Children's home run by Keys Specialist Residential Children‟s Services Ltd in Tewkesbury

Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 1 SC434223 Registered provider: Aspirations Specialist Residential Children’s services 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 service is a privately owned children’s home registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. Education can be provided by the service’s registered school.

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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: 30 January 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 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

 Changes in staff have created a period of instability for the young people.  The new manager is due to leave and there is no clear plan for a new manager to take over.  Staff do not ensure that young people’s records hold all the required documentation about their care.  Staff do not always receive debriefs after they have used physical restraint.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Fire safety is not given priority by the manager or staff.  Medication audits for over-the-counter medication do not take place.  The statement of purpose does not outline all of the necessary information about staff and external agencies.  On one occasion, staff did not take effective action to ensure that a young person’s risks were minimised during an incident.  Young people do not always have access to a both male and female staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good educational progress.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff ensure that young people receive all the practical support that they need to stay in touch with their family.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have good partnership working with professionals, including social workers and the police.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff receive supervision and are suitably trained and qualified.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 10/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 3

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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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child and that managers understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(e)(f)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the 23/08/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 4 use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child that include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3. The records must be kept up to date, and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (a)) 23/08/2017

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Recommendations

 Whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. Where the home’s statement of purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one sex only, clear guidance will need to be in place and followed as to how children are enabled to maintain relationships with people of a different gender. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)

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improvement to be good

There have been two different managers in the last four months. The registered manager left in April 2017 and the current manager is due to leave soon. In addition, eight staff have left. These changes have led to a period of instability for the young people. This has had a negative impact on the young people’s experiences. A young person told the inspector, ‘I don’t always know the people in the home when I wake up, it’s not very nice.’

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improvement to be good

Staff do not ensure that young people’s looked after care plans are obtained from the placing local authority. This leaves staff without access to essential details of young people’s history and needs. In addition, young people’s risk assessments are out of date, and care plans are confusing and are missing essential information. For example, the healthcare plan for one young person refers to an allergy to bee stings. This was later found to be incorrect information. Behaviour management plans hold conflicting information on how to de-escalate young people’s behaviours. There are many different plans relating to behaviour management and all give different guidance. Consequently, staff have limited insight into young people’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Young people have good school attendance. This helps them to make good educational progress. One young person is currently being supported to attend interviews for a Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 5 potential collage placement. The manager has not been afraid to challenge decisions that are not in the best interest of a young person. For example, one young person was initially not accepted onto a college course. The manager challenged this decision and this resulted in the young person being able to join the course. The intervention by the manager has helped to improve the young person’s career potential.

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improvement to be good

Key-worker sessions and everyday discussions enable young people to participate in discussions that help keep them safe. For example, staff have used these opportunities to enable young people to benefit from learning about sexual health. Young people also have access to advocates should they need them. This gives young people the opportunity to speak to someone independent of the home.

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improvement to be good

Young people are involved in a range of activities. These activities include football training, trips to the cinema and enjoying time with friends. This helps young people to make new friendships in the community and gives them the opportunity to pursue hobbies.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that young people receive all the practical support that they need to help them keep in contact with family. This includes staff driving long distances and staying nearby to offer support if needed. This ensures that young people continue to build relationships and attachments with those who are significant to them.

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improvement to be good

Young people are being supported to develop their independence skills at a pace that suits their needs and abilities. Young people have developed skills such as cooking basic meals, using public transport and cutting the grass. These opportunities enable young people to take on appropriate levels of responsibility to develop life skills for the future.

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improvement to be good

The home has been refurnished. This includes new flooring and soft furnishings. These enhancements help to increase young people’s sense of pride in their home environment.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the number of young people going missing from care has been low. On the odd occasion it has happened, staff have followed the missing from care protocols. Return to care interviews have taken place. Staff have used the addition information from return interviews to understand the reasons for the change in a young person’s behaviour. Staff are trained in understanding the indicators of child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. This knowledge helps to keep young people safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff are alert to changes in a young person’s behaviour and know how to respond if concerns emerge. For example, staff quickly recognised that a young person was receiving inappropriate messages via the internet. Staff quickly referred their concern to the appropriate authorities, including the police and social workers. This partnership working helps to keep the young person safe from further harm. This included the staff Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 6 securing guidance that helped the young person to make safer decisions in the future.

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improvement to be good

Physical restraint is rare and only used as a last resort. Young people are spoken to afterwards to help them to understand the reason why staff felt the physical restraint was necessary. However, the same oversight is not given to the members of staff involved. There has been a delay of several weeks in members of staff receiving a debrief after a physical restraint. This practice does not allow staff or the manager to review an incident and to consider if there are any lessons learnt.

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improvement to be good

Core staff have taken the time to get to know the young people and have used their knowledge to help the young people to de-escalate. As a result, young people’s behaviour is improving. A social worker told the inspector, ‘The new manager has made some good improvements and has put in place firmer boundaries which [name of the young person] really needed.’ However, on one occasion staff did not take effective action to ensure that a young person’s risks were minimised during an incident. This placed the young person at unnecessary risk of harm. The manager has been quick to review the incident and, as a result, has been able to work with the staff involved to improve their practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff follow clear procedures for the handling and dispensing of prescribed medication. However, staff do not record the stock levels of medications that are purchased over the counter, such as paracetamol. The lack of a clear auditing allows for an opportunity of error.

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improvement to be good

Fire safety is not given priority by the manager and staff. The manager has failed to ensure that routine checks on fire doors are completed. Damage to fire equipment is not quickly picked up and acted on. The fire service was made aware of these concerns during the inspection. The lack of management oversight means that young people and staff are not sufficiently protected.

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

The manager has his level 4 diploma in leadership and management for care service and health and social care. He has many years’ experience as a registered manager.

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

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. He has made a number of improvements since the last inspection. This includes putting in place more consistent boundaries, improving the home’s living conditions and safely recruiting a diverse staff team. However, the young people have experience a period of change in managers and staff caring for them. This has affected young people’s ability to build trusting relationships with staff and managers. The new manager is due to leave and there is no clear plan in place for a new manager. This is causing more uncertainty for the young people. Young people have been left feeling rejected and with a sense of an uncertain future.

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

This inspection has highlighted a number of shortfalls, which show that the statement of Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 7 purpose is not being implemented by staff in their everyday practice. The statement of purpose does not detail the contact arrangements and does not give details of how a positive role model will be achieved. This includes acknowledging that the home only has one male member of staff. This lack of detail leaves placing authorities ill-formed of the services that the home and staff hope to achieve. One young person has raised concerns about only having one male in his life. Although plans are in place to deploy one male worker from another home, reaction has been slow. This leaves the young person feeling that his voice is not being listened to and his wishes and feelings not being respected.

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

The manager has ensured that staff undergo regular supervision and are suitably trained and qualified. All staff have their level 3 in residential childcare, or are working towards this within the necessary timescales. This means that staff have the correct skills to be able to offer good care to young people.

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

Team meetings take place and enable staff to discuss the young people and to improve practice. Professionals attend team meetings. This includes the therapist, who is working directly with the young people. This has enabled good partnership working. The therapist told the inspector, ‘Over the duration of my involvement, I have been struck by staff members’ interest in discussing attachment processes and their willingness to reflect on how such matters affect the relationships between the young person and themselves. I would stress that such positive dispositions are supportive both of the young person and the work we undertake together.’

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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 who 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: SC434223 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspirations Specialist Residential Children’s services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit B/2, Elmbridge Court, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester GL3 1JZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine Cameron

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC434223 9 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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