Children's Home run by Keys Specialist Residential Children's Services Ltd in Worcestershire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been unplanned changes in the managerial arrangements for the home. A placing authority raised serious concerns with the organisation about the culture at the home and including inappropriate behavioural approaches. This resulted in the suspension on 6 January 2016, and subsequent resignation of the registered manager on 8 February 2016. The provider informed Ofsted of the suspension and deputising arrangements, but not of the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings, resignation, or extent of the local authority concerns. The organisation has apparently made plans to improve but this has not been shared with Ofsted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The local authority that raised concerns is now largely satisfied with the responses. Their concerns prompted an external audit of behaviour management at the home. The organisation says that they plan to review their guidance for staff about use of affectionate touch because of this. New managers acknowledge that leadership and managerial oversight at this home has been lacking.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Action to meet all previous regulatory and good practice shortfalls has not been effective. Whilst there has been some recent movement to improve on the independent external visitors recommendations, this has been slow.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection also focused on concerns received by Ofsted. These concerns related to a lack of skilled management of, and increased risk of self-harmful behaviour, since the departure of the registered manager. Management of risk is still not good enough. Staff are not confident in taking independent action to act when they think young people may self-harm. Risk assessments do not clearly state what staff should do in an emergency. Risk assessments omit significant information about the risks to others from some young people’s behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managerial monitoring does not currently evaluate patterns and trends around the most significant issues, such as self-harm, and when restraint is used to prevent young people running off, or new behavioural issues, such as bulimia. The manager and staff are not experienced in managing eating disorders and the organisation has not enlisted its consultant therapist to assist with this. Records of restraint are improving recently. However, it is not always clear that the rare use of physical intervention to prevent absconding has been completely necessary, or is used in line with the home’s behaviour management policy. There has been no serious harm, but some types of incident have increased recently, and the registered person is not gathering information to enable them to track incidents, evaluate staff responses and improve plans to protect young people. Managers say that such evaluation is not a feature of the current draft

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

review of the quality of care. The acting manager has, however, sought advice about how to respond to eating disorders from the responsible individual, the placing authority, a child and adolescent mental health worker and the local doctor. Staff are trained in working with young people who self-harm, have acted as caring parents and have done some good work with the young person to share helpful information and such self- injurious behaviour. Shared staffing arrangements between this and another home nearby, mean that too wide a pool of people care for the two young people at the house. For example: 22 different permanent and agency staff have worked at the home in the last two months. There has been staff turnover and agency staff add additional inconsistency. Managers say plans are afoot to improve this, but this is not yet in place. Pressures on scarce staffing arrangements across other homes, mean

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

inconsistency for young people here now. For example, continuity of care is compromised when staff who are unfamiliar with young people take them to important medical appointments and are unable to give important background or support young people to speak up. The record of which staff have worked, and when, is not a reliable record. The rota sometimes shows only one member of staff working with young people; managers say this is not the case, and acknowledge the rota is wrong.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Information about the home in the statement of purpose is inaccurate in relation to the registration categories. It states that the home can provide care for young people with learning disabilities; this is wrong. The organisation’s website advertises an out-of-date ‘outstanding’ Ofsted judgement for this home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is not an up-to-date copy of the local authority care or placement plan for all young people in the home. Not all social workers have not been party to the home’s internal placement plan.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff still do not have enough supervision of their practice. New staff have waited five weeks before having recorded supervision. This means they have not had an opportunity to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Appraisals are underway for some staff, but not all.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are, however, many positives for young people at this home. The house and care revolves around their day-to-day needs. They are getting on with their lives and feel safe and secure. Educational outcomes are better and both are enjoying school. They are getting good emotional support and they say they can talk to staff. Staff do some creative direct work with young people: about their lives and helping them to gain the skills to think and talk about their emotions. The home is set up to be a warm and welcoming place for young people. Young people love reading, are creative and are skilled musicians. Their pictures, photos, and artwork are all around. They play an active role in defining how they want to be cared for and have written a guide about themselves to share with new or temporary staff. These self-penned documents make clear their positive views about life at the home. One wrote: ‘the best thing about living at XXXX is having the support from

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

staff and being settled and happy. It’s like a crazy, normal family.’ Some are making local friends through school and now like to bring them to the home. Staff and young people have good conversations about life and about their futures. Young people did say they wanted more freedom, not to always be followed and watched by staff, and ‘no more risk assessments.’ They tell staff how to respond: ‘If I am low or withdrawn, you’ll need to keep an eye on me.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have given good challenge where needed to the local authority. Staff have made frequent, but unsuccessful requests for a copy of the most up-to-date care plan for one young person. The registered person must appoint a skilled, experienced manager to take forward the improvements needed. It remains for them to make clear to Ofsted: their analysis of the placing authority concerns; their actions in response; the outcomes of their investigations, including disciplinary, and to report on the lessons learnt.

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Information about this children's home

This private children’s home is registered to provide care for two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Young may stay beyond the age of 18.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, in relation to assessing risk, avoiding and preventing self-harm, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2) (a) (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. 31/03/2016

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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- (2) (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (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; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints

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Requirement Due date

received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 30/04/2016 The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35(2) 30/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place—a person ceases to carry on or manage the home. (Regulation 49 (b)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27(1) (a)) 31/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and are kept up to date. Specifically, a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child's placing authority, and of the placement plan. (Regulation 36 (1) (a) (b) Schedule 3(19)) 30/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. In this case, a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37 Sch 4 37 (2) (a) (b)(c) ( Schedule 4(3)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. Specifically, an accurate statement of the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 16 (1) Schedule 1(1)) 31/03/2016

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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 all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home's care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement (The Guide to Quality standards, paragraph 13.5, page 61) 

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Recommendations

 ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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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