Children's home run by Keir Lock Children’s Homes Ltd in Wakefield

Inspection report children’s home: SC482415 1 SC482415 Registered provider: Keir Lock Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home. It is registered to take up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: 20 December 2016

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy living here and they like spending time with staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff respect young people’s opinions. Consequently, young people feel a sense Inspection report children’s home: SC482415 2 of value and belonging.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are valued as individuals. They benefit from the positive approach by staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff help young people to understand risk and as a result their levels of risk reduce.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff actively follow safeguarding procedures to make sure that young people are safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people start to trust staff and to feel a sense of belonging.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff enjoy their work because they feel well supported by managers.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC482415 3

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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). This is with specific reference to enhancing reflective supervision.

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). This is with particular reference to using a clear recording system, which reflects the good progress that children are making from their individual starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy living in this home. They have excellent relationships with staff based on trust and respect. As a result, they feel a sense of value and belonging. One social care professional reported, ‘He wants to put roots down for the first time. He feels he can see some future there. This is because the care is tailored to his needs.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who are in education make good progress and achieve their educational goals. As a result, they successfully secure apprenticeships, which prepare them well for employment in later life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Individualised approaches to young people’s complex needs help to improve their emotional well-being. They start to trust staff and they begin to talk about their past for the first time. Young people’s physical health improves and some successfully give up smoking. Young people enjoy an active lifestyle and participate in activities such as rugby and trampolining that benefit their physical fitness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s views are central to the running of the home. For example, they are fully involved with the recruitment of new staff and they understand and contribute to all their care plans. Young people choose to partake in a variety of activities, which broadens their life experience, such as holidays, day trips to the coast, fishing and going to the cinema. Inspection report children’s home: SC482415 4 Young people appreciate the support that staff provide when they move into this home. Staff take time to get to know as much as they can about individuals before they come. This helps young people to feel fully involved in their transition plans. Young people learn a range of skills that help them to be as independent as possible in later life, such as cooking and managing their money. Staff are dedicated to helping young people move on smoothly and support is ongoing afterwards. Consequently, young people who

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

move out keep in touch with staff and they know that they can rely on staff’s support.

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

Young people feel safe in this home. They learn how to keep themselves safe and their risks reduce. For example, young people who previously went missing from home frequently now choose not to go missing. Staff are familiar with missing from home procedures should this situation ever arise.

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

Staff effectively monitor potential bullying issues. They support young people to maintain positive relationships with each other. Staff follow safeguarding procedures and they report any issues or allegations to the relevant professionals. Staff put effective strategies in place to make sure that young people are safe. Training around radicalisation and child sexual exploitation equips staff with the knowledge to be able to protect young people.

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

Young people create their behaviour management plans with staff. This helps them to explore their own ways of self-regulating their behaviour and gives them a clear understanding of their boundaries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the qualifications and experience to undertake this role. He works closely with his deputy and they lead an enthusiastic and ambitious team that is committed to providing personalised care. The manager ensures that there are high numbers of staff on shift so that each young person receives at least one-to-one support. This allows young people to enjoy individualised activities and quality time with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recording of young people’s progress is spread across various documents. This hinders the monitoring process. The monitoring of behaviour and safeguarding issues is stronger. It allows managers to identify potential issues and ensures that plans are in place to make sure that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is dedicated to continually improving the service to meet the needs of young people. He values their opinions and they play an active role in service development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the work that they do because they feel that the managers invest in their development. They undertake training centred on young people’s specific needs. This equips staff with the knowledge to support young people and it increases Inspection report children’s home: SC482415 5 their sense of achievement and professional development. Staff receive regular supervision. This does not consistently analyse the impact of their work. This potentially misses an opportunity to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that there is effective communication between professionals, such as youth offending workers, tutors and virtual headteachers. This makes sure that professionals work together effectively to meet young people’s needs. Managers provide challenge to others and raise complaints where necessary to make sure that children receive the services that they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This service is fully operating within its statement of purpose and is providing safety, security and individualised care for young people.

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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 differences 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: SC482415 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keir Lock Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Thompsons Yard, New Street, Ossett, West Yorkshire WF5 8BH

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482415 7 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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