Old Rectory Cottage

Inspection report children‟s home: SC429011 1 SC429011 Registered provider: Keys Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a large private organisation that operates a range of services nationally. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children. This home is one of a group of six that make up a cross-regional project commissioned by six local authorities to provide a residential service for children and young people within their local area. Young people living at the home may attend a school also run by the provider, and have access to in-house therapeutic support.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC429011 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2017 Full Good 12/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/07/2016 Full Good 07/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC429011 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 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)) 29/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children‟s needs are met 5. In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— if they consider a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, if a statutory review is out of timescale, staff must challenge the placing authority to arrange one as a matter of urgency. 29/06/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, ensure that strategies to reduce risks are clearly set out.  All children‟s case records must be kept up to date. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, make a record of all key-work sessions.  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

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Recommendations

impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report children‟s home: SC429011 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Whenever possible, young people visit the home before they move in so that they come to know a bit about it and the staff. The staff and young people make sure that they are welcomed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are genuinely interested in the young people. Staff provide an understanding and nurturing environment for young people. Over time, young people who have previously found it difficult to build trusting relationships with adults develop trust in staff. A young person said, „The staff are very loving and they actually care.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

None of the young people are attending school or college. There are weekly activity plans but, apart from some limited input from visiting tutors, these provide young people with little to aspire to. Some young people take part in their planned lessons and others do not. Despite staff making attempts to get young people up in the mornings, some young people lack the motivation to get up, dress and come out of their bedrooms in the mornings. Some young people take part in their scheduled lessons, but others do not and spend long periods of time in their bedrooms.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child, who is quite new to the home, is not engaging in life in the home at all. He stays in his room and has as little as possible to do with the other children and staff. This child has not had a review arranged by the local authority, and his care planning is drifting. The manager has not challenged the local authority‟s failure to arrange a review of his placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care plans are informed by the organisation‟s therapist‟s assessments and provide a strong focus on young people‟s emotional and psychological well-being. Children learn about how to look after their physical and emotional health. If external services are required to meet a physical or mental health need, children are supported to attend these appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is very good support and careful planning to make sure that children are able to spend good-quality time with their friends and families. This allows children to develop and maintain relationships that are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have moved on from the home have been supported well with their move. Some remain in contact with staff, who provide them with advice and support. This shows that young people develop a sense of belonging and value the support that staff give to them.

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

There is a strong safeguarding culture. Young people‟s safety and well-being are seen as paramount. Over time, young people develop trust in the staff and begin to confide in them. A young person said, „I have been helped because they (the staff) are always Inspection report children‟s home: SC429011 5 supportive; they listen.‟ Staff know when and how to report any concerns, including those relating to safeguarding or child protection.

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

Risk assessments are used to inform staff‟s day-to-day work in managing children‟s safety. Not all assessments provide sufficient detail about the most effective strategies for staff to use to reduce risks. For example, the reduction strategies for a young person who may cause damage by setting a fire do not include any consideration of restricting or controlling their access to matches or lighters.

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

Staff understand how young people‟s past experiences have affected their emotional well-being and behaviour. They use the comprehensive behaviour management plans to help young people to develop appropriate ways of dealing with their anger and frustration. As a result, young people‟s behaviour improves and the need to use sanctions and physical interventions diminishes.

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

Young people do occasionally go missing from the home, but the frequency of such incidents has been reduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed by a suitably experienced, qualified manager who has been registered to manage this home since July 2014. The manager is passionate about improving the lives of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Work in the home is underpinned by a clearly written statement of purpose that sets out the ethos of the home. The statement needs some minor additions to meet regulations. This is an unmet requirement from the last inspection, and it has no direct impact on the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective monitoring systems. The manager knows, understands and promptly addresses any areas for development that impact on young people, including requirements and recommendations following inspections.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team shares their manager‟s passion. Staff are supported well to care effectively for the young people. Staff use what they learn from their training and supervision to support young people and care for them effectively. Overall, the manager and staff work well with social workers, other professionals and parents to make sure that each young person has the support that they need to grow and develop towards reaching their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, a child-centred approach is taken to decision-making on admissions. However, not all impact risk assessments include all relevant information about the child being considered for placement, so there is potential for incompatibility not to be planned for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

If a young person read their file now or in the future, they would have a reasonable view about their time in the home. However, there are some gaps in the information, because not all key-work sessions are recorded. Inspection report children‟s home: SC429011 6

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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 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: SC429011 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Rosie Dancer, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC429011 8 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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