Children's Home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Shropshire

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 make great progress across all areas of their development. Risk taking behaviours, such as missing incidents decrease and young people’s attendance in education increases.  Young people experience well planned admissions into the home. This helps them to settle and have successful placements.  Young people feel safe and they are safe.  Well trained staff work with other agencies such as mental health services to support young people.  Key working sessions focus on young people’s needs.  Staff support young people around issues such as substance misuse and identity.  Staff are committed to the young people in their care.  Communication and partnership working are strength.  Young people receive care from a stable and consistent staff team.  The registered manager is child focused. She is committed to ensuring young people have good experiences and make progress.  Some shortfalls are identified. These include room searches; the use of

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The children's home provision is good because:

research to inform specific areas of practice; administration of medication and ensuring that young people’s feelings regarding physical interventions are documented.

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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

7: In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard, with particular reference to room searches, the registered provider must ensure that staff - (2) (a) (v) help each child to understand how the child's privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited. 05/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered provider must ensure that - (2) (g) (i) they demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. 05/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 05/02/2016

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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 medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol (The Guide to the Quality Standards, Page 35, Paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint (The Guide to the Quality Standards, Page 49, Paragraph 9.60)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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good

Young people are cared for as individuals. Staff and young people talk openly and honestly about relevant issues such as identity, substance misuse and relationships. Young people have individual behaviour management plans with achievable targets such as increased free time, increased pocket money or certain activities. Staff promote the relationships of the young people in the home. They work with young people to resolve any issues. They encourage open communication and staff mediate between young people. Staff encourage young people to think about consequences of their actions through discussions and also appropriate sanctions. A social worker said: ‘Staff have been consistent from the start with my young person, regarding expectations. They have put into place appropriate boundaries. They are consistent regarding consequences and reminding him of these. While there has been consequences these have been

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good

Education is a strength of the home. The staff team are committed to ensuring that young people receive a good quality education. They take them to school and help with homework. Attendance increases and young people achieve their GCSE’s. A placing authority service manager said: ‘Staff are involved, supportive (particularly around education and attendance) and pro-active regarding their young people’. Young people have friends in the community and staff work hard to help develop these links. Community engagement is further enhanced by the staff supporting young people to participate in youth clubs, gymnastics and the gym.

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good

Young people make progress emotionally. Staff work closely with mental health services and implement any guidance received. Staff support young people to explore their identity regarding gender and sexuality. Young people attend support groups and staff promote this. Staff provide a nurturing and non-judgemental environment for young people. They help young people to build relationships and they show them that they care about them. A young person said:’ Staff don’t just care for me, they love me’.

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good

Young people enjoy positive experiences. They go holidays, they take part in activities and they start to make plans for their futures. Staff support young people in gaining independence skills appropriate to their age and understanding. They help young people to start to make plans in preparation for their move into semi- independent living. Young people who move into the home are provided with opportunity to ask questions, to visit the home and personalise their bedrooms. This helps them to settle into the home quickly. Judgement grade

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good

Young people are safe. Staff identify risks and implement strategies to reduce risk taking behaviours. They manage incidents of self-harm well. The registered manager consistently reviews any self-harm incidents and implements new strategies to help prevent future incidents. Staff seek the support of both health and mental health professionals and work cohesively with them to try to reduce young people’s incidents of self-harm. However, staff do not always robustly document when they have completed room searches after incidents of self-harm and young people are not always part of this. This means that staff do not always give young people opportunity to understand the reasons why they take place. Good quality risk management plans are implemented. Risk management plans cover all aspects of young people’s behaviours and incorporates child sexual exploitation regardless of whether this is a historical risk. The registered manager

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good

is aware of the young people’s vulnerabilities and helps young people to learn about keeping safe. For example, young people have completed CEOP training. Staff refer any allegations or complaints to safeguarding professionals. The registered manager ensures that both staff and young people are kept safe whilst allegations are investigated. This increases young people’s safety in the home. After physical interventions staff talk to young people regarding alternative ways to express their emotions. However, staff document these discussions as key working sessions and not captured on the appropriate physical intervention record. Risk taking incidents, such as missing from home, reduce. The staff and the registered manager have remained committed to young people when missing incidents have increased. Staff search for young people when they go missing. Staff and the registered manager have worked in partnership with the placing

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good

authorities to develop and implement strategies to reduce missing incidents; and this has been effective. Staff are committed to ensuring young people are able to speak with someone independent about the reasons they went missing. A social worker said: ‘I have worked with this home several times and have always been impressed with the outstanding care provided to my children and young people’. Medication is safely stored within the home. The registered manager and staff complete audits of medication frequently. There have been no medication errors. However, the registered provider is not administering medication in line with good practice guidance. The registered provider’s medication policy does not provide staff with guidance to follow when only one member of staff is present in the home. The registered provider has not sought the advice and input of health professionals with regards to the medication policy. This has not had a direct

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good

impact on young people’s safety within the home.

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good

There is a registered manager in post. She has a national vocational qualification level 5 in leadership and management. The registered manager is aware of the strengths of the home and the areas for development. She is committed to ensuring that young people make progress: ‘I want my young people to succeed in life; to be able to manage their emotions and feelings; to progress through education and go on to be independent young men’.

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good

The registered manager is an effective leader. She is actively involved within the day-to-day running of the home. She rigorously monitors young people’s progress and works with other professionals and families. The registered manager shares appropriate information with relevant professionals in order to reduce risks and support progress. For example, a mental health practitioner regularly liaises with staff including attending team meetings.

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good

Staff say they feel supported. The registered manager completes reflective supervisions with staff on a monthly basis. New staff are well inducted. They say: ‘The support I have had has been brilliant. I couldn’t have asked for more’. Staff receive appropriate training and frequent supervisions. The registered manager picks up on any practice issues quickly and supports staff to work in a nurturing and child focused way. Staff say training has recently improved within the organisation. However, the registered manager does not implement research into practice regarding issues such as child sexual exploitation, transgender and identity.

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good

Partnership work is a strength. The registered manager works with placing authorities to ensure she receives the relevant paperwork for young people. She challenges placing authorities when she believes that decisions are not being made in a young person’s best interest.

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good

The registered manager takes care when matching young people and ensures that as a home they can meet individual needs. She takes appropriate action when young people’s risk taking behaviours increase and they are no longer safe in the placement. The home is meetings its aims and objectives as outlined within its statement of purpose. The registered manger has taken action to address previous requirements and recommendations. This has resulted in improved behaviour management and young people receiving return interviews after being missing. This in turn has enhanced their welfare.

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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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