Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Buckinghamshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . The manager was registered for this home by Ofsted in October 2016, in addition to her registration for another home in the area. She has continued to lead, manage and support the staff team effectively. The manager has acted on the one requirement and five of the six recommendations of the last report. The manager has improved the recording systems on individual young people. These now enable staff to cross-reference information simply. Staff are knowledgeable about the risks faced by individual young people and the action to take to minimise these. All young people have had a review by their respective placing authority, but not all have had a copy of the chair’s report. These have been requested by the manager. The interim notes made by the manager during the meeting enable staff to know

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

any recommendations made so that they can work with the young people towards achieving these. All staff benefit from regular, good-quality supervision, both formal and informal, that supports and informs their work with the young people. Team meetings provide staff with a formal opportunity for reflection on incidents to identify any learning points. The minutes of these meetings do not provide sufficient detail for those not present to share the learning identified. The team benefits from monthly consultation meetings with the assigned therapist. These provide the staff with an opportunity to focus on the needs of the young person and to consider how they as a team can best work together to meet these needs. There is a sound and well-planned training programme. This provides staff with regular opportunities for refresher training within desirable timescales and equips them for their role in the home. The manager also sources additional training when

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

this is an identified need. For example, staff are completing online training in autistic spectrum disorders before the face-to-face training is delivered later in the year. The manager has increased the analytic component of her internal monitoring reports, to improve practice and inform the development of the service. The development plan was scheduled for review by the management team the day after this visit. The recommended update to the children’s guide will be part of the new development plan. Since the last inspection, one young person has left and three have moved in. The unplanned departure of the young person was not instigated by the management of the home. Impact risk assessments completed prior to the admission of a young person specify the known risks and the strategies for staff to use to mitigate them. However, these strategies are not fully personalised and there is some use of standard strategy descriptions. The young people said that their introduction to the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

home suited each of them. Two were planned, and they visited before moving in. One chose an unplanned period of respite and opted to stay. The recordings related to these moves are weak and do not reflect the detail outlined by the staff and the young people themselves. This omission means that part of the young person’s life history is not maintained. Young people report that they have settled in well. They are comfortable with and confident in staff. All have made positive progress since moving into the home. One young person said, ‘I have changed my outlook on life for the better and staff helped the change; by being always willing to help and trying in whatever way they can.’ Another, who had not been attending education for some time, is now going to school full time. Another talked animatedly about developing his independence skills, successes in gaining a place on an overseas school trip and a European

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

football tour with his team, and being on target to gain good GCSEs and vocational qualifications. He said, ‘Staff are brilliant here. Others don’t appreciate all that the staff do. I think it’s great.’ The staff spend quality time with young people and through this establish good relationships with them. The team is skilled at managing the very challenging behaviour of young people. Staff communicate clear expectations and reward positive behaviours and achievements. They know the needs of the young people very well and manage challenge effectively, maintaining a focus on what young people are communicating rather than the behaviour being displayed. They anticipate the actions and reactions of young people and employ diversionary and de-escalation strategies to good effect. There is limited use of physical intervention, and when used it is the minimum hold for the shortest duration to ensure the safety of the young person and prevent them from harming themselves

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

or others. Other measures include reparation for damage, supervised spending and restorative justice meetings. The manager has introduced a ‘thinking report’ that young people complete with staff following an incident. This fits well with the emphasis on the restorative approach used by staff, to get young people to consider how their actions may affect others. Staff are also supported to reflect after an incident, and this can lead to changes in behaviour management plans and how these are shared with young people; for example giving a pictorial representation of consequences for particular behaviour. The house has suffered significant damage, but, despite this, staff have maintained a warm and homely environment. Health and safety repairs are prioritised, and the manager and the team are actively considering how to reduce potential environmental risks, for example by changing the windows. There is some

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

redecoration scheduled, and young people speak positively about their involvement in choosing the decor and furnishings for their bedrooms and communal areas.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a large private organisation that operates a range of services. This home is one of a group of six that comprise a cross-regional project commissioned by six local authorities to provide a residential service for children and young people within their local area. This home is registered to provide medium- to long-term care for up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. Young people living in the home may attend a school also run by the provider and have access to in-house therapeutic support.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

19/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) In particular ensure that staff meeting minutes provide enough detail for staff not present to understand the learning.  The children’s guide should help children to understand: • what the day-to-day routines of the home are (what happens in the home) • the statement of purpose of the home (the care that they can expect to receive while living there) • how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure • how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible • how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 13.2) In particular update the young people’s guide to include information about the therapeutic ethos of the home.  The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and when they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) In particular ensure that impact risk assessments are fully personalised.  The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Children and their parents should be supported to understand the nature of records kept by the home and how to access them. Staff should understand

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Recommendations

their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them to record significant life events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) In particular ensure that moves in and out of the home are fully recorded.

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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 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 that 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 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 whom 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. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the

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Information about this inspection

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

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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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