Children's Home run by Keys Educational Services Limited in Somerset

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:

 There has been no registered manager for more than 26 weeks. Staff have not been managed or led effectively and consistently.  A number of records contained within the home have not been completed accurately. This impacts on the accuracy of the home’s quality assurance checks, the ability to review the outcomes of young people, and the capacity to recognise patterns and themes.  Staff have failed to recognise the literacy abilities of one young person and as such this young person is not receiving appropriate learning support. This has resulted in the compromising of their educational outcomes.  The statement of purpose requires reviewing and sending to HMCI.  Staff have on occasion failed to record within the visitor’s book the ID of visitors. This however, has only occurred when visitors to the home are those that are frequent and regular.  Staff are failing to evidence how young people are consulted and included in

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because:

the day to day running of the home.  The home’s development plan does not provide a level identifying important goals and actions for the growth of the home.

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The children's home strengths

 Whilst there has been no registered manager for a significant period of time, the registered individual has worked hard to recruit. They have ensured the home has been overseen by another qualified registered manager and have kept Ofsted updated.  The staff team have remained stable and dedicated to their role through this period. This has resulted in little impact to the lives of the young people.  The staff team and the registered individual have together worked tirelessly to ensure there has been consistency in the care they afford the young people. This has resulted in some young people’s outcomes improving and young people remaining safe.  A key strength is the kindness and warmth each staff member shows to the young people. Resulting in the young people reporting they know they are cared for and saying ‘staff look out for us’.  The two young people that reside in the home have done so for nearly 2

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The children's home strengths

years. This is testament to the nurturing, warmth and skills of a compassionate and mature staff team.

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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

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 (13)(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. In particular staff receive and complete all training. (Regulation 13(2)(c)) 29/02/2016

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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 the registered person must (1) appoint a person to manage the children's home if (a) there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27(1)(a)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must (3)(a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 31/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must (12)(2)(b) ensure that the home's day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. In particular ensure visitors to the home have their identification checked and use the visitor’s book according to procedure. (Regulation 13(2)(b)) 31/01/2016 36: Children's case records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which (a) are kept up to date; and (b) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(b)(c)) 31/01/2016

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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 children are consulted with regularly on their views about the home's care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. In particular this relates to children being consulted with in respect of the recruitment of staff and the admission of children into the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Information about this children's home

 This home is one of a large number of services operated and managed by a national provider of care and education for young people. The home is registered to offer care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/01/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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Recent inspection history

23/01/2013 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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Requires improvement

Young people are supported and encouraged to access school and other learning opportunities, for example apprenticeships and vocational courses. For some young people these have been very positive and they have achieved well. Accomplishments are celebrated, for example learning to use a moped and achieving educational qualifications; resulting in young people developing a sense of pride and their self-esteem is growing.

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Requires improvement

Conversely, through scrutiny of records in the home it has been identified that for some young people a failure by professionals and staff to recognise literacy difficulties has resulted in one young person having difficulty in some of the simplest tasks. For example reading and writing competently. For this young person their confidence in accessing future employment and independence has been compromised. However, the staff were swift to address this oversight and agreed a SMART action plan with the young person.

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Requires improvement

Young people are in good health and when necessary attend appointments. Staff regularly talk with young people about how to stay healthy, the benefits of eating well and not engaging in risky behaviours. As a result young people are taking better care of themselves, attend the gym and regularly make attempts to reduce smoking. Young people spoken to say they feel well and know they can ask for help and support if they need it.

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Requires improvement

Young people experience extremely supporting, warm and sincere relationships with the staff team. Each member of staff invests time helping the young people to understand their situations and how they develop their identities. Through positive and strong role modelling by the staff team, young people say they have someone they trust, have grown in confidence, are developing age appropriate social skills and are transitioning into adulthood.

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Requires improvement

A strength of the staff team is their understanding and kindness shown to young people as they begin to explore independence and adulthood. For example staff encourage young people to learn different skills, cooking, budget etc. However, they also review these goals to accommodate each young person’s own learning styles and needs. By doing so young people can learn at a pace that is kind and achievable.

