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

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 say they feel safe in the home and identify staff they would go to if they are worried or upset. They learn skills and strategies to keep themselves safe, and staff recognise when individuals are becoming unsettled.  Young people with histories of being missing dramatically reduce this behaviour while living in the home. Staff work closely with external professionals such as police and social workers, providing a co-ordinated response to episodes of missing and risk management strategies.  Young people all attend education. Excellent joint working with the deputy virtual headteacher has ensured appropriate placements have been sourced. Young people who are out of education for extended periods benefit from bespoke education introduction packages to settle them into school.  Pre-placement planning is thorough. Young people are welcomed into the home and have the opportunity to visit and stay overnight, if they would like

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The children's home provision is good because:

to, prior to moving in. The home has all required plans in place prior to admission, giving consideration to individual vulnerabilities and needs.  Staff are skilled in de-escalation and diversion. Post incident, young people are encouraged to reflect on future responses and why they may have reacted in the manner they did.  The home is effectively run by a competent manager who has a good understanding of the homes’ strengths and weaknesses. She has reorganised the office and recording systems, making them clearer and more accessible for staff. The development plan focuses on continually improving the service provided for young people.  Areas for improvement within the home include: ensuring young people’s voice and views are within all plans in the home; continuing to improve the home’s physical environment; and for staff to have e-safety training.

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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 care planning standard, in relation to pre placement planning and young people’s views in their plans, the registered person must ensure -

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b)(i) the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

(f) that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child.

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific regard to clearly recording if a new placement is compatible with the group and for young people’s views to be clearly evident throughout in house care plans. 13 November

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure the environment is homely in its appearance, including improvements to the kitchen area, removal of unnecessary locks and evidence of where signs have been removed and seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 support children to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm. This is specifically in relation to staff’s knowledge of e-safety (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 43, paragraph 9.9)

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Recommendations

 ensure staff understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 46, paragraph 9.39)

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Recommendations

 ensure the policy in relation to restraint contains the purposes for which restraint can be used in a children’s home (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 48, paragraph 9.48

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Recommendations

 ensure the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and includes strategies for managing these. (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation who own four other homes in the local area, in addition to others nationally. It provides care and accommodation for up to 3 young people with emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

good

Young people have the opportunity to form some extremely strong relationships with staff. The small, cohesive team provides consistency for young people. Staff spend time with young people and are genuinely interested in their views and ideas. Young people feel like it is their home and are comfortable in their surroundings and with those who support them.

p.7

good

Young people are able to share their views regarding many areas of their home and environment. They choose meals and activities, and have been consulted on décor in communal areas. Their views are sought through young people’s meetings and key worker sessions. Some plans within the home demonstrate the young person’s voice throughout and highlight their views on how they should be treated and cared for. This could be further developed in all the care plans.

p.7

good

Young people have the opportunity to share their worries and concerns and are supported to make complaints when appropriate. There have been no formal complaints recorded, but individuals have made their views known in young people’s meetings and changes have come about as a result. An individual, who was unhappy with a taxi driver, was given support to make a complaint to the company.

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good

Young people attend education. There have been some delays in sourcing the correct provision for one individual, but excellent joint working with the deputy virtual headteacher and social worker has resulted in him starting school after the half term break. Another young person out of education for several months has benefited from a bespoke education introduction package and is now attending a special school full time, which he really enjoys. He was enthusiastic about the work experience he is also undertaking at a tyre fitting garage. Young people have the opportunity to learn within the home through access to laptops and other learning materials. Staff enable them to explore their creative skills through imaginative play and drama. During the inspection an individual acted out cops and robbers and used face paints for spooky play. Education is bolstered through a range of socially and emotionally stimulating activities. These include workshops with the

p.7

good

emergency services, golf, games consoles and cinema trips among others. Individuals learn life skills in line with their skills and abilities. An independent skills audit enables staff to focus on areas where young people require further support while celebrating the skills they already have. A young person was observed making a lasagne and explained how he is experimenting with new herbs and spices to improve the recipe. Skills and goals setting and recording requires streamlining to ensure staff and young people are clear on targets.

p.7

good

Young people are supported to understand healthy lifestyles and what this means for them. They have access to a range of health professionals. When necessary, substance misuse service professionals have met with individuals and liaised with staff to consider management of their use or addiction. A member of staff has gained a qualification in healthy living, focussing on individual’s nutrition and exercise. Young people who struggle to attend appointments are given incentives to attend while staff explain the importance of check ups. Medication is stored safely within the home and procedures reviewed in response to incidents of concern during administration.

p.8

good

Pre-placement planning is thorough, despite some limited information from placing authorities. Young people are welcomed into the home and have the opportunity to visit and stay overnight, if they would like to, prior to moving in. The home has all required plans in place prior to admission, which give consideration to their vulnerabilities and needs. The pre-admission risk assessment is thorough, but does not draw a conclusion as to whether they can meet the individual’s needs while considering the needs of those already in place. Contact arrangements are agreed prior to placement to ensure young people sustain positive relationships. Staff monitor these to ensure they remain beneficial for the young person.

