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 Limited

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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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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has not had a registered manager since April 2017. Because of the long period without a registered manager, the home is judged to have declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new manager started in October 2017. The new manager is in the process of applying to Ofsted to be the new registered manager. She is committed to continuous Inspection report children's home: SC434223 2 improvement and is aspirational for the children and the service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Progress has been made to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. The new manager is experienced and has a relevant management qualification. She is providing good leadership to ensure that children receive continuity of care. She has supported staff to provide consistent and structured care for the children. As a result, children now have established routines that they understand. There has been a reduction in the number of incidents when staff need to intervene to keep children safe. For example, previously one child refused to adhere to the home’s rules in respect of smoking and the use of mobile phones. The child now responds positively to these expectations and understands that these rules are in place to keep her safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is conscientious in ensuring that children’s records include up-to-date local authority information, to help to inform children’s individual placement plans. She has developed and implemented timely quality assurance of children’s records and plans. As a result, children’s records include up-to-date education plans, planning meeting records and health information. This also means that recommendations from multi-agency planning meetings help to inform children’s behaviour targets and underpin their risk assessments. A social worker reported that, ‘(Child’s name) has made progress since living in this home. There have been reduced concerning behaviours and more time participating in activities.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has been quick to liaise with schools and local authorities to address delays in children accessing the right education based on children’s individual needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a very low number of missing from care episodes since the last inspection. Staff follow procedures and good practice guidance. They take into account the child’s vulnerability and the risk assessment and liaise with the relevant agencies as required.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a low number of incidents. As a result, staff have not found it necessary to use physical restraint. Detailed records show that staff are good at using de-escalation to avoid incidents escalating. Children and staff are given the opportunity to talk about an incident. However, on one occasion a child made an allegation following a restraint. Staff recorded the child’s concerns as a complaint. However, the allegation was not escalated to the designated officer. The manager is following this up with the child’s social worker and will undertake a lessons-learned exercise with the staff team. She plans to assess whether staff require additional training in child protection procedures.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is detailed information about children’s health in their records. Staff work closely with health colleagues and specialist resources to meet children’s health needs, including their emotional and mental health needs. For one child, a previous health concern has significantly improved. This is a result of being settled and having good routines in place. Staff carry out individual work with children that helps children to enhance their understanding about the need for preventative health monitoring, healthy lifestyles and relationships. Inspection report children's home: SC434223 3 The manager undertakes weekly audits of the administration of medication. This includes prescribed and non-prescribed (that is, over-the-counter purchased) medication. The manager has identified this as an area of staff practice that requires ongoing monitoring to prevent errors occurring.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child has moved on from the home since the last inspection. This was a planned move and part of the child’s care plan. Staff supported visits to the next placement and ensured that there were positive activities set up before the child left the home. The staff at the new placement and the child’s social worker were complimentary about the support provided by staff to ensure that the move was positive and thus reduced the child’s concerns about change.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following the last inspection, a specialist fire safety company undertook a comprehensive fire risk assessment. As a result, improvements have been made. For example, fire safety doors have been improved. The manager undertakes a weekly health and safety audit that includes fire safety checks. Monthly evacuation drills are undertaken. Each child has a personal evacuation plan.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff rotas demonstrate that children have been receiving continuity of care since the new manager has been in post. It is a priority for the manager that staff know and understand each child’s needs and histories and that they provide nurturing care with consistent boundaries.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is aware of the need to recruit male care staff to provide a balance in respect of gender in the home. However, this has not been possible to date. In the meantime, attention is given to ensuring that there are male role models for children. For one child, there are male teaching staff who visit the home. There is a male independent visitor and the manager uses male staff from within the organisation to support the home. The home’s manager and regional manager continue to consider ways of addressing this, to enable them to provide a balanced staff team for children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has recently been acquired by another organisation. This means that managers and staff are in the process of reviewing information and records in the home and in the statement of purpose. While some information has been changed in the statement of purpose, the details about staff qualifications have not yet been updated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has developed working partnerships with placing local authorities and agencies to ensure that children are making progress. When the manager has been concerned about slow progress in respect of children’s plans, she has requested meetings. For example, she has requested a meeting in respect of one child’s education plans and progress.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children's home: SC434223 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 10/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to ensuring that staff adhere to the child protection procedures in relation to allegations against adults who work with children. 31/05/2018

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Recommendations

 The following elements of the workforce plan should be included in the statement of purpose: the staffing structure and experiences and qualifications of staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young Inspection report children's home: SC434223 5 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’. Inspection report children's home: SC434223 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspirations Specialist Residential Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, 2nd Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC434223 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 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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