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

Unique reference number SC450994 Inspector Rosemary Dancer 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 Rebecca Ouellani Registered manager Joanna Claire Payne Date of last inspection 11/11/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 06/01/2015

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Previous inspection inadequate Enforcement action since last inspection Three compliance notices were issued following an inspection on 11 November 2014 when the home was judged as inadequate overall. These related to concerns found in respect of safeguarding procedures, the management of bullying and the safe recruitment of staff. A monitoring visit was carried out on 5 December 2014 and the home was assessed as having met the three notices.

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Overall effectiveness adequate

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

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Overall effectiveness

Care planning for young people is individualised and focused on improving their outcomes. Young people have some positive views about their life in the home and their relationships with staff. Young people's safety and well-being is promoted and there has been a reduction in young people's risky behaviours.

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Overall effectiveness

Leaders and managers have worked hard to address the issues that arose at the last inspection and have a far better understanding about the home's strengths and weaknesses. They have plans to make further improvements.

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Overall effectiveness

There were some shortfalls identified as a result of this inspection. These include: 3 of 10 the arrangements for a young person to make a complaint; the recording of physical interventions; the notification of significant events to the regulator; progressing the training programme. None of these issues had a negative impact on the safety or overall well-being of young people. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by an independent provider. It is registered for four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (EBD).

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/11/2014 Full inadequate 21/08/2014 Interim sustained effectiveness 20/01/2014 Full adequate 03/04/2013 Interim good progress

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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 a young person is enabled to make a complaint; with specific reference to the robustness of the investigation into a complaint and the support given to a young person who requests that Ofsted are informed about a complaint they have made (Regulation 24 (6) (a)) 30/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 30 (1) Schedule 5) 16/01/2015 5 of 10

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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 full details of any restraint are clearly recorded; with specific reference to ensuring the record provides the reader with a clear view about the nature of the hold used (statutory guidance 2.91)  ensure that the training and development programme developed is progressed. (NMS 18.1) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people make adequate progress in developing their self-esteem and confidence. As a result they have higher self-esteem than when they come to live in the home and their emotional resilience is improving. This is shown in the way they have begun to deal appropriately with issues that frustrate them.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people do not always make heathy choices, for example in relation to their sexual health and their use of illegal substances. They do, however, have some engagement with services that can support them to understand the risks they are taking.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people continue to make good progress in their attendance at school and use the educational opportunities that are available to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have begun to have more positive engagement in the community and their more risky behaviours have reduced. This means they are safer.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have complex relationships with each other and with staff but these are beginning to improve. For some, relationships with their families are difficult at times but they are learning to deal with and come to terms with this.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people do learn some practical life skills but their progress is limited in this area due to their current reluctance to engage in this work.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are making more of a positive contribution to the home especially in their relationships with each other. They show they have empathy for each other in times of distress and take more responsibility for keeping their rooms tidy and clean. There have been improvements in their engagement in the wider community. They have reduced their risk taking behaviour, such as being missing from the home. They are developing friendships with appropriate people who do not pose a risk to them.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people's relationships with staff are variable. However, it is clear that young people do trust staff and confide in them. Staff set and apply more consistent boundaries. Responses to negative and positive behaviour are clearer and understandable to the young people. This is because young people have had an input into the strategies they feel would be useful to help them to reduce their more negative behaviours. 7 of 10 Care planning arrangements for young people have improved. This is because a more systematic approach is taken to care planning. Young people's views about how they are cared for are given more prominence within the plans, which means they are investing more in the work carried out with them. The plans are also beginning to provide staff and young people with a clearer view about progress made. There is a clearer link being developed between behaviour management, health and other plans

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Quality of care adequate

Young people are consulted about a range of issues, for example, through young people's meetings and key work sessions. Overall their wishes and views are listened to and met where appropriate. Young people know how to complain and use the complaints procedure. Their views about who they want to know about the complaint are not always followed through. For example, some young people said that they wanted Ofsted to know about a complaint they were making. This had not been followed through and there were no records to show this had even been discussed with the young people. Investigations into complaints are not always of a good quality and the recording is not always accurate. For example, not all of the people involved in a complaint had been spoken to and some of the dates recorded were incorrect.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people are registered with routine health services and their basic health needs are met. Young people also have access to other services aimed at helping them to understand how their risky behaviours, such as drug use, impacts on their health. Young people do not always choose to use these services to the best effect. The arrangements for ensuring that young people are provided with any prescribed or non-prescribed medication are safe and the storage arrangements for medicines are sound.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people's attendance at education has been good. They understand the value a good education will add to their future life chances. Staff support young people in their learning and celebrate achievements great or small. The home has developed a home-school book with the schools that young people attend. This has further opened up the communication systems between the two settings.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people do have opportunities to take part in activities in and outside the home and staff encourage young people to try new and interesting things. However, young people do not always take up these opportunities.