p.8

good

Young people are supported to develop skills and strategies to manage their behaviour. Staff have a good understanding of behaviour and what it may be conveying. They are skilled in recognising when individuals are becoming anxious or upset and redirect them when able. Restorative justice is not fully embedded in practice, although responses to unwanted or negative behaviour are reflective and discussed with young people.

p.8

good

Young people say they feel safe in the home and identify staff they would go to if they are worried or upset. They learn skills and strategies to keep themselves safe, and staff recognise when individuals are becoming unsettled. The Registered Manager and staff within the home have a keen understanding of exploitation in all forms and how to protect young people who may be at risk. An individual who had a history of being missing from care and hitch hiking during these periods has not been missing for a considerable period of time. Close liaison with police, family and social workers has helped to protect the young person from going missing in the future, and for quick responses should he be missing again. In-house risk management evaluations, particularly in the area of exploitation, are robust and provide a keen insight into individual’s needs and coping strategies. When appropriate, multi-disciplinary intervention meetings devise strategies to keep

p.9

good

young people safe. If a young person is missing, the home has a coordinated response, including searching for the young person in known locations, contacting police and family.

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good

Young people who have a history of substance misuse have benefited from support via specialist services and staff seeking guidance in how to future support the individual.

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good

Investigations into allegations and suspicion of harm are robust. The Registered Manager has good links with the local authority safeguarding professional and refers concerns to them as needed. Investigations are comprehensive and practice adjusted in order to prevent reoccurrences of potential risks. Staff are clear in their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting young people and there is a culture of safety within the home.

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good

Risk assessments allow young people to take age-appropriate risks in line with their abilities. Consultation with parents has afforded an individual the opportunity to access the local shops independently despite the family’s reservations to this.

p.9

good

Restraint in rarely used. Staff are skilled in de-escalation and diversion. All staff have training in a recognised behaviour management technique. Debriefs with young people take place and the Registered Manager is developing a new system to enable their views to be recorded with greater effect. They are encouraged to reflect on future responses and why they may have reacted in the manner they did. The policy in relation to behaviour management is not implicitly clear on the circumstances under which a young person may need to be held. However, individual behaviour management plans are clear and provide consistent guidance. Relationships with the local police are positive. They have a good relationship with young people in the home and one individual is on the waiting list to become a police cadet.

p.9

good

Staff and young people have a sound understanding of the risks posed by using the internet. Key work sessions are used to support individuals in considering their use of this and sites they are visiting. Staff require formal training in this area though.

p.10

good

Young people are protected from avoidable hazards such as fire through regular checks of the home, systems and equipment. The environment is safe, although lacks some homely touches. Many areas have been improved in recent months and the Registered Manager is proactive in responding to any breakages or damage. Staff undergo a range of pre-employment checks to ensure their suitability to work with vulnerable young people. In addition, criminal records checks are reviewed at regular intervals.

p.10

good

The home is effectively run by a competent manager who has been in post since April 2015. She was registered in October 2015. She holds suitable qualifications relevant to the role and has a good understanding of the homes’ strengths and weaknesses. Since appointment, the Registered Manager has reorganised the office and recording systems, making them clearer and more accessible for staff. Their development plan focuses on continually improving the service provided for young people, in particular the physical environment, which is ongoing. The management team are reflective and utilise feedback and constructive criticism from the independent visitor in order to improve the service further.

p.10

good

The management team are keen to gain the views of young people, their families and external services. Any feedback is scrutinised and consideration given to changes that can be made. The Registered Manager learns from mistakes and reflects on how to constantly improve. There have been no formal complaints to the home, and young people have a positive presence in the community. Links with the neighbourhood watch coordinator and neighbours ensures young people are considered part of the local community.

p.10

good

The home focuses on young people’s needs and reviews placements regularly. When concerns are highlighted, they liaise effectively with partner agencies to meet the needs of young people. They also recognise when they can no longer meet the needs of an individual and identify placements which are more appropriate. The Registered Manager evaluates why the placement was not successful, in order to improve planning in the future.

p.10

good

The home is clear on the goals and targets for young people, although paperwork and plans require streamlining. They are in the process of developing new systems in order to demonstrate the positive impact the home has had in their progress. Placement plans are comprehensive but do not include sufficient detail of individual’s culture and identity beyond their religion and ethnicity.

p.11

good

Staff are confident in their roles and feel they are supported well through regular supervision and informally by being able to approach the management team with any issues they have. They feel listened to and that their ideas are welcomed. Staff benefit from varied training opportunities. The sound induction package complements level three qualifications, with many transferable projects. They have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, along with how this reflects the homes Statement of Purpose.

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good

Multi-disciplinary working is central to all practice, including informing relevant professionals of concerns and incidents in line with Regulation 40.

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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

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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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