Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 1 SC064500 Registered provider: Keys Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of a number owned and managed by a private organisation. The home specialises in caring for young people who may have particular therapeutic needs associated with recovery from trauma, abuse or attachment disorders. It is registered to care for three young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has managed this home for over six years.

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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: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/12/2016 Full Good 15/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18) In particular, specific work with young people who are reluctant to attend medical appointments, and involve external professionals if necessary.  Ensure that staff have access to facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, that staff complete training on food hygiene and e-safety.  Enable the registered person to make best use of the independent scrutiny of the home by ensuring that the majority of independent visits are unannounced. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

55, paragraph 10.24)  Ensure that the registered person makes best use of his internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement; proactively implement lessons learned and sustain good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  Ensure that the registered manager, who is responsible for good employment practice, has access all the required information on agency staff prior to them working in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are attending school or college. This is a significant improvement for some young people, who have struggled to maintain a school place previously. Staff liaison with school is effective. This ensures that important information is exchanged in a timely way, so that young people can receive the best support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy the consistent care provided by a largely stable staff team. Some staff have worked in the home for a number of years and have established the trust of the older residents. Young people who have moved on from the home choose to remain in touch with staff and still telephone to let them know how they are doing. This demonstrates the significance of the relationships that young people form while living here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to make the home a pleasant environment to live in. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Staff have a good knowledge of the local area and try to engage young people in local activities, hoping to spark their interest. Young people currently enjoy swimming, karate, dancing and Scouts. Such activities help to improve young people’s self-esteem and allow them the opportunity to be part of the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress in developing their independence skills. However, those approaching the transition to independence are struggling with some of the boundaries in the home. They want to make their own decisions about how to spend their time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have access to the organisation’s therapist on a regular basis. She is also available for staff consultation. This ensures that young people have the best emotional support to help them to move forward. Registration and appointments with routine health practitioners mean that, in the main, young people have their health needs met. However, some young people refuse to engage with these services, despite a need to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals speak positively about the home. One social worker commented, ‘The staff team goes above and beyond to support my young person. They are knowledgeable and skilled.’

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

When young people live in the home for some time, they start to trust those around them, and the risks associated with their previous behaviours are reduced, for example a reduction in incidents of self-injurious behaviour. Detailed risk assessments highlight the specific areas of risk for each young person. These are clear about the strategies that staff should use to keep young people safe.

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

Incidents of young people missing from home have increased for those preparing for Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 5 transition, as they struggle with the competing demands on them. Staff follow clear procedures when young people are out in the community, telephoning them regularly to ensure that they are okay. When young people do not return home as planned, staff actively search the areas that they are known to frequent. They also liaise with the police to ensure the young person’s safe return.

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

Staff have a good understanding of young people’s therapeutic needs. Individualised behaviour management plans, informed by the therapist working with the young person, ensure that staff respond consistently. At times, staff need to engage in physical interventions with young people, especially in the early days of their placement, until young people feel safe and secure in the home. Staff maintain detailed records on such occasions.

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

Staff recruitment procedures for those employed since the last inspection are sound. However, some agency staff have worked in the home without the manager having access to their full employment history. The manager took action to address this during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked in the home for over six years and has a management qualification. He knows the young people and the staff team well. He utilises the skills of his staff team to good effect and is keen to involve young people in making this setting their own home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with regular supportive supervision and an annual appraisal. The majority of staff have a level 3 qualification and the remainder are working towards this. Consequently, young people receive support from suitably qualified staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a training matrix to help him to track when staff training is undertaken or due for renewal. However, despite this, some staff need to attend training on food hygiene. Staff would also benefit from attending training on e-safety so that they are alert to the current risks that new technology brings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some shortfalls in the effectiveness of management monitoring were identified in this inspection. The visits providing the external monitoring of the home are usually announced. This does not allow the independent visitor the opportunity to observe practice in the home when staff are not expecting them to visit. This reduces their effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Similarly, the manager’s internal monitoring has failed to identify some minor practice issues in the home, such as missing staff signatures, and up-to-date documentation from one local authority was also missing. In addition, a recent change in the home’s care plan format meant that staff were no longer recording in one central place the actions that they were taking in relation to health appointments. It was therefore difficult to tell what actions had been taken by staff. The manager took action to address these matters during the inspection, demonstrating his willingness to improve. Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 6 The manager works well with other professionals involved with the home. They describe communication as good and multi-agency working effective. Staff have good links with a number of local agencies, such as drug and alcohol services. This means that they can access support for young people when they need it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 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’.

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Information about this inspection

. Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 8

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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

Mandy Williams, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 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 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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