Children's home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in Southend-on-Sea

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness . Since the previous inspection, the home has seen a period of stability and steady improvement. The six requirements and one recommendation made at the previous inspection have been met. The home is welcoming and is in a good state of repair throughout. Young people have well-appointed, personalised bedrooms, and have a sense of pride in their home. Staff design care around the young people and their individual needs. As a result, young people are making good progress, particularly from their starting points. One social worker commented on the quality of individualised care for a young person, saying: ‘She is very much part of the planning and she invests in her plans because she’s been part of the process.’ Placing social workers praised staff for the care they provide, and how quickly they

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

help young people to settle in the home. Admissions to the home are managed carefully to ensure that the young people can live alongside each other safely, and that the staff can meet each young person’s needs. There are good examples of direct work with young people, including safe care plans devised by young people and reflective logs. Young people say that they are happy in the home, and attribute this to the staff. One young person scored the home as being ‘a hundred out of a hundred’. She explained that this was because the staff cared for her and listened to her. Young people have a clear voice in the home, through regular consultation, young people’s meetings and effective direct work between young people and staff. Young people have lots of opportunities to have their say and to raise any concerns. The manager promotes the use of ‘grumbles’ for young people, so that they can raise issues at an early stage, enabling staff to respond swiftly.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support young people to make safer choices and regulate their own behaviour. There have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home since the last inspection. Risks to young people have reduced. The stability of the staff team promotes consistency in the care provided, and gives young people the best opportunity to develop trusting and secure relationships with staff. The positive relationships between staff and young people form the basis of the behaviour management strategy. There is a strong emphasis on not criminalising young people, where possible, and enabling young people to address their difficulties and reach their full potential. Staff have managed challenging behaviour appropriately. Physical intervention is used as a last resort to ensure the safety of the young person or staff. When physical intervention is used to manage behaviour, recording is clear. A social worker commented on the commitment of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

staff in helping a young person to work through difficult emotions: ‘They have just not given up on her.’ There have been some barriers to young people accessing direct therapeutic support in a timely manner, although staff advocate on behalf of young people to address delays. Staff support young people to attend education and have advocated on behalf of young people when there have been delays in education being provided. The manager has challenged a placing authority regarding delays in one young person accessing the educational provision identified as meeting her needs. The registered manager has implemented effective monitoring systems to ensure that essential checks and tasks are completed. This improves the care experience for young people and ensures their safety in the home. There is a clear delineation of roles for staff and delegation of tasks. This enables the manager to look at the home’s functioning in more detail, and improves the manager’s oversight of the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

home. The manager has devised a detailed development plan for the home, which provides clear evidence of improvements made in the home and the positive impact upon young people.

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The statement of purpose details the age range of children as being between 10 and 18 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

14/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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.

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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 0300 123 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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