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

Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 1 SC430587 Registered provider: Direct Care 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

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and managed by a private company and provides services to local authorities.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good progress from their starting points.  Young people receive good-quality care. They like living in the home and respond well to the routine and the structure provided.  Staff promote a learning environment, providing excellent learning opportunities for young people not attending full-time school.  Young people are encouraged to develop positive and trusting relationships with staff. They grow in confidence and self-esteem.  Risk to young people is substantially reduced.  Staff have a sound understanding of behaviour management strategies and utilise these consistently.  The manager provides strong leadership, and has developed a culture of effective, positive child-centred practice.  Staff receive good-quality training and support.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home should challenge placing authorities and education providers more robustly when there are delays in young people accessing full-time education.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 10/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/05/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 3

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.15)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress from their starting points, supported by having consistent staff who work well together. Staff provide structure and routine, enabling young people to settle in quickly and form trusting relationships. Staff are aspirational for young people and support them to think positively about their personal goals. Achievements, however small, are celebrated and young people become aspirational for themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people speak very positively about their experience of living in the home. When asked, young people said that they rate the home as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. Young people described feeling well cared for and being able to speak to staff about anything. One young person said, ‘staff really support you and are fair’. Young people present as happy and relaxed in the home. The home environment is welcoming and comfortable. The kitchen is the hub of the home, but there is room for young people to be away from each other if they choose. Another young person made the following comments about living in the home, ‘I am really happy. I’ve got a nice bedroom and I’ve got everything I need. I get to do fun things.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home itself provides a physically safe environment for young people. The home is welcoming and in a good state of repair throughout. Young people’s bedrooms are decorated to their taste and they are encouraged to have certificates, pictures and photographs to personalise their rooms. The garden is large and requires regular maintenance but was satisfactorily maintained at the point of inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are engaged in education. For some young people, educational provision is identified quickly and attendance is good. For other young people, there Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 4 have been delays in any formal education being provided. Managers have challenged placing authorities and advocated on behalf of young people, but not robustly enough or at an early enough stage. A recommendation has been made specifically to address this. In the interim, staff have provided excellent resources to meet educational needs. Young people have engaged positively in this work and staff have successfully maintained good routines and expectations around education. Staff provide young people with good- quality educational resources appropriate to their individual needs. Staff are ambitious for young people and support their educational progress and attainment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s universal health needs are met. Staff have access to in-house therapeutic consultation and support, with some young people directly accessing this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s files are well maintained, with detailed information and plans. Staff and managers speak knowledgably about each young person and their individual needs. Staff work well with other professionals and communication is effective. Strengths of the home are developing good relationships with parents, improving the quality of contact for young people, and supporting reunification plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One social worker spoke about a young person who had successfully transitioned from the home, saying, ‘I can’t praise the home enough.’ The social worker commented on the quality of work undertaken by staff to support the young person to return to her home. The social worker also spoke about how quickly the young person settled in. She added, ‘communication from the home has been brilliant’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have access to a range of social and recreational activities. They have the opportunity to develop and pursue interests, meeting their needs for physical activity, developing social skills and supporting good self-esteem. Relationships between staff and young people are positive. Young people feel valued and, overall, see their experience of care as positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to develop age-appropriate independence skills. This includes social and emotional development, taking responsibility and making good choices, and acquiring practical skills.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have a good understanding of risk. A social worker spoke about being impressed with the level of information requested by staff prior to a young person’s admission to the home. The social worker felt that staff asked ‘all the right questions’ in order to gain a better understanding of the young person’s needs and vulnerabilities and make an assessment of risk. For most young people, there is a substantial reduction in risk. An example of this is young people who go missing from home or care, with one young person deemed at high risk having no incidents of going missing since moving to the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 5 Staff manage missing from care incidents very well, following multi-agency guidance. All young people have individual risk management plans, tailored to reflect their individual needs, vulnerabilities and strengths. These plans are clear and easy to follow. Young

