Children's Home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Shropshire

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Young people do not make sufficient progress within education. Their attendance is inconsistent and there is a lack of robust plans in place to support their education.  There is a lack of rigorous and individualised plans for staff to follow in order to be able to provide good quality care to young people. The registered provide does not ensure that young people have opportunity to speak to someone who is independent after they have been missing.  Partnership working is weak. The registered manager does not ensure that young people have access to services that they need such as CAMHS, substance misuse or child sexual exploitation workers.  The registered person does not learn from safeguarding incidents. They do not implement rigorous risk assessments to prevent future occurrences. Young people‟s debriefs after physical interventions are not detailed enough and they do not enable young people to comment on the restraint.

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because:

 Young people‟s relationships with one another are fragile. Young people say their peer‟s behaviour negatively impacts on their everyday life. Staff do not encourage young people to manage their feelings about one another appropriately.  Admissions processes are weak. The registered person does not ensure that detailed and relevant information s received prior to agreeing placements. Young people are inappropriately placed in a house which potentially poses a risk to their physical wellbeing.  Management oversight is not rigorous enough. The registered manager does not escalate concerns regarding placing authorities‟ care planning decisions. Staff supervisions are infrequent and they do not allow staff to reflect on their own feelings ad practice.

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The children's home strengths

 Staff are committed to the young people in their care.  Young people make some progress from their starting points. Their risk taking behaviours in respect of violence, aggression and missing incidents decrease.  Young people take part in activities. They say they can do whatever clubs or sports they choose. They learn new skills.  Young people say they feel safe and that staff help them to feel safe. On the whole, they enjoy positive relationships with staff.  Staff look for young people when they go missing. They liaise with the police to find missing young people. They talk to young people about keeping safe.  Staff support young people‟s friendships within the community. They work closely with young people‟s families where appropriate and help them to maintain those relationships.

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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

8: In order to meet the education standard the registered person must ensure that staff

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Requirement Due date

2 (a) (i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans

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Requirement Due date

(vi) maintain regular contact with each child's education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child's education and training and to maximise the child's achievement

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Requirement Due date

(viii) help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. 07/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

11: In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered must ensure that

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Requirement Due date

1(b) children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour 07/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

12: In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that staff

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Requirement Due date

2 (a) (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm in respect of child sexual exploitation, 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. 07/12/2015 13: In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must

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Requirement Due date

2 (f) understand 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. 07/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

36: The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child (Regulation 36(1)) 07/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

40: The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious (Regulation 40(4) (e)). 07/12/2015

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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 that where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child's needs during their time in the home, such as a waking night to meet their needs, the home must challenge them to meet the child's needs. Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. (Guide to Childrens Homes regulations, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home is located in an area that supports children's safety, well- being and personal development. The location of the home should support its aims, objectives and ethos, as described in the Statement of Purpose. (Guide to Childrens Homes regulations, page 17, paragraph 3.23)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staffing structures, in respect of the use of agency staff, promote continuity of care from the child's perspective. If children complain, or give a view on how the staffing structure could be improved to promote the best care for them, appropriate action should be taken. (Guide to Childrens Homes regulations, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (Guide to Childrens Homes regulations, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child has been restrained they are given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. Children should be offered the opportunity to access an advocacy support to help them with this. (Guide to Childrens Homes regulations, page 50, paragraph 9.60)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person challenges any placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan, specifically, in respect of education and their emotional wellbeing. It is essential that homes understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child's placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home. (Guide to Childrens Homes regulations, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It has a satellite home situated away from the home although this is in the process of being registered separately. This is a privately owned home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

04/03/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement

Young people do not receive individualised care. Placement plans do not reflect the current needs of young people or the progress they have made. They do not help staff who do not know the young people, to understand how to work individually with young people to be able to meet their needs. The registered provider does not help young people to be involved within their care planning. As a result, placement plans are generic. Experienced staff who know the young people are aware of how to work with the young people individually. However, this is not formalised within placement plans on young people‟s files. This means that agency staff do not know how to care for the young people individually. Young people do not make progress within their education. Some young people‟s educational attendance has declined and this has negatively impacted on their predicted GCSE grades. When young people do not go to school, staff do not

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requires improvement

always ensure that they give them clear and consistent messages that this is unacceptable; for example, young people go on free time when they have not been in school. The registered manager does not work with schools to look at ways in which they can support young people so as they get good GCSE results. Young people‟s files do not contain necessary and relevant information regarding their education, such as previous school reports, school timetables and personal education plans. This means that staff do not have the information they need to support young people. Some young people who have not attended school for significant periods of time and whose night time routines impact on their ability to be able to attend school, are not receiving the input and help required to get them back into an educational setting. For those young people without a school placement, staff take them to the library and they arrange for tutors to come in.