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Quality of care adequate

Improvements in the décor of the home mean that young people are now provided with a pleasant home that is comfortable and well maintained. Young people's bedrooms have been improved and now provide a pleasant, private space for young people to relax in.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people have friendships outside the home and these are managed well to ensure the young person's safety and well-being is promoted. Work is carried out to 8 of 10 support the development or maintenance of a young person's relationship with their family; this is important work as these relationships will be key to a young person when they leave the home and move on to independence

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people's safety is being better assured through the improvements the home has made since the last inspection. Clearer care planning arrangements ensure that strategies are in place to support them to minimise their risky, disruptive and anti- social behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people are not going missing currently, when previously they had high levels of absences and missing from care. Behaviour management plans are implemented consistently and this is having a positive impact on young people because they are beginning to develop more appropriate coping strategies.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people are safeguarded by the staff who know and understand their needs and the risks they take. Staff are aware of the reporting procedures should they have a concern about a young person. The home makes good use of the local authority designated officer for advice and support.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

A more robust approach is taken towards dealing with incidents of bullying. Staff have a greater understanding about what constitutes bullying and how to address this effectively with the young people concerned.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Sanctions used are more effective than previously and they are consistently applied. Physical interventions are only used when necessary. However, some of the records relating to physical interventions do not contain a description of how the young person was held. Consequently, records lack clarity.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The environment is safe for young people to live in and staff to work in because routine health and safety checks are carried out. The arrangements for staff recruitment checks have been improved. An audit system has been introduced for staff recruitment files to ensure that young people are cared for by suitable adults.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home is managed by a permanent manager who is registered with Ofsted. She holds the relevant qualifications to manage a children's home and has been in post since December 2012.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home's Statement of Purpose underpins the work of the home, is updated regularly and shows what the home's aims and objectives are. 9 of 10 Leaders and managers have shown a strong commitment to making improvements and have taken action to address the concerns found at the full inspection carried out in November 2014. The improvements have begun to impact positively on the quality of care and outcomes for young people and their safety is being better assured.

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Leadership and management adequate

The improvements made mean that young people are kept safer overall because: incidents of bullying are addressed; a more robust and consistent approach is taken to behaviour management; risk assessments are updated in a timely way; young people are not going missing; staff recruitment procedures are more robust. There have been improvements made to the environment which is now pleasant and well- maintained. Records for young people are more ordered. Care plans are being developed, with young people, that are clear about young people's needs and the progress they make.

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Leadership and management adequate

The arrangements for monitoring the home are more evaluative and focused on driving improvements. This has meant that the leaders and managers are aware of the strengths and areas for improvement. A training plan has been developed for each member of staff to ensure they are kept up to date and are competent in their roles; this is being implemented.

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Leadership and management adequate

A requirement about making notifications to the appropriate people and agencies was addressed following the last inspection but there has been a further matter that has not been notified to Ofsted. The impact of this on the young people was minimal as the local authority designated officer was notified and consulted with to ensure young people were safeguarded. A recommendation made about the quality of recording when a young person goes missing has not been tested as there have been no missing from home episodes; the recommendation is repeated.

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Leadership and management adequate

The manager has developed more effective relationships with other agencies, for example the police. An inter-agency approach is being developed to benefit the young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home is adequately resourced. Staffing levels in the home are adequate to meet the needs of the young people. Staff are committed to providing young people with the care they need and are more confident to challenge young people effectively when required. They are well supported by each other and the management through supervision and training. Recent training for staff has ensured that they are more aware of issues arising, for example bullying. Staff are more able to address these issues with the young people effectively. Further training is planned in a range of areas. 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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