Children's Home run by Keys Education Ltd in Herefordshire

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:

 Internal plans are clear and detailed. They tell the story about the life journey of individuals that helps staff to work closely to deliver good quality care. Young people’s plans are clear and reflect the goals they achieve.  The home promotes equality and diversity exceptionally well. The staff are a testament to the progress young people make in gaining their identity and self-esteem.  Young people benefit from robust behaviour plans. Plans clearly outline how to support individual behaviour and offer incentives that positively promote socially acceptable behaviour. They reduce the need for the use of physical intervention.  Staff provide warmth and nurture delivered with passion and commitment to help young people develop into mature adults.  Staff have good knowledge and understanding of how to keep young people safe. They respond well to missing from home episodes and work extremely well with parents, young people and external professionals to return young

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The children's home provision is good because:

people home safely.  There are areas identified for improvement: these relate to staffing levels and record keeping.

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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

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(2)(a)) 30/09/15

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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 there are enough sufficient and suitably trained staff on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home. (The Guide, page 51. Paragraph 10.1)

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

28/01/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory progress

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good

Young people receive well-planned care from passionate and dedicated staff. A staff member said, ‘We care about young people and promote their health’. Staff empowers young people to take responsibility for their well-being. They hold key work sessions and house meetings to promote their rights and hear their voice. Young people feel involved in planning for their care. This raises self-esteem, confidence and improves independence. A young person said, ‘Staff have helped me to improve my independence skills: I have more confidence to be who I am now.’ Staff embrace equality and diversity with open arms. Young people are proud and confident to be themselves. Staff encourage and help them to make changes to their appearance or persona. This reflects their identity and gives them a sense of belonging.

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good

Relationships between staff and young people are trusting and respectful. Young people feel confident to speak openly to staff they trust. They ask for help when needed. Staff offer good parenting skills in a nurturing environment. This helps everyone to live in a home where there is mutual respect and honesty. For example, young people respond to reasonable requests such as sharing and turning loud music down. A staff member said, ‘We are a friendly staff group; young people all get on well with each other and accept each other’s diverse needs’. A young person said, ‘Everyone here is sound; I rate the home 8/10 only because of the location’.

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good

Young people make steady progress across all aspects of their care. For example, independence programmes have helped to improve budgeting and independent living skills. Health matters such as drug use has reduced for some young people and health issues such as weight required to improve has increased for others. External health support services that work closely with staff to support young people comment they are ‘pleased with progress’. A young person said, ‘I have now put on weight. Food is good; I can cook my own meals.’

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good

There have been occasions where medical appointments have been missed because there has not been enough staff on duty to support them. This means staff have to request other young people to go with them to the appointment because they would otherwise be left alone. If they refuse the appointment cannot go ahead. This impacts on young people getting the support they require and takes away the freedom of choice of others who may wish to remain in the home.

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good

Staff work hard to support educational achievement and attendance. Young people often struggle to get the best out of their education due to absconding from the home and un-willingness to participate. Staff offer incentives to encourage education attendance. For example, if education is completed the opportunity to buy a new game is given. This motivates them to participate. Staff provide continued support to get young people back into education. For example, home tutoring programmes give them learning opportunities. Young people know the importance of gaining an education and some have completed exams and gained an apprentice position. A young person said, ‘They help us do stuff we wouldn’t do; I got kicked out of mainstream school then they helped me go to a centre to do my GCSE’s; I want to go to college and do Physics, Maths and English and be a physician for a research company’.

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good

Young people experience a range of activities based on their individual needs. Staff gather information about likes and dislikes during the admission process. This helps staff to plan activities that are age appropriate. Staff encourage young people to plan their own activities. By doing this they earn points that are used towards clothes, make-up and music. Young people express their interests about hobbies they like and staff actively seek to meet their requests. The lack of staff sometimes affects young people attending off-site activities. This restricts their social experience and access to the community. A young person said, ‘Staff sometimes can’t take you out because someone else has to be somewhere’.

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good

Young people benefit from regular contact and overnight stays with their family while residing at the home. Staff work well with parents, young people and social workers to maintain contact regardless of the distance from home. This helps to strengthen and maintain family relationships and important friendships. A young person said, ‘I have made friends with people from the community and through college; I keep in touch by telephone.’ Staff are sensitive to the relationships and bonds young people make with them. They communicate staff changes well. For example, when staff are leaving young people are informed and given the chance to say goodbye. This helps them to manage their feelings and accept how change is normal and that they too will eventually moving on.

