Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Durham

Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 1 SC423407 Registered provider: Bettercare Keys Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation, and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to eight children and 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The leadership and management is effective. During the period since the previous full inspection, the registered manager has transferred into the role of responsible individual. The deputy was promoted to manager and a member of the senior team became the deputy. This transition between roles has been well managed.  The safeguarding of children and young people has improved. Incidents and episodes of children and young people going missing have reduced.  The home is going through a settled period. The children and young people are given clear boundaries and expectations and they have responded well to these. The children and young people are treated as individuals, and are supported with appropriate personalised work.  All of the children and young people are in full-time education and all of them are making significant progress with their education. Three of the young people currently attend college in a local town. Five children and young people attend

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Key findings from this inspection

the provider’s school, which is on the premises.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s homes areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered person needs to revise the statement of purpose and send a copy of this to HMCI.  The registered person needs to ensure that all of the staff receive annual appraisals.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/11/2016 Full Good 15/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/10/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 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 registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 19/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 19/12/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people build good relationships with the staff, and can easily approach them for advice and guidance or for a chat and light-hearted banter. The home has a relaxed and comfortable feel about it, and is homely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are doing particularly well at the moment. A number of the older young people are attending a local college, and are making good progress with their chosen courses of study. Some of these young people had significant difficulties with their education prior to arriving at this home, so these achievements are very positive. The other children and young people attend the provider’s school, which is on the premises. School reports confirm that they are all also making significant progress. Most of the children and young people are achieving academically. Many have passed some academic courses at school and a few are preparing for GCSEs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

I have a young person who is placed here and wanted to share how brilliantly the staff have worked with her. Prior to being placed, she was regularly missing from home, using illicit substances, had been out of education for a number of months; beyond parental control, engaging in risk-taking behaviour and struggling to manage aggressive outbursts. Since being placed in June 2017, she is now back in education and attending college, she has not been missing from home; she is abstinent from drugs and is ready to engage in therapy. The staff at the placement have spent really valuable time with her, building positive relationships and instilling consistent boundaries and Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 4 routines. Their nurturing approach has made her feel safe and they have supported her with the difficult care proceedings and managing being over 100 miles away from her family members. The staff have ensured that her

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While this is a very specific comment about one young person, it does give a good example of some of the work going on at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Several children and young people have made positive changes to their behaviour. They have engaged with staff to look at anger management and the management of other emotions, and have been able to enhance their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are a number of examples of children and young people who, with the support of staff, have improved contact with their families. Many of the children and young people live a long way from their own homes. The staff make good efforts to help them keep in contact with their families where possible. Often staff have to make complex arrangements and long journeys to ensure that this happens appropriately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Other children and young people have made progress with building friendships and peer relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage the children and young people to have free time outside the home, and to engage in activities and social situations, which is also positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children and young people spend time with a therapist and also with other external specialists. All of them are engaged in relevant personalised work with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Within the home, the children and young people have a say in its day-to-day running and they are encouraged to undertake planned domestic activities that lead to them acquiring and practising independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning at the home is good and the children and young people are fully involved in this.

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

The children and young people at this home are safe.

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

Many of them have come from very high-risk situations involving child sexual exploitation, drugs and alcohol, and frequent missing-from-home incidents. The staff make good assessments of risk, and put appropriate controls and measures in place to minimise risks.

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

The staff provide the children and young people with a structured environment, with clear routines and with clear boundaries and expectations. Over time, as the children and young people settle and build trust, the staff encourage them to have more time away from the home. This might be time spent out in the community attending Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 5 education placements or participating in leisure activities.

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

The staff use some sanctions to reinforce consequences for inappropriate behaviour, and also use physical interventions when children or young people are in danger of harming themselves or others. These measures are used appropriately and in proportion to the requirements.

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

The children and young people generally respond well to the more controlled environment and several told the inspector that they felt very safe and secure in the home. They also said the home was free of bullying. The staff have recorded a number of low-level incidents where children and young people have argued or fallen out with each other, or have said unpleasant things to each other. The staff have treated these as bullying incidents, and have dealt with them quickly and effectively.

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

The staff do a great deal of work with the children and young people around the risks of child sexual exploitation, around relationships and around keeping themselves safe. This is work is done in small group discussions and projects, and also in one-to-one personalised key work and in sessions with external specialist workers.

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

Some of the young people have made dramatic changes to their lives; this means that they are now considerably safer than they were prior to coming to this home. They acknowledge that the support of the staff has been an important factor.

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

There continue to be some missing-from-home incidents, although these have reduced considerably over the past few months. The staff supervise the children and young people closely, with a number of them having one-to-one supervision. If any child or young person does go missing, the staff make good efforts to locate and return them quickly. Some of the missing-from-home incidents have occurred when some of the children and young people have returned to their home areas for planned family contact. These risks are considered by staff prior to the arrangements taking place; they are felt to be important risks to take on occasion, in order to ensure the continuation of family relationships.

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

On a few occasions, some of the children and young people have made complaints or allegations against some of the staff. The manager has dealt with these appropriately, the views of the children and young people concerned have been recorded, and all are happy with the outcomes. These incidents have generally been of the less serious type, but do demonstrate that staff listen to the children and young people, take what they say seriously and also act on what is said.

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

Currently two staff are suspended from duty while two incidents are being investigated. The manager is very clear about the investigations and the processes involved.

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

There has been a high turnover of staff over the past year and the recruitment processes are thorough and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 6 The current registered manager has been in post for a little over six months, and is undertaking the registration process. She is not yet appropriately qualified, but is currently completing a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She has a number of years of childcare experience, and was promoted to her current job from the deputy manager’s position.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

She has made a very good start in her new position. The children and young people and the staff are very positive about her, and like the way she is managing the home. The children and young people say she is good at listening to them and good at supporting them. The staff say she is enthusiastic and always tries to do her best for the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager does ensure that the home meets the aims and objectives as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is clearly very child centred. She says that she is passionate about the job and this is evident from observations of the way she deals with the children and young people and the staff. She makes time to spend with each of the children and young people on a regular basis. She is confident and is ambitious for all of the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

She has managed referrals and admissions well from the start, and is not afraid to say no to placing authorities and indeed to her managers within the provider organisation. The registered manager is also confident about challenging other professionals, and is very able to build good relationships with other agencies. She talked about a recent meeting with local police officers, and about being assertive in order to get the service she wanted for the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

It was clear to the inspector that the registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the staff team and she has set about tackling the areas she sees as needing improvement. The headteacher from the on-site school commented to the inspector on how the registered manager had improved communication between the home and the school. He said that this was not only benefiting the staff, but also the children and young people. The staff in the children’s home also say that communication within the team is better, and that they like the manager’s direct and understanding style of managing. The staff are appreciative of the training she has introduced and say that her supervision is helpful and supportive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has strong feelings about preparing young people for the ‘real world’, and wants them all to have plenty of opportunities to do this out in the community. She understands the need to balance risks and she is driven to ensure that the young people in her care have all the opportunities of any other young person. She knows each child and young person very well, and knows exactly what progress they have made and what is required next.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Two requirements have been made at this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 7

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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: SC423407 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bettercare Keys Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Melanie Kavanagh

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Inspector:

Colin Imrie: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC423407 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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