Children's home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Birmingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection and improved effectiveness at the subsequent interim inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to improve the quality of care provided for the young people who live there. Young people enjoy warm and nurturing relationships with staff. Only one young person was present during this inspection, and he declined to talk to the inspector. The other young person was on a family holiday, which is a major achievement and evidences significant social progress made in placement. The staff and social worker have worked consistently with the young person and his family to progress him to a point where he is able to spend an extended period with them, which is something he had desperately wanted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The two young people are both attending education regularly, which had been a major concern in the past. One has just finished a vocational course with a military academy, gaining level 2 qualifications, and has enrolled on the public services course at a local sixth form college. The other has a mixed programme of formal lessons, community activities and a college course, coordinated by his school. In addition, young people are engaged in activities in the home and community, including police cadets. One young person is successfully learning skills for independence and has his own budget for the week. A member of staff confirmed how well he had progressed, for example that he can do all his laundry without prompts. The inspector noted that he cooked his own meal on return from his college induction day.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one young person has moved into the home. The process for determining if his placement would be appropriate was well thought through and not rushed. An in-depth impact assessment identified that he was able to live with the young people already resident, and all areas of how the three young people would interact and have an impact on each other were considered. His placement lasted nearly six months, but had to be terminated by the home. While he made progress during his placement, it was evident that his placement was having a detrimental impact on another young person already resident in the home. The registered manager has reflected on the placement and reasons why it was not successful. This included a full evaluation of the young person’s progress and needs, which the social worker has welcomed. Further, the manager evaluated the pre-placement planning and scrutinised the information made available to her

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

to learn from for future placement planning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are protected from harm, and staff are confident in their roles to protect young people. Child protection and safeguarding concerns are shared with relevant professionals, including the designated officer as appropriate. Young people’s complaints and allegations against staff are fully investigated, including when a young person retracts an allegation. Staff have whistle-blown when they have seen concerning behaviour, including when agency staff have fallen asleep on shift. The registered manager is robust in her reporting and is confident in her role of ensuring that those living in the home are safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents of being missing from the home have significantly reduced for the one young person about whom this was previously a major concern. Incidents have reduced from four incidents of being missing per week when he was initially placed to no incidents since June 2016. The local police officer commented: ‘If the young person goes missing, they exhaust all avenues and have thought out of the box for quickly identifying forms of transport the young person may use.’ This includes having links with British Transport Police who will often locate the young person before he has the opportunity to board a train.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work effectively as a team, ensuring that young people know what is expected of them. As a result, behaviour management techniques are employed consistently across the team, leading to very few restraints. Sanctions are fair and proportionate, and focus on the young person learning from their mistakes. Staff supported a young person at youth court in relation to an incident at school, where his case was heard by peers. The young person responded very well to this approach, as he reacted better to the young people who ‘judged’ his case, rather than the formality of the traditional court process.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are supported to reflect on their progress and consider what they feel they need to work on. Plans are clear, and daily records contain prompts of what the young person’s goals are to enable staff to report in a reflective and evaluative manner. Monthly reports further demonstrate progress that young people are making against their goals, allowing them to see how much they have achieved. The management team and key workers regularly evaluate young people’s progress and adapt plans to ensure further progress and development. Staff have strong working relationships with partner agencies, such as education and child and adolescent mental health services, to enable consistency in approach and the best outcomes for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has an excellent understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. Since the full inspection in October 2015, the home environment has significantly improved. It is now homely and well maintained. During the inspection, staff and maintenance professionals were repairing damage and touching up paintwork caused while the young person who recently moved out was distressed. As the home has improved so much, it highlights an unsightly Perspex and wooden structure around the staircase to prevent young people falling over the bannister. However, there is no evidence that young people currently living in the home require this level of protection, resulting in an unnecessarily institutional feel in this area of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s development plans are clear and time-limited. The registered manager is aspirational and is keen for all staff to make the home as good as it can be. Staff enthusiastically take on tasks, such as improving the young person’s guide, which contribute to the homes development. The management team proactively use critical analysis by the independent person in line with regulation 44 and evaluate the service effectively through six-monthly evaluations of the home’s systems and young people’s progress. Staff’s continued professional development is a key factor in the good quality of care provided within the home. All who do not already hold a relevant level 3 qualification are undertaking this and are due to complete it within the time required. In addition, they have training to meet young people’s specific emotional and behavioural needs, ensuring good quality care which meets their specified needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/10/2015 Full Good 29/12/2014 Interim Not judged 15/07/2014 Full Adequate

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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 the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children, and is a homely, domestic environment. This specifically relates to considering the need for the Perspex and wood structure enclosing the staircase. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.9)

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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, 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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