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

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are safe, settled and continue to enjoy positive experiences.  Young people excel in education, they make measureable progress in their educational achievements.  Young people enjoy good quality contact with their families and those who are significant to them.  Young people are involved in the community, engaging in voluntary and paid work.  Young people enjoy leisure activities of their choice.  The home has effective working relationships with key stakeholders.  There are a small number of shortfalls. The home does not have a registered manager and deputising arrangements are not sufficient. Some staff supervision and appraisals have not been completed in a timely manner. The statement of purpose is not up to date. Recommendations from the independent visitor’s report have not been actioned.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management quality standard ensure the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that –

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(e) ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child. 30/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 30/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 30/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year (Regulation 33 (4) (b)(c)) 30/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)) 30/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions (Regulation 44 (5)) 30/09/2015

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Information about this children's home

This service is a privately owned children's home registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people of either gender with emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. Placements are made on a medium or long-term basis. Education can be provided on site at the service's registered school.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/02/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

Young people make good progress and have positive experiences. The head of care and permanent staff have positive relationships with the young people. Young people at the heart of the home and practice is child centred. There is a lot of humour and appropriate touch with young people, that helps them to feel safe and valued in a nurturing environment. A young person says, ‘This is home’.

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good

Young people are regularly consulted in the way the home is run, decorated and what is available to them. Some young people feel that they are over consulted and do not wish for so much consultation. Young people enjoy living at the home and feel safe, however they do comment on the high turnover of agency staff which has an impact on their relationships with staff.

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good

Young people excel in education. Young people have successfully transitioned from a pupil referral unit to a mainstream school and have taken GCSE’s and secured college placements for September 2015.

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good

Young people are in good health; they are registered with appropriate medical professionals and regularly attend routine appointments. Young people regularly have their friends to visit and enjoy meals or sleepovers at each other’s homes. They enjoy having pets of their choice coupled with the responsibility that goes along with them. This gives young people a real sense of belonging in their home.

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good

Young people engage in activities of their choice and are positively encouraged to pursue their goals and dreams. For example, joining football clubs, go karting, cinema and going on holidays. Young people not only learn new skills but are also actively involved in the community. Young people volunteer in charity shops and have also secured part-time employment in silver service. As a result, young people are building their self-esteem and confidence coupled with the responsibility and level of independence working entails.

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good

Contact with families is advocated and promoted by the home. A professional said, ‘contact is a strength within the home as they are very proactive in promoting contact. A parent commented, ’They can do nothing to improve’. Young people are well prepared for their transition into independent living. For example, young people are able to meet their basic needs such as food shopping, changing a light bulb and budgeting and are now also able to fit lino flooring in a bathroom.

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good

Young people feel safe. Young people do not go missing. Good consistent behaviour management and a stable group of young people have resulted in no physical interventions and minimal sanctions. When sanctions are used they are fully recorded and followed up with key working sessions to ensure young people fully understand the reasons they have been given and any risks identified.

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good

Clear and consistent boundaries create a sense of well-being and security for young people. Young people are fully aware of how to behave and what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour. This combined with risk assessments ensure young people are protected and have a strong sense of personal safety.

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good

Safeguarding young people is a high priority. Young people are safe and are protected from harm by the staff team. Staff have a clear understanding of why young people need to be safeguarded and what they need to make sure they stay safe. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

The home has been without a registered manager for approximately two months. The deputy manager is also on a planned period of absence. As a result, deputising management arrangements are not sufficient and a number of shortfalls have been identified. The lack of leadership has had a particular impact on supervision, appraisal, recording and monitoring. Regular independent reports evaluate the progress of the home combined with recommendations to improve its effectiveness. As a result, senior managers are aware of the strengths and developmental areas of the home. However, recommendations made by the independent visitor have not been actioned. This missed opportunity hinders the home improving. For example, the statement of purpose refers to out of date legislation, the previous manager and a staff rota that does not reflect the staff actually working at the home. These are administration issues and do not detract from the good progress that young people

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requires improvement

Some staff morale is low although they feel supported within their roles. The staff group is not consistent and as a result agency staff are used. This impacts on young people having a stable and dependable permanent staff team.

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requires improvement

Staff are suitably qualified and trained to ensure they have the knowledge to meet the individual needs of young people. Some staff appraisals and supervisions have not been completed in a timely manner. This has left staff without the necessary support and guidance they require to meet young people’s needs.

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requires improvement

Managers and staff have effective and productive professional working relationships with key stakeholders. Professionals and parents are positive about the home, acknowledging the progress young people continually make.

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requires improvement

The home is currently going through a process of redecoration and improving the overall maintenance of the property. Young people are fully engaged in choosing the colours and home furnishings. During the inspection a young person was actively involved in the stripping of the wallpaper with a staff member. This gives them a sense of belonging and identity with their home.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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