Children's home run by Keys Cwc Limited

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1245569 1 Registered provider: Crossways Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people irrespective of gender who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is run by a care company that runs several other children’s homes and a small, specialist school in the area.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home was judged requires improvement at the most recent full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Arrangements for the management and leadership of the home have been ineffective for much of the time since the previous inspection. The home has been without a registered manager now for more than six months. A new manager who was recently appointed to the home has yet to have sufficient impact to address all the shortfalls previously identified.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The arrangements for assessing whether children’s needs can be met in this home are weak. For example, several children have had to move out of the home because they required more specialist care. Staff do not have sufficient experience, knowledge or training to meet the full range of children’s needs. Consequently, staff are unable to Interim inspection report children’s home: 1245569 2 manage all unacceptable and dangerous behaviour effectively. They are currently struggling to manage issues involving one child bullying and intimidating another child.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records are not consistently updated, accurate or easy to understand. Records fail to describe events sufficiently so that the staff team can understand why instances of poor behaviour escalate. A number of records do not differentiate between a member of staff and a child who have the same name. Such weaknesses in record-keeping make it difficult for leaders and managers to resolve issues quickly and improve practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not acted strongly enough to ensure the education entitlement for all children in the home. For example, the manager did not challenge school leaders when a child was excluded outside of the school’s formal procedures.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The newly appointed manager has been liaising with the placing authority and has been successful in negotiating and sourcing an alternative provision for a child who needs additional support and guidance.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25 April 2017 Full Inadequate 25 July 2017 Full Requires improvement

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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

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the 11/04/2018 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1245569 3 outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child and 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)(2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child

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Requirement Due date

protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)) 11/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

*6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. Ensure that care meets the child’s needed and is delivered by a person who has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv)(3)(b)(c)(i)) 11/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1245569 4  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

 Children’s home staff should act as effective advocates for or on behalf of a child who may be experiencing difficulties with education or training matters including, but not limited to, attainment, admissions, attendance or behaviour, as a good parent would do. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.12)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Unique reference number: 1245569 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1245569 5 Provision sub-type: Children’s home

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit B2, Elmbridge Court, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL3 1JZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine Cameron

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Inspector

Janice Hawtin, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1245569 6 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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