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

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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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 There has been no permanent registered manager for approximately four months. During this period, there has been a lack of proper management oversight, development of the service and a failure to support and supervise new staff in the home.  The quality of care delivered by the staff and the progress made by the young people has many good aspects. However, the shortfalls identified in leadership and management and a serious safeguarding incident mean that overall the home requires improvement.  Safeguarding procedures have not been followed, resulting in a serious self- harm incident. The location risk assessment does not reflect the area in which the home is situated and staff rosters do not reflect staff who work in the home.  Some requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection have not been met.

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The children’s home strengths

 Young people are well prepared for when they move on from the home. Staff provide planned support for young people and their families to enable a smooth transition.  Relationships between staff and young people are good. Staff are ambitious for young people and have a sense of pride when young people do well.  Young people are encouraged and supported in their hobbies and leisure activities.

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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 within the given timescales.

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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 ensure: (2) in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (b) ensure that staff: (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. 28/09/2016

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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. 28/09/2016

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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 (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: 28/09/2016 (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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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)) 28/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 28/09/2016

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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 (2)(a)(b)(c), Schedule 4 (3)) 28/09/2016

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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 purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year, taking into account the requirement in regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard) and when conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 28/09/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that 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 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5).

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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.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

01/03/2016 Interim Declined effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Young people benefit from building close relationships with staff. The mother of one young person said: ‘ In terms of care, X is encouraged to go outdoors a lot rather than play on technology…he is safe and the change in X is amazing, he is listened to and a lot of support has been put in. They have really pulled out all the stops. X is brilliant around the house, keen cook, very polite and well behaved. The home devised a contract for computer, phone and tablet use and this will be transferred over to me to ensure a smooth transition.’

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Requires improvement

Young people make progress in respect of their physical and emotional health. Their physical health is enhanced by attending health appointments, eating a healthy balanced diet and physical activity. Access to services specific to the needs of young people, including the child and adolescent mental health service, ensures that young people have the opportunity to discuss areas of difficulty. This helps to support young people to thrive emotionally and physically.

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Requires improvement

There is a positive ethos about the importance of education. As a result, young people do well in education and have full-time attendance. They have help and support with their homework and engage in extra-curricular activities. A recent personal education plan records, ‘X is doing really well in school, no issues.’ This support helps young people to grow in confidence and self-esteem. It provides them with a better opportunity to reach their full potential and increases their life chances.

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Requires improvement

Young people are encouraged to choose their own activities. Young people enjoy fishing and playing the guitar. They have found a real passion in pursuing these interests further and engage in regular guitar lessons. They can now play a vast amount of music including ‘Hold back the river’ by James Bay. There are photographs around the home of young people‘s achievements and time spent at the home, thus giving the home a nurturing and comfortable environment.

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Requires improvement

Young people are prepared for independence in accordance with their age and care plans. Young people will participate in chores around the home, developing basic skills that will help them in the future. For example, young people enjoy cooking. This means that young people will be better prepared for their transition to adulthood.

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Requires improvement

Staff encourage and support your people to have contact with their families and important people in their lives. Because of careful planning and contact, a young person is returning to the care of his mother. Staff are sensitive and creative in ways of building up relationships. For example, a young person’s mother accompanied them on their hobbies and enjoyed dinner at the home cooked by staff and young people. During the inspection, a leaving party was held with balloons and a good luck cake individually designed for the young person. Staff have helped the young person’s mother move home in preparation for their reunification. As a result, young people feel valued and their sense of identity promoted.

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Requires improvement

The home is well presented, with appropriate furnishing and decor and some personalisation of rooms. The home offers the opportunity for communal meals and interactions, as well as space to be alone. There are memorabilia on display around the home of young people’s time at the home and of their families. This enables young people to feel a sense of belonging and identity.

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Requires improvement

Management of risk is still not good enough. Risk assessments, although individual to each young person, are confusing. Staff do not know which risk assessment to follow when there is more than one on file, with particular reference to self-harm. This inconsistency leaves young people vulnerable to self-harm incidents.

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Requires improvement

Despite, the staff team having undertaken accredited, advanced self-harm training, only some of the staff are able to identify risks. Consequently, there is a lack of robust action when there is a safeguarding concern. For example, staff and the acting manager did not follow safeguarding procedures, which resulted in a serious incident of self-harm. This does not promote the safety and well-being of young people and demonstrates a shortfall in risk management, coupled with ineffective leadership.

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Requires improvement

Incidents of young people going missing from home are rare. Young people have missing from home risk assessments in place that detail actions to be taken in these circumstances. On the one occasion young people have been missing, these actions were followed and the police returned the young people home. Currently, there are no concerns relating to young people placing themselves at risk in other ways, such as sexual exploitation.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s behaviour in the home is generally good, due to staff’s consistent approach to boundaries. When there are incidents, the majority of staff manage such incidents with understanding, being sensitive to young people’s emotions. Physical interventions are a form of behaviour management in the home, but only as a last resort. The incidents of physical interventions since the previous inspection have all been in response to self-harming behaviour.

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Requires improvement

The home has a robust recruitment procedure. All staff are fully vetted before they start work in the home. This ensures that young people are protected as far as possible from unsafe adults.

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Requires improvement

The staff team has had training on safeguarding processes and procedures. Some staff are clear of the specific steps they would take, whereas others require further support in understanding this. This lack of clarity has resulted in some young people being at risk of harm.

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Inadequate

There continue to be unplanned changes in the managerial arrangements for the home. An acting manager has been appointed and a registered manager application has been made to Ofsted. However, due to safeguarding concerns, the acting manager is suspended and there is no deputy manager or senior in post at the home. As a result, staff have not had consistent and robust management.

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Inadequate

The majority of the staff team are relatively new in post and have been tested by the lack of management. Staff do not receive supervision in line with the home’s policy and procedures. This does not provide staff with an opportunity to reflect on their roles and responsibilities. Appraisals have been undertaken but do not reflect the actual practice of individuals and their developmental needs. This does not ensure that their professional development is carefully monitored and that they are suitable for their role.

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Inadequate

Case records and the quality of care are not fully monitored or audited to ensure clarity and accuracy for staff. There are some discrepancies between plans, so the personalised care to young people is not being provided as per the aims and objectives of the care plan. One member of staff said: ’I do not know which risk assessment is the right one.’ Consequently, the quality of care is not being monitored, leaving young people vulnerable to care that may not be meeting their needs.

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Inadequate

There is no staff roster detailing the full names of staff on duty at the home. Furthermore, visitors to the home sign in the visitor’s book but do not always sign out when they leave the home. This lack of scrutiny can negatively affect the home’s ability to assure young people’s safety. There is a location risk assessment for the home but it is not accurate and does not include risks within the local area, for example water, bridleways and public footpaths close to the home. This has the potential to compromise the safety of young people.

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Inadequate

The requirements and the recommendation set at the previous inspection have not been met, and these have therefore been repeated. Senior managers within the home are aware of the shortfalls and areas for development. Assurances have been made that there will be no admissions of young people until a competent manager is in post.

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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 children looked after 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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