with their family and friends. However, they have the maturity to understand how to keep themselves safe when visiting friends and family who have previously had a negative impact on the young person.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have a good understanding of their health needs. They attend appropriate healthcare appointments. They know how to lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, they will cook meals with fresh ingredients and visit the gym or play sports. Young people who smoke understand the risks associated with smoking and are successfully reducing the amount they smoke. Furthermore, young people who have previously taken illegal substances have reduced their consumption or stopped.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people generally enjoy going to their education placements and their attendance is good. Young people are currently undertaking qualifications at GCSE level, having previously not attended school for a prolonged period of time prior to coming to this home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress towards achieving independence. A young person said, ‘They give you chance to learn new things like becoming independent.’ Young people help with shopping, cooking, and other household tasks. They are making plans for their future, starting with enrolling on college courses as well as getting work experience through voluntary work. Young people demonstrate a level of maturity which will enable them to successfully transition into adult life.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people have good relationships with staff although they say they don’t always get on with each other. Both young people stated that they ‘tolerate each other.’

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Quality of care adequate

Education has become part of the culture of this home. Young people generally have good attendance and are sitting GCSE exams. Staff challenge education professionals to ensure young people have good access to education. For example, staff are passionate about ensuring young people who are suspended from their education placement are treated fairly and are listened to ensuring their side of the story is heard. Furthermore, staff will accompany young people to their educational 6 of 9 placements to give them the confidence they need in order for them to remain in class, learn and achieve.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff have good working relationships with external professionals. They communicate effectively with social workers. A social worker said that he feels he has a close working relationship with the manager of the home. He said she is ‘most helpful’ and ‘they keep me regularly informed.’ Staff challenge education providers to ensure young people are provided with a good standard of education. They work closely with healthcare professionals to ensure the health of young people is promoted.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff ensure young people are consulted about their care and the running of the home. Their views and wishes are well respected by staff. Young people say they feel listened to. Young people have been consulted with regards to the home’s development plan where they have asked for items such as new bedroom furniture and a better computer monitor. However, young people do not take part in the recruitment process for new staff.

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Quality of care adequate

Medication is stored securely and safely. Young people who self-medicate are appropriately risk assessed to ensure they self-medicate safely. However, staff do not always check the medication administration record when dispensing medication. This means young people may have medication before it is due or be given the wrong medication. However, as this is a small home with a small number of young people on medication and a small staff group, the risks to young people are low.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people know how to make complaints and feel their complaints are listened to and responded to quickly. Issues are resolved quickly and to their satisfaction.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people who use discriminatory language are challenged by staff. They discuss such issues within keyworking sessions to help the young people understand how this kind of language can be offensive. However, the home’s placement plans do not state that young people use discriminatory language and therefore, no strategies are set out to guide staff. This could lead to an inconsistent approach to managing this behaviour. Nevertheless, staff are knowledgeable about young people and provide a package of care which is tailored to each individual young person. They are otherwise provided with good information which enables them to carry out their work well. Young people actively contribute to their plans.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people like their home. They particularly like the location saying they enjoy ‘the peace and quiet.’ The environment is well maintained and decorated. It feels homely. Young people have their own single bedrooms which can be locked to provide privacy and are highly personalised.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

7 of 9 Young people say they feel safe living at this home. Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures including the whistleblowing policy. Staff are confident about reporting under the whistleblowing policy. The manager ensures all serious safeguarding concerns are properly reported to the appropriate authorities. However, restraints that result in injury to young people are not properly recorded with regards to reporting to the local safeguarding authority. Although it is believed that the safeguarding authority are informed, records are poor in this respect as they do not provide a record of the action taken in response.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people have been exposed to bullying in this home. A young person spoke about her experience saying that she was bullied so when they left, she did the same to other young people. However, she said staff have guided her and restrained her when necessary which has helped. She also felt things had improved a lot since the new manager arrived. Young people do not report bullying as currently an issue at this home.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people who previously were committing serious offences have made huge progress and their offending behaviour has reduced dramatically. Furthermore, young people who would regularly go missing and put themselves at risk now rarely go missing from the home. They feel happy and secure in the home. However, staff know the home’s procedures should a young person go missing from the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff use an incentive scheme to promote positive behaviour, which young people understand. When young people are unhappy or agitated, staff talk to them and employ de-escalation techniques to enable the young person to calm down again. Young people are learning to manage their own behaviours by using techniques such as walking away from a situation that is causing them distress. Subsequently, the use of restraint has reduced. Furthermore, the manager has provided staff with good guidance about the use of sanctions. This means staff now use more restorative approaches with young people and subsequently the number of sanctions has also reduced.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The home has good health and safety procedures. This includes attention to fire safety. There have been some issues with regards to staff recruitment and the quality and calibre of some of the staff employed. However, a recently implemented value-based interview process has improved recruitment procedures. Staff are appropriately vetted before starting work in the home with young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

This home has a qualified and experienced manager who has been in post since December 2013 and is currently going through the registration process with Ofsted. She is passionate about providing a high quality of care for young people. She has complied with all the requirements and most recommendations made at the previous inspection. A number of requirements and compliance notices were made at the 8 of 9 previous inspection with regards to bullying behaviour between young people. Staff have had training since that inspection on anti-bullying and the policy has been fully implemented. As a consequence, young people no longer report issues of bullying in the home. A recommendation was made at the previous inspection about the quality of records regarding safeguarding concerns. Although these have, on the whole, improved there is one incident where records are poor.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Statement of Purpose is a comprehensive document with issues of equality and diversity threaded throughout. The manager demonstrates a capacity for continued improvement and knows the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The home has a satisfactory development plan outlining future plans for the home. Records are mostly comprehensive, accurate and up to date.

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Leadership and management adequate

Young people are cared for by a motivated and caring staff team who are mostly qualified and experienced. They are well supported by each other and the manager. Staff clearly have the interests of the young people at heart. They are proud of the achievements of young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager makes good use of a range of monitoring activities which includes the manager’s own evaluation of the service as well as an evaluation of the conduct of the home completed by an independent visitor in line with the new children’s homes regulations. Although there are some initial problems with the reports produced from these visits, senior members of the organisation are trying to resolve these. Both these activities contribute to ensuring the home operates within its Statement of Purpose. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

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

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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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.

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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.

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