Children's home run by Keys Specialist Residential Children‟s Services Ltd in Tewkesbury

Inspection report children‟s home: SC434223 1 SC434223 Registered provider: Keys Specialist Residential Children‟s Services Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who have a variety of complex needs. The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2018 and has completed her level 5 qualification.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC434223 2 11/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: SC434223 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(viii)) 31/08/2018

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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)) 31/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 31/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children‟s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) This refers to permanent and agency staff. 31/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification, the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma, by the relevant date. (Regulation 32(4)(5)) This refers to permanent and agency staff. 31/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 31/07/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC434223 4 33(4)(a)(b)) The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which are kept securely in the children‟s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36(2)(c)) 31/07/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home‟s location and strategies for managing these. This refers to the location of the river. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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improvement to be good

Progress for children living in the home is mixed. One child is making really good progress in her education. She has recently taken her GCSEs in English and mathematics, and is now looking forward to starting college. However, another child has struggled in school and is currently not in full-time education. Although staff have been working closely with teachers and his social worker to help promote his education, he is not receiving adequate education from qualified teachers.

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improvement to be good

The environment of the home is tired and showing signs of wear and damage. Managers have recently agreed to a plan of complete refurbishment and staff are engaging with children to choose furniture and colour schemes for their home.

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improvement to be good

Children‟s behaviour continues to improve and both children are now settled. This is because staff are nurturing and have good, trusting relationships with the children in their care.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to have regular contact with their family and friends. This has enabled children to maintain those relationships that are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Children develop independence skills, such as shopping, cooking and cleaning, to support their transitions to semi-independent living.

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improvement to be good

The home environment does not adequately promote children‟s safety. This is because Inspection report children‟s home: SC434223 5 recommendations set out in the fire risk assessment have not been met in a timely manner. The manager put measures in place during the inspection to ensure that children will be safe until these recommendations are met.

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improvement to be good

Staff did not respond to two safeguarding incidents in a timely way. Children‟s safety was not compromised because of this. However, not responding promptly to issues of concern has the potential to place children at risk of harm. All staff have since undergone safeguarding refresher training to ensure that they have a full understanding of safeguarding procedures.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment is not thorough. Although most statutory checks have been completed, the manager has not always sought verification of why staff‟s previous employment with children and vulnerable adults ended. Furthermore, the manager is not fully aware if the quality of references for agency workers, obtained by the agency, meets regulation. This means that there is the potential for unsuitable staff to be working with children.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of challenging behaviour and the frequency of physical interventions continue to be low. Children are not putting themselves at risk or regularly going missing. This is because staff provide children with clear and consistent boundaries. They work well with children to support them. This enables children to make informed decisions that help them to reduce risks and keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been significant challenges for the manager and the staff team since the last inspection, due to staff sickness and recent organisational changes. The manager has been supported well by senior managers throughout these changes. Leaders and managers have recognised many of the shortfalls in the home and timescales for improvement have been identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Although there are sufficient staff to safely provide care for the existing children in the home, a high percentage of staff are newly qualified. In addition, one member of staff has not achieved the expected qualification in residential childcare in the expected timescale. It is not known whether agency staff working in the home are qualified to the required