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Requires improvement

Young people have individualised care plans tailored to their needs which are reviewed and updated routinely. To compliment these there are a range of progress recording tools used by staff, for example My Blue Book. In the main these are used well and young people are encouraged to record their achievements and set goals. Unfortunately some of the recordings are not signed and dated by the author, resulting in progress not being reviewed accurately.

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Requires improvement

It is to be noted that young people are routinely involved in the developments of the home, for example buying new furniture, what’s for dinner, the planning of activities etc. However, there is little evidence that young people are involved and consulted with in respect of the development of the home or the introduction of new young people and new staff. This has resulted in the young people not wholly having their views and opinions valued and respected.

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Requires improvement

All members of staff are securely recruited and have access to a good range of training and learning opportunities, delivered either on-line or face to face. A training matrix enables each staff member to be reminded of what’s available and when it is. While in the main all staff are suitably trained and qualified, two members of staff were identified as in need of updating their training through refresher courses in first aid and safeguarding in particular.

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Requires improvement

Staff are skilled and experienced in understanding the behavioural and emotional difficulties of the young people. They routinely refer to a series of clear, concise and well documented case files to support young people in addressing any challenging types of behaviour. In doing so incidents of physical intervention and the use of sanctions have reduced and young people are beginning to manage their behaviours in the home and the community safely.

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Requires improvement

As young people transition into adulthood and require an increased level of independence, staff review and update all risk assessments. Staff have a good understanding, and are considerate to the levels of privacy the young people require as they mature, the time they want to spend with their friends and family and the importance of being able to bring friends back to their home. Because of this good understanding episodes of young people going missing or being absent from the home without authorisation have reduced. Young people are safely staying with friends and friends are spending time at the home.

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Requires improvement

It was noted within the course of the inspection that whilst friends and other professionals are very much welcomed into the home, on a number of occasions the visitors signing in book has not been correctly used. Young people’s safety on these occasions was not compromised, and the home were swift to address this oversight.

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Requires improvement

All safeguarding concerns, complaints and allegations are reported appropriately and in a timely fashion. Staff are to be applauded in the absence of a registered manager, in how they have balanced their day to day work and also ensured social workers, parents and Ofsted are kept up to date with any changes, developments or notifiable incidents. In doing so, the time staff spend supporting the young people has not been compromised.

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Inadequate

There has been no registered manager in post since May 2015. Whilst the registered individual and a registered manager from another home have made attempts to personally cover this vacancy, the home has not been effectively led and managed in a consistent and progressive manner for a significant period.

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Inadequate

The registered individual has made every attempt to recruit a suitably qualified and experienced manager to the post, but to date has not been successful.

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Inadequate

Nonetheless, a committed and compassionate staff team have worked tirelessly during this period meeting the young people’s needs, and, when necessary completing some managerial tasks, for example updating risk assessments and care plans. In doing so they have provided the young people with stability and security. This has ensured the outcomes for young people, their safety and their wellbeing have remained foremost in daily planning and they have a shared and consistent approach.

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Inadequate

Despite the absence of a registered manager staff have continued to receive good quality supervision and appraisals. Staff report that this occurs regularly and team meetings also give opportunities to reflect on practice and plan ahead. However, staff spoken to remain concerned that there has been no manager. Whilst they have the skills to ensure young people’s care and outcomes remain central in their daily planning, they say they ‘need’ and ‘want a manager in post so that they can have clearer direction forward’.

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Inadequate

The home’s development plan and visits made by an independent visitor provide the staff team with an overview of progress, with clear actions and outcomes. However, some records kept within the home are absent of signatures and accuracy in detail. For example, some key worker sessions do not have signatures of the author, the development plan is not robust enough and the statement of purpose requires reviewing. The absence of a full time and permanent manager has meant that there has been no one solely responsible for the rigorous reviewing and analysis of these documents, and plans to address areas for improvement are weak.

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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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