Children's Home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in Norfolk

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:

 Agencies with young people in placement describe communication as good. They are aware that significant risk taking behaviours such as missing has reduced for some and is reducing for others.  The registered manager is empathetic to the emotional needs of the young people.  The home has developed effective working relationships with partner agencies. This helps staff to educate the young people about the risk of exploitation and substance misuse.  Young people receive good support to see their families.  Staff spoken to are fond of the young people. They are proud that they want to make progress and that there are reductions in the frequency of missing.  Young people say that they feel safe.  Most young people attend school or have a plan to support them to attend in the future.  There has been a decrease in young people’s offending and involvement with the police.  While staff are regularly supervised, the records do not show that it is

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The children's home provision is good because:

practice based in order to improve the care of young people. Furthermore some significant discussions about staff practice are not recorded.  The registered manager does monitor records and the operation of the home, but this is not always effective to identify and address shortfalls.  There is a training programme for staff and the manager, but some staff have not received training on self-harm which is an issue for some of the young people in the home. The manager is significantly overdue for her health and 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

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 30/01/2016

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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 with particular reference to monitoring the registered provider must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 31/12/2015

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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. This relates to supervisions covering practice related issues and areas of concern over staff practice. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 31/12/2015

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Information about this children's home

An independent provider owns this home. It is registered to care for up to four young people with emotional and or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

23/07/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

21/08/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people attend education. If there are issues with education, they receive support and guidance towards helping them to re-engage. Staff are aware that some of the young people have difficulty in sustaining the expectation of timetabled classes. They liaise with schools and provide them with help to encourage them to do their best. Young people have increased in their attendance at education since being at the home. This provides them with opportunities to engage in education as well as to socialise with their peers. One young person said: ‘I want to do well for myself at school. I would like to help other young people who have been in care.’

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Good

There has been some changes in staffing since the last inspection, none the less young people continue to have warm, friendly relationships with key staff working in the home. One young person said: ‘Our manager is really good.’

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Good

There are systems in place to routinely seek and write down young people’s views about the day-to-day aspects of living in the home. Young people’s meetings are a regular event which enable them to have their say. As a result, they know how to complain and make their views known. This helps them to feel invested in their home.

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Good

The active support of family contact is of benefit to young people. Staff are in regular communication with most parents. Young people make friends and have boyfriends. This helps to reduce isolation and supports identity.

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Good

Staff find specialist help for young people in areas such as substance misuse and vulnerability to exploitation. They also do direct work with young people and use internet resources to help them understand about their health and how they may put it at risk.

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Good

The home is set in a rural location, however, young people have the opportunity to access local amenities and leisure facilities. This helps to ensure that they attend routine appointments including the doctor, dentist, and optician. Each young person has had their room decorated to reflect their personal taste. As a result the young people take pride in how they look, have made progress in personal hygiene and have good physical appearance.

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Good

Some young people recognise and value the help they receive. One young person said: ‘The staff have helped me with structure and routines. I did not have these before I came here.

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Good

Staff spend time with young people talking to them about how to manage anger and difficult feelings. Physical intervention is unusual and used appropriately when required. Staff have received training in this area and understand the principles around how to de-escalate situations between young people. Staff use a combination of sanctions, positive rewards, and incentives to recognise and respond to young people’s behaviours. This has helped to reduce the numbers of significant incidents.

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Good

Broad ranges of conversations take place with young people, for example, to do with reducing smoking of cannabis and cigarettes. Young people sign an agreement about smoking. Staff sign agreements to say that they understand the company’s policy about smoking. All young people smoke. Agencies and staff say that some have reduced smoking. Some young people say that they have not. There was an incident when a member of staff gave a young person a cigarette. This was dealt with appropriately by the registered manager so as to ensure that it did not happen again and that all staff understood the importance of setting an example to young people.

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Good

Risk assessments are used to identify potential risks for young people as well as to help staff understand what may trigger the risks and how they should respond to them. Risk assessments are routinely reviewed and as part of the recording of incidents, consideration is given to the need for a more immediate review of the assessment. This helps staff to reduce risks to young people.

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Good

Incidents of missing have reduced significantly for all young people since the last full inspection. Those spoken to say they feel safe living in the home. On the first day of this inspection two received help from staff to return from two nights of missing. They were warmly welcomed back and talked with staff of their choice about where they had been. Staff had followed protocols appropriately and engaged with the relevant agencies to arrange return home interviews. This helps to ensure that the key professionals understand the reasons for episodes of missing. It also helps to link young people in with other services who can provide specific support, for example, sexual health check-ups.

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Good

Good relationships with placing local authority social workers mean that there is helpful communication about the placement. One social worker said: ‘staff send me weekly reports.’ The home has worked hard since the last inspection to develop good relationships with local external resources. This helps to keep young people safe.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has been in post for three years. This provides continuity for staff and young people. She has just completed the required level five diploma in leadership and management. She enjoys working with the young people and has compassion for their circumstances. As a result, she has empathy for the experiences that have led to them to come to this home. She is appropriately proud that the totality of incidents of missing had reduced.

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Requires improvement

The updated home’s statement of purpose reflects the requirements of current regulation which means that it provides stakeholders with the appropriate information about the services delivered by the provider.

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Requires improvement

The homes development plan outlines the plans for improvement across the service and identifies the targets met. This includes the recommendations made at the last interim inspection.

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Requires improvement

Recruitment and vetting processes meet regulation. Despite changes, staff receive regular supervision and appraisal. However, records of supervisions are brief and they do not show them to be practice based. The records do not show that action points are based on improving practice or that they are followed up at subsequent supervisions. In addition, while some supervision records show that elements of staff practice have been identified and addressed, there are no records of some significant discussions between the registered manager and staff about allegations over their practice. Consequently, the system does not show that supervisions are used to focus on staff practice and young people’s needs, experiences, and plans. The provider has a detailed staff induction process available for new staff. Staff value the training offered. Mandatory courses to be completed, includes first aid and safeguarding. This helps staff to understand the expectations of their role.

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Requires improvement

The records kept in the home describe and track the experiences of the young people. The frameworks available for staff to record information on, has improved. The registered manager does monitor the records and operation of the home, but this is not always effective. For example, she had signed some records but not identified issues which were recorded in them, or ensured that other relevant staff had signed them. This prevents shortfalls being identified and addressed. In addition, while there is a good system for keyworkers to write monthly reports which detail the progress of young people. These do not always contain the relevant information. In one case an incident of self-harm had not been included in the report. This limits the effective monitoring of young people’s progress.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager refers allegations of concern to the delegated officer. The required action is taken to safeguard young people, which means that the registered manager prioritises their welfare.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has worked hard since the last inspection to support the same four young people in the home. This inspection recognises that she and key staff are motivated to continue working positively with young people.

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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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