Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Lincolnshire

The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

This service continues to deliver good care to young people. Whilst progress has been made in some areas, there are other areas that have been identified as needing improvement.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

At the full inspection, a requirement was raised for the registered manager to ensure that consequences be recorded following the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint. This has been implemented and assists the manager and staff in analysing what took place to help and prevent future recurrence.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Behaviour of young people is managed well. Staff members will use sanctions in response to poor behaviour from young people, equally staff offer rewards and encouragement for positive behaviour. This results in the young people understanding what is expected of them. There is evidence that behaviour overall has improved since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Education and training are valued. All young people are either attending education or training, and good attendance is actively encouraged by the staff group. Some young people have recently transitioned from school settings onto training courses; this transition has been well supported by staff and has meant the young people are given the support they need to achieve well.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Young people’s emotional needs are of paramount importance. The service has recently developed a new assessment and therapeutic approach to ensure young people receive a therapeutic assessment upon coming into placement. This informs therapeutic and behavioural interventions. This will better inform care planning for young people and ensure their emotional needs remain a priority.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

New young people coming to live at the home are supported by well developed plans that feature information gathered from other agencies, such as the local authority and previous placements. Good collaborative working with other agencies ensures services are in place that young people will help them thrive physically, emotionally and educationally. Young people are well cared for by nurturing staff members. Laughter, hugs and having staff they can talk to is evident. One young person said, ‘the staff are good and I feel settled with them’. A member of staff stated, ‘I am really well settled and enjoy working at the home, all three boys are really settled and the staff group are good and very strong’. The young people are growing in confidence, they enjoy being with the adults caring for them and are making progress from some difficult starting points.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Relationships between the young people and their families are important to the registered manager and staff. Staff members facilitate contact arrangements and support young people to maintain good relationships with those important to them. For one young person, positive contact has enabled him to explore his family heritage in more depth, resulting in him wanting to meet family members and read his historical case files. His confidence has increased and he feels empowered to seek this information.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

There are a number of ongoing training and development opportunities for staff to improve the knowledge and skills, especially in safeguarding and behaviour management. Young people benefit from staff well informed about how to keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

There are quality assurance processes in place, aided by the independent visitor, yet some areas still need to improve. Young people do not benefit from a comfortable home environment. The registered manager and staff have not ensured that maintenance tasks in the building are undertaken in a timely manner. The bathroom used by young people presents as tired looking. Damage caused to walls have not been repaired and one young person’s wardrobe is broken and damaged beyond repair.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The registered manager and staff have failed to have good oversight of young people’s use of social media and access of the internet via mobile phones. Young people have posted inappropriate messages on social media sites, and communicated with individuals, via social media, who are unknown to them and staff. Robust risk assessment and planning in response to these concerns are absent, along with education and support for young people to enable them to use social networking and the internet safely.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Risks and concerns in the wider community that may affect young people remain unknown. The registered manager has not reviewed the location risk assessment in a timely manner. Additionally, the views of key agencies such as the police and local authority have not been obtained. As a result, Ofsted cannot be assured the registered manager is aware of potential risk to young people in the wider community or plan for these risks accordingly.

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Information about this children's home

This home is operated by a private, national, organisation. The home is registered to offer care and accommodation for up to three male young people who may have 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

05/03/2015 Interim sustained effectiveness

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (2) In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person to ensure- (b) that staff- (vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (2) In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure- (a) that staff- (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm 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; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purpose of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement 12(2)(c)(the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the view of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1)(2)) 29/02/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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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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