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

people are aware of their individual plan and the steps that staff will take if they are missing from the home. A strength of the home is staff discussing risk with young people. They discuss incidents, enabling both staff and young people to reflect, then respond and plan accordingly. Young people feel that they can talk to staff and they say that they feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviour management strategies are effective. Staff are working well together and provide young people with consistent boundaries and expectations. Staff support young people to regulate their own behaviour and make safe choices. Staff speak to young people warmly and respectfully. They encourage respectful relationships between young people. Staff manage dynamics between young people well, putting measures in place where necessary to promote positive relationships.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff work closely with placing authorities to ensure that young people’s plans are being progressed appropriately and information sharing is good. An example of good multi- agency working was evident when a young person’s aggressive behaviour escalated in certain situations. The manager, in partnership with the placing authority, agreed a behaviour management strategy to keep the young person and others as safe as possible.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Physical restraint is used in exceptional circumstances, such as when staff have immediate concerns about a young person hurting themselves, or concerns about risk to others. The manager routinely analyses all incidents of physical restraint to ensure that the intervention was proportionate and managed safely. However, staff are confident in recognising triggers and successfully employing distraction and de-escalation techniques, reducing the need for physical intervention. In situations where physical intervention becomes necessary, staff use this safely and record this very well. Staff provide a clear account of the situation and the hold used. There is good engagement with young people in the running of the home. They attend regular young people’s meetings in the home, enabling them to put forward ideas and suggestions and improve their care experience. Staff make an effort to involve young people in their care plans, with mixed results. Young people have a voice in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

They know how to make a complaint, and can talk to staff and the manager about any concerns they have. The manager ensures that she provides a visible presence in the home, and is accessible to young people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff receive appropriate training and feel confident about their safeguarding role. An example of this is whistleblowing: staff feel confident in how to respond and escalate their concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An experienced, skilled and confident registered manager leads the home. She is suitably Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 6 qualified, holding the requisite management qualification. The manager provides very strong leadership, and has developed a culture of positive, child-centred practice. Since the last full inspection, the manager has developed the service, building a stable and committed staff team and providing clear routine and structure in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team is relatively newly formed, with a number of staff joining the home in recent months, but a core of experienced staff have remained. Safe recruitment practice is evident, reducing the likelihood of unsuitable adults working in the home. New staff are subject to a probationary period, with regular appraisal and supervision. Induction processes are good, providing a firm foundation for staff development while ensuring safe practice. Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager and by colleagues. Staff are enthusiastic and positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have access to a broad spectrum of training opportunities, provided in traditional group settings or online. Team meetings also provide excellent opportunities for professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is creating a culture of high aspiration for young people and high expectations of staff. Routines in the home are well established, providing staff with clear focus and a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. The manager leads by example and inspires staff to do their best.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Efficient systems are in place to monitor the running of the home, as well as the progress and experience of young people. A particular strength is the manager’s analysis of information relating to behaviour management and how staff respond to challenging behaviour. The manager has maintained very thorough oversight of all physical intervention to ensure that any restraint used is safe and proportionate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An independent person visits the home each month and produces a very detailed and comprehensive report, which includes any recommendations for improvement. These recommendations have been used to improve the standard of care continuously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is reflective and recognises the progress that the home has made over the last year. She is very aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The manager has used learning from practice to shape her plans for the home, and improve the quality and experience of care for young people. She works in partnership with others through positive professional relationships to ensure the best possible outcomes for young people. This includes fostering positive and constructive relationships with parents where appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have formed good relationships with local schools, and with professionals visiting the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home’s statement of purpose is up to date and accurately reflects the home’s ethos and objectives. Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 7 Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 8

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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 and 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.

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Information about this inspection

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 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: SC430587 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Goldwyns, 90–92 Baxter Avenue, Rutland House, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6HZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Ouellani

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Inspector

Corrinne Barker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC430587 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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