Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Devon

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 at the heart of this home. They enjoy living at this home and feel safe and secure.  They have good relationships with the staff who care for them; these relationships are built upon mutual trust and respect.  The environment offers the young people a welcoming and cosy home. They are actively involved in the decoration and upkeep of the home. They feel a real sense of belonging.  They make remarkable progress in all aspects of their lives. The therapeutic approach to care supports the young people to understand what the triggers are to their poor behaviours. This allows them to recognise situations that may not be good for them and to make good choices. The young people respond positively to this approach to their care.  The young people are proud of their achievements. They are able to see the progress that they have made and celebrate this.  Young people hold clear aspirations about their futures, they are focused

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The children's home provision is good because:

upon what they want to achieve and are supported well and encouraged to succeed.  The young people have interests in the community that they are engaged in. One young person attends army cadets and they describe this as ‘their life’.  The newly appointed manager is child focused. Young people have adapted well to his appointment and hold positive views about him.

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure (2)(a)(i) that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans; and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (2)(a)(iii)ensure staff have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. 01/12/2015

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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 standard the registered person must ensure that; (2)(e) the home's workforce provides continuity of care; (2)(f) ensure that the registered person understands the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

19: Behaviour management and discipline (1) no measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child, in particular sanctions should be appropriate, proportionate and reviewed in a timely way. 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records (3) ensure that with 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made. 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

40: Notification of a serious event (a)(d)(i) the registered person must notify HMCI and each other 01/12/2015 relevant person without delay if a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on; (h) use of monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 01/12/2015

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered to care for two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It supports young people with a history of child sexual exploitation. This home is part of a large, national organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

The environment that young people live in is homely and welcoming. The extensive grounds offer the young people a tranquil yet exciting place to explore. The kitchen is the hub of the house, young people and staff all gravitate here to share relaxing cups of tea, looking out across the gardens. Young people say they are happy living here; they like their bedrooms and the space the house affords them.

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Good

Young people have good relationships with staff. One young person could not think of anything more staff could do to support them and stated ‘this home is outstanding. The staff have changed my life for me’. This view is supported by social workers: One commenting ‘the progress is remarkable. I have never seen anything like this in residential care’.

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Good

Most young people report good relationships with staff. They can identify staff that they feel they can talk to easily if they have any worries or concerns. These relationships are built on trust and mutual respect. This results in very few unacceptable incidents in the home and, as a result, physical intervention is not commonplace.

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Good

Education is as a priority within the home and given appropriate emphasis. As a result, young people are making good progress and are motivated to learn. Young people hold clear aspirations about their futures and this is encouraged and reinforced by the staff. The team works very closely with educational providers to ensure that young people are supported; consequently they are achieving well.

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Good

Young people are encouraged to undertake activities outside of the home. This results in them feeling part of their local communities. They enjoy holidays and days out and have furnished the walls in the home with memorable photographs of these times. They are eager to talk of the new and positive experiences that they have had since living at this home.

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Good

Young people are supported to acquire the skills they require for adulthood. They are confident in their abilities and talk positively about moving on from the home. Support and guidance from staff has supported this positive view of their futures.

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Good

Young people are supported to access appropriate health care. The home’s therapeutic approach to care has supported young people to understand and manage their behaviours better. This has resulted in remarkable progress in reducing risk-taking behaviour. Incidents of concern are minimal.

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Good

Young people are supported to have positive and successful relationships with their families and friends. The home’s ethos supports young people to stay out overnight with friends, if this is felt to be appropriate. Young people like this and state that it helps them ‘to feel more like their friends’.

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Requires improvement

The manager has failed to ensure clear risk assessment and risk reduction plans are in place for young people. Not all young people’s documentation had been updated in a timely way. Some risks are not addressed. This has resulted in an inconsistent approach to care.

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Requires improvement

A senior member of staff failed to identify a child protection concern and respond accordingly. This resulted in a lack of investigation to consider immediate risk of harm, leaving the young person vulnerable.

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Requires improvement

There is a sense of anxiety for staff in terms of risk management. This is reflected in the care that young people receive. Young people can have prolonged restrictions on unsupervised time outside of the home, this prevents them from learning to manage and understand risks that stem from their own behaviours.

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Requires improvement

When young people go missing from the home, the staff team do everything they can to find them and return them home quickly. Procedures are correctly followed while young people are missing. This approach to care supports their early and safe return and young people report that this makes them feel that they matter.

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Requires improvement

However, when the young people who have gone missing return, they are not provided with appropriate return home interviews with an independent person. This prevents young people from raising any worries or concerns that they may have; including any concerns about the home.

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Requires improvement

Young people say that they feel safe living at the home and they can identify an adult that they can talk to should they have any worries or concerns. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers have not robustly reviewed incidents. Subsequently, some staff specific, poor practice has not been identified and challenged. This has resulted in some staff adopting a draconian approach to behaviour management and inconsistent care for young people.

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Requires improvement

The manager has not ensured that there is a clear rational when room searches take place. Some young people report feeling confused about room searches and say that they feel their privacy is violated. They are not always told when their room has been searched or why. This has left some young people feeling upset and caused them to question the trusting relationships they have built with a small number of the adults who care for them.

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Requires improvement

The manager has not ensured that all sanctions are fair and are reviewed in a timely way. At times sanctions are given following young people going missing from the home; this is not in line with statutory guidance. Not all sanctions that have been given to young people have been recorded as such. This approach to behaviour management leaves young people feeling frustrated. They report that they are not clear on what needs to happen to have some sanctions removed.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers are, at times, undermined by some staff members. This has produced fractures in the team. Leaders and managers are taking robust action to address these issues. They are confident that the impact this is currently having on consistency and transparency of care will be resolved.

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Requires improvement

The newly appointed manager leads the team well. He shows genuine warmth towards the young people who live at the home. Young people respect the manager and seek him out to talk to him about their day and pass the time of day with him. This supports the relaxed feeling throughout the home and young people feel listened to.

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Requires improvement

The manager has good relationships and communication with other agencies. Placing authorities are complimentary about how he runs the home. They are pleased with the care provided.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers always place the needs of young people first. One young person was supported to remain living at the home despite funding no longer being available to them. This decision was made because it was the right decision for that young person.

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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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