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requires improvement

Some young people‟s relationships with one another are fragile. When young people do not get on or are struggling with their peer‟s behaviour in the home, staff take young people out to allow them to have some time away. However, staff do not work with young people around developing their understanding about acceptable behaviours within the home and the impact that their behaviours, such as aggression or not adhering to bedtimes, has on the other young people they live with. The home has a satellite home which is in the process of being separately registered. The young people from both homes do not interact due to their specific needs. Young people say they like the permanent staff that work in their home and have good relationships with them. Staff talk to young people about issues such as keeping safe. A young person said: „Staff make you feel that you can talk to them. I can talk to my key workers about anything‟. Young people say that they do not

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requires improvement

like being cared for by agency staff who do not know them. Staff work hard to engage young people in activities and sports clubs, such as rugby and football. Staff take young people to football matches which young people say they enjoy. A young person said: „I am good at sports and since being here I have tried lots of sports‟. On a day to day basis young people have positive experiences. Staff support their relationships with their families and regularly update them. Staff support young people to remain in contact with adults who are important to them, such as previous foster carers. This enables young people to continue to have positive relationships with people who care about them. Some young people struggle with being so far away from their families. The registered provider recognises this and works closely with the placing authority and the young persons‟ family.

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requires improvement

Young people say they feel safe. The registered provider ensures that staff are trained in the complex needs of young people, such as self-harm, missing and autism. Staff raise any concerns they have regarding the safety of young people with the registered manager and explore ways they can increase young people‟s safety. For example, the satellite homes location is next to a busy main road and this poses a risk to the young person due to his individual needs. The registered provider has not risk assessed this thoroughly enough and ensured that all attempts have been made to make the home as safe as possible. Young people risk taking behaviours such as missing, substance misuse and violence, decrease from their starting points. When staff think that young people have taken substances they liaise with health services to seek advice about how to safely care for them. When young people have stolen risk taking substances from

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requires improvement

shops, such as aerosols, some experienced staff liaise with shops to ensure that young people pay back the money to them as well as completing work with young people around solvent abuse; however these types of good practice are inconsistent as they are not formalised within risk management plans. Risk management plans are not always individualised to the young people‟s needs, such as in relation to solvent misuse. Staff talk with young people about substance misuse and help them to understand the risks. The registered provider does not consistently seek the input of specialised services in relation to substance misuse and child sexual exploitation where young people have a history of this. Young people‟s missing incidents decrease. When young people do go missing, staff talk to young people about the risks, they follow them and search for them. Staff do not consistently document where young people go when they go missing

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requires improvement

or where they are found. They do not assess the risks to the young person relating to their whereabouts, specifically when young people have a history of being at risk of child sexual exploitation. Young people do not have return interviews and the registered provider does not escalate this with placing authorities. As a result, young people do not have opportunity to share information relating to their missing incidents with an independent person; and as such vital information which could prevent future missing incidents gets lost. After physical interventions, staff talk with young people about the behaviour which led to the incident; however, they do not document young people‟s feelings on the restraint itself. This means that staff do not provide young people with the opportunity to voice any complaints they may have.

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requires improvement

There is a registered manager in post for both homes. She is trained up to NVQ level 4 in leadership and management. She has been the registered manager for a significant period of time and knows the staff and young people. The satellite home is currently in the process of being registered separately. The registered manager knows the young people and is involved with the day to day care. She has high aspirations for the young people in her homes but there is a lack of planning and clarity as to how the registered provider will achieve those goals. Young people have made some progress within the home. The registered manager recognises the importance of suitable matching of young people. However, she has not always taken into account or acted upon young people‟s views regarding their relationships with their peers. Appropriate staffing which meets the needs of young people is not in place, such as a waking night,

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requires improvement

despite young people having been in placement for a significant period of time. Some staff say they are „exhausted‟ due to trying to meet the needs of some young people throughout the night after working during the day. The registered manager has recently escalated concerns with the placing authority in respect of staffing; however a resolution still has not been reached. Management oversight is not robust enough. The registered manager has not been aware of some areas of concern within the home, specifically relating to young people‟s educational decline. She has not notified Ofsted of significant events within the homes, such as when young people have needed urgent mental health support. When placing authorities have not provided enough information about a young person‟s history prior to placement this has not robustly challenged. There is a lack of learning and development form previous incidents which would prevent

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requires improvement

future incidents from happening. This impacts on the experiences young people have within the home. The home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out within its statement of purpose. The registered manager is aware of the areas of development of the home in relation to the recording of missing incidents and key working sessions. She is committed to wanting to improve the service provided to young people. Staff say they feel supported by the registered manager. She ensures that staff receive adequate training which is specific to the needs of the young people. Supervisions focus on the needs of the young people and areas for development.

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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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