Children's Home run by Keys Specialist Residential Children's Services Ltd in Worcestershire

Unique reference number SC481312 Inspector Sandra King Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person The Corner House (UK) Limited Registered person address Unit 1 Hawford Business Centre, Hawford WORCESTER WR3 7SG Responsible individual Christine Isabel Cameron Registered manager Gaynor Marsden Date of last inspection N/A 2 of 9 Inspection date 20/03/2015

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Previous inspection N/A Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness

The home was registered in August 2014 and provides outstanding care to young people. The home provides young people with a warm, nurturing and safe home environment. Young people are supported to express their emotions and develop at a pace in accordance with their needs whilst supported by a dedicated staff group.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy living at the home, they feel safe and are kept safe. Young people grow in confidence and feel secure and at home in this placement. Young people’s and professionals views are exceptionally positive. Young people’s needs, feelings and views are central to all aspects of how the home operates and develops its practice. Their participation in key decisions is actively embedded in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The strength of relationships between young people and the staff group provides and encourages a platform to discuss any problems and worries. Coupled with high aspirations for young people, this ensures improved outcomes for the young people in their care.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is managed by a Registered Manager who is suitably qualified and committed to the continual improvement of the home and improving the outcomes for young people. The manager and staff strive for better outcomes for all young people. 3 of 9 There are no requirements or recommendations from this inspection. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

The children's home is privately owned. Care is provided for up to two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

The outcomes achieved by young people are exceptionally positive. Young people make good progress, building up their confidence and self–esteem through a highly supportive manager and staff group. Young people are valued and cared for and have good relationships with each other and staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people are supported to attend routine health appointments. Staff fully support young people to access and engage in therapy with child and mental health services to help them address any current or past difficulties. A health professional commented, ‘I have found them hugely helpful and I am extremely impressed, I do not think [young person] could have ended up in a better place, they are fantastic.’

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people’s engagement in education is good. The home advocates for young people’s education and works closely with educational establishments to ensure the best possible outcomes are achieved academically for young people. An educational professional said, ‘Brook Farm has seen some challenging times where it has been hard for some of the young people to access school. However staff have always promoted education at all times offering curriculum based activities and supporting the young people in training and monitoring and evaluating the progress of their young people.’

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people are actively encouraged to make a positive contribution to the home and wider community. For example, young people have undertaken fund raising events for ‘Children in Need’ and ‘Comic Relief’. Young people choose their own chosen charities to support and undertake research that gives them a stronger sense of understanding of the ethos of their chosen charity.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people are prepared for independence in accordance with their age and care plan. Young people will participate in age-appropriate chores around the home, developing basic skills that will help them in the future. For example, young people frequently engage in cooking events around the home and enjoy baking cakes for their review meetings of which they sell to raise money for their chosen charity. At a recent fund raising event, young people cooked staff a three course meal. As a result, young people have a much greater chance of succeeding and working towards independent living in an age appropriate manner.

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Quality of care outstanding

6 of 9 Young people benefit from excellent support to form, develop and sustain positive attachments. Young people enjoy extremely positive relationships with staff and each other. This is evidenced from observations in the home and the views of young people and professionals. Young people refer to the home as their home. A placing social worker described the home as, ‘Fantastic.’

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people are aware of the complaints procedure and know how to exercise their right to complaint should they wish to. There have been no complaints made since registration of the home.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people’s photographs, keepsakes and memories of their time living at the home are all collected for the young person. They have photographs of their family members and their art work on full display in the home. This ensures, young people have mementoes of their time living at the home, coupled with a sense of identity.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people enjoy good physical and emotional health and with consistent staff support they make healthier choices. One stated, ‘The staff do everything they can to prevent me from hurting myself, even if it’s restraining me or removing stuff, I can count on them to keep me safe.’ Young people attend their health appointments and have prompt access to a doctor, dentist or optician when needed. A health professional reported: ‘Young people have improved their physical and psychological well-being from the support and interventions from staff.’

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff have consistently high aspirations for all young people. This means the home continues to support the educational objectives and also to celebrate achievements within the home. An educational professional reported: ‘Brook Farm offers high aspirations and achievement with excellent policies and procedures. Their impact on success, academic achievement and social competence is clear with their staff. This is reflected in the young people's attitude in their care including, promoting self- esteem, confidence, academic progress, age-related academic performance, relationships with peers, relationships with adults/authority figures and social and emotional development.’