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good

Staff manage risk well. Clear and detailed risk assessments help staff to identify what triggers young people’s behaviour, how to manage it and what to expect to see when they display emotional outbursts. Plans are updated when change occurs and reflect the current needs and support required. As a result, the use of physical restraint is not required. Staff use training received to de-escalation behaviour that helps to calm young people down. The relationships between staff and young people positively influence behaviour. As a result, bullying in the home is not as an issue. A young person said, ‘There is no bullying; relationships are good; i get on with everyone’.

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good

Staff praise good behaviour and use a behaviour chart to give young people the chance to earn points. The behaviour points chart recognises how well they have done. As a result, they can buy items of their choice. Staff use reparation where damage to property has occurred as a result of negative behaviour. A young person said, ‘If I broke a chair I will have to look to find a new one’. This helps young people to take responsibility for their own actions.

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good

When young people go missing, the staff work well with the police, and the local authority to return them home safety. Joint protocols are in place to keep them safe. Staff place the safety of young people at the heart of their role and ensure that return home interviews are completed by an independent person. A young person said, ‘I have had interviews when I have returned to care an staff have been kind to me on return’.

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good

The arrangements for medication are safe. They are kept in a locked cabinet in individual containers on separate shelves. Staff maintain good records that reflect the medical needs of young people. This ensures they receive the right medication at the right time.

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good

Young people feel safe in the home. A young person said, ‘Staff keep me safe here; I have a key to my bedroom; we have fire drills and I know how to complain’. Staff keep young people safe when they use the internet. Young people confirm there are no on-line gaming and safety controls block some sites. A young person said, ‘There are lots of posters around that help you to understand how to keep yourself safe’. This protects young people from exploitation.

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good

Young people know how to complain and do so. Young people receive the guide to the home that gives reference to the complaints procedure and how to raise concerns. The manager deals with complaints appropriately and refers them where necessary. Young people have access to advocates to act on their behalf. This provides them with an independent voice should they need it. Staff respect young people’s privacy and provide a phone for them to use when they wish to make personal calls. This protects young people and keeps them safe. Judgement grade

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good

The manager has managed the home since April 2015 and held the deputy position for two years prior to this post. He has significant care experience over nine years. He is currently undertaking QCF Diploma in Leadership and Management. Notice was given to Ofsted prior to the changes. The manager is in the process of applying for Registered Manager.

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good

The continuity of staff is not always consistent due to staff from Mill Cottage having to move to support other homes within the company where they are shortfalls of permanent staff. This means young people do not always have a stable and familiar staff team.

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good

The children’s register does not hold all the information required. There are some addresses missing from the log that should record where the child was placed prior to and upon leaving the home.

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good

The manager strives to provide good quality care for young people. Staff speak highly of the manager and working relationships are positive. Information shared between the home and external professionals is open and transparent. Social workers and parents confirm that communication between them and the home is good. The manager is pro-active in challenging social workers, for example to provide statutory documents and escalates concerns where necessary to other parties to ensure good practice. The manager challenges placement referrals that are not a good match.

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good

Staff receive good quality supervision, appraisal, training and support from the manager. This helps staff to develop skills and knowledge that gives young people the quality of care they deserve. The manager said, ‘Our main aim is to keep them safe and maintain a safe environment; make sure they are happy and make progress; ensure staff understand what to do to get them to reach their aspirations’.

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good

The manager knows the home is providing good quality care by the progress young people make. He is aware of young people’s individual needs because he monitors the home and evaluates progress. An independent visitor completes further monitoring monthly; this provides additional feedback about the quality of care the home provides.

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good

There is a home’s development plan in place. The manger updated in May. The plan provides a detailed account of young people’s progress and tracks progress from their start point. The manager regularly reviews it and updates it accordingly. The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses because he supervises staff well, works with young people and staff by overseeing and observing practice daily and receive feedback from meetings about the care and service provided. The manager said, ‘I am here every day so I see the development any areas for action; I review and track patterns and trends and gain feedback from young people’. The manager reviews and updates the Statement of Purpose when required. All staff including the manager are clear about the home’s aims and objectives. The level of care provided is reflective in the progress young people make and how well everyone understands and delivers the aims and objectives.

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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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