Children's home run by Bettercare Keys Ltd in Belfast

Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 1 SC063890 Registered provider: Bettercare Keys Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This registered children’s home is owned by a private company. Care and accommodation can be provided for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

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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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 7 February 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

A compliance notice was issued in relation to the accurate assessment of new referrals to the home and appropriate matching. The provider has not admitted any new young people to the home. Therefore, this is carried forward and will be assessed at the next inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because

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Key findings from this inspection

 Missing from home incidents have reduced, but continue to be a problem for some young people.  Young people receive help, advice and guidance, but some risk-taking behaviour persists in relation to substance misuse.  Young people’s school attendance has declined and, for some, there is no engagement in education, training or work.  Independence work is difficult to undertake, because of young people’s absences from the home.  There are some gaps in mandatory training. This does not ensure that staff practice is up to date.  The environment is not maintained to a high standard throughout. The house lacks the feel of a family home. This does not provide young people with a comfortable environment in which to live. The children’s home’s strengths

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have built strong and positive relationships with individual staff.  Consistently delivered boundaries enable young people to feel safe and secure, and to form attachments with those who care for them.  Young people who live far away from home benefit from seeing their families on a regular basis.  There is now a full and permanent experienced team in place to care for and support young people. They are child centred and aspire to provide young people with good-quality care.  An experienced interim manager has taken up post. She has promptly reviewed the care and support provided to young people and is making sure that improvements are made in the quality of care provided.  Independent monitoring identifies deficits in the quality of care, and action is taken to quickly address any shortfalls. Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 28/10/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

14. The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard, in particular that there is accurate matching and assessment of referrals based on up-to-date information of all children, including those already living in the home, the registered person must ensure: (1) that children- (2) (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

6(1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff - (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to - (c) ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to (i) meet the needs of each child; (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 15/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

8(1) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure- (a) that staff- (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (vi) maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; (ix) help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. 20/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure the necessary support is given to children to enable them to access their education or training. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13) In particular, request that schools provide a home education timetable for those young people not attending school. Ensure that resources are provided to support the young persons’ continued learning.  The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) In particular, all staff should receive child trauma and mandatory refresher training within the timeframes set.  The registered person is responsible for leading a team which provides high quality care for all children living in the home. They must lead and manage the

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Recommendations

home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children, which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4) In particular, appoint a dynamic registered manager who looks to build a strong and diverse staff team, with clear aims, objectives, and positive experiences and outcomes for young people.

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improvement to be good

A young person said: ‘I wish I could stay here longer. This is a good care home and I get on well with staff. I know that they care.’ This comment demonstrates that young people have established positive relationships with some staff. However, young people’s progress and experience are varied.

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improvement to be good

Young people receive support to access health appointments, with advice and guidance on how to maintain good physical and emotional health. This has not yet had a positive impact, as young people continue to misuse drugs.

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improvement to be good

Young people are not attending school, college or training placements. They receive support and guidance on the importance of education. However, the current strategies to ensure their engagement in education and training are not working, and there is Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 6 insufficient liaison with the virtual head and local authorities to improve this. Young people have gained some life skills in preparation for independence. They help with house chores, including using the washing machine, cleaning their own rooms and taking part in food shopping. Staff promote the learning of independent life skills. However, this is not consistently undertaken, because young people are frequently absent from the home. Therefore, a young person is not fully prepared for their imminent planned move to a semi- independence placement.

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improvement to be good

Young people are regularly consulted about their views and preferences. One young person said ‘Staff do ask me my views’ and ‘I am invited to my review to have my say. We have chosen the new wallpaper for the games room. We are asked about what activities we want to do and meals we would like. I like to play pool.’

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from regular contact with their families, some of whom live some considerable distance away. Staff make certain that visits to family take place. This ensures that young people maintain relationships with those who are important to them. It reinforces their family connections and a sense of identity.

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improvement to be good

Young people do not experience bullying, as they receive close and direct supervision from staff that maintains their safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of the risks posed to young people. Young people are kept safe, because staff implement the clear strategies set out in individual risk assessments.

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improvement to be good

Staff take suitable action to keep young people safe. Exposure to the risk of child sexual exploitation has been reduced. The strategies and protocols followed by staff do not, in all instances, prevent particular risk-taking behaviour. Missing from care incidents have been reduced, but continue to occur. Young people receive, but do not take on board, the frequent advice, information, support and guidance on the dangers and consequences of going missing and taking illegal drugs. As a result, these behaviours remain an area of concern.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home does not currently have a registered manager. However, an interim manager with the relevant experience and qualifications required is in post. She has quickly identified the strengths and weaknesses of the service and has gathered young people’s views on the care that they receive. Clear expectations have been set for staff in order to deliver change and improvement for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive appropriate levels of support, but the impact of several months of management changes and staff vacancies has affected the quality of care delivered to young people. This makes young people wary of some of the adults caring and working with them. In addition, it hinders professionals in working positively with them to support Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 7 health, education and risk-taking behaviour. In recent weeks, staff vacancies have been filled to provide young people with an experienced and stable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been a lack of robust challenge to other professionals when they have not provided young people with adequate support and services. These relate to educational services and pathway planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has taken action to address two out of the four requirements set at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff now understand and follow the safeguarding protocols, guidance and strategies detailed in the behaviour management and risk assessments to keep young people safe. The home’s statement of purpose has been reviewed and submitted to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been no admissions to the home since the last inspection, and therefore no evidence could be supplied in relation to the compliance notice issued to the home. A requirement is now set to improve practice and will be assessed at the next inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been a failure to fully implement action on one requirement. Although some communal rooms are to a satisfactory standard and redecoration of the games room and lounge has commenced, other areas still require improvement. The kitchen-diner and games room still require refurbishment. This includes new furniture. Consequently, young people continue to live in home that lacks aspiration and a feeling of homeliness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The two recommendations made at the last inspection have not been implemented. Young people are not in full-time education. There has not been an appointment of a permanent registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Most staff hold the level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people. However, not all staff have received child trauma training and mandatory refresher training, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring of the service has identified a number of deficits that have been addressed by the current manager. However, there remain a number of shortfalls that impact negatively on the quality of care provided. This limits young people’s experiences and progress.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other, and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 8 Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies

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Information about this inspection

with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bettercare Keys Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Keys Group, Laganwood House, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5NW

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Inspector

Debbie Foster, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063890 10 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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