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people engage in activities of their choice. They engage in regular meetings which ensure their views and needs are embedded within the service. They choose their own activities and meals; for example: they go ice skating, to the cinema, enjoy music lessons and recently enjoy a trampoline in the home’s large garden. Young people are involved in interviewing new members of staff and contributing to staff appraisals. This gives them a voice about the care they receive whilst living in the home.

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Quality of care outstanding

Contact is facilitated both direct and indirectly for young people and their families. The home ensures they have toys and games when younger members of their families visit for contact. Staff ensure contact is interactive for all concerned and photographs are kept as mementoes. Young people’s behaviour is monitored around contact times to ensure additional support is required if necessary. Staff send weekly 7 of 9 updates to parents with a recent photograph to ensure parents are kept fully up to date with their child’s progress. Contact arrangements are fully detailed and agreed in their placement plans. When contact arrangements have been changed with short notice the home has been able to accommodate this. This helps to maintain continuity of relationships in young people’s lives and their feeling of identity.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people are involved in the decoration of the home and the personalisation of their bedrooms. This helps them to reflect their individual identities and personalities. The home is located in a rural location. The home and gardens are maintained to an exceptionally high standard.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people report they feel safe and are safe. A young person stated, ‘I feel the safest I have ever felt and they feel more like a family than I have ever felt.’ Young people receive verbal praise, emotional warmth from managers and staff. As a result, they grow in confidence and self-esteem.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Robust clear risk-assessments, combined with strong effective leadership and pro- active safeguarding practice, ensure young people are protected and have a strong sense of personal safety. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and are fully aware of what action to take should a disclosure be made by a young person. Staff understand the complaint and whistle blowing procedures. This ensures young people are fully protected.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

There has only been one incident of missing from care since the home’s registration. Staff are fully aware of the policies and procedures to follow should such events occur and work closely with placing authorities and the police to promote young people’s safety. There are no incidences of bullying within the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Sanctions, although rarely used within the home, are fair, proportionate and reasonable. Physical intervention is used as a last resort. Recording is comprehensive and details young people’s views and medical assistance offered. All physical interventions are reviewed by the Registered Manager to ensure they are appropriate and the safety of young people has not been compromised.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Recruitment practices of new staff are rigorous and robust. Staff files are well maintained and include all relevant information and documentation regarding the suitability to work with young people. This ensures unsuitable adults do not work with young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

The home environment is physically safe and appropriately secure. It is very well maintained. Health and safety records are maintained to a high standard. Young people participate in regular fire drills and have undertaken a fire awareness day. This means they know what to do in the event of a fire and exit the home safely and 8 of 9 ensures their safety.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Young people’s welfare and safety is paramount and is actively promoted by staff within the home. The Registered Manager is experienced and suitably qualified. A professional commented: ’The Registered Manager’s understanding and empathy, common sense and knowledge has been really impressive.’

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Leadership and management outstanding

The home has a detailed Statement of Purpose that sets out the aims and objectives of the service. Placing authorities report a high level of satisfaction in how the home meets the aims and objectives. A detailed children’s guide is made available to young people upon admission to the home. This has guidance to the complaints procedure, including the telephone number of HMCI. As a result, young people, parents and placing authorities are clear about the aims and objectives of what to expect from the home.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision and attend team meetings. Staff undertake training that meets the needs of young people and the ethos of the home. Consequently, young people receive good quality care from competent staff who have the skills and experience to meet their needs.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Young people are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of their care and actively contribute to the reviews held by placing authorities. All statutory documents, such as care plans, individual education plans, medical consents and medical assessments have been obtained and are current. This ensures young people’s care plans are up- to-date and they receive the care and support they require.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Records maintained for young people are comprehensive and of a high standard. They are stored confidentially to ensure young people’s privacy. All significant incidents are robustly handled, appropriately recorded and shared with relevant bodies, including HMCI, in a timely manner.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The Registered Manager recognises the strengths and developmental areas of the home. The home is well resourced and staffed appropriately. Robust internal and external monitoring of the quality of care is effective and ensures positive outcomes for young people. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management outstanding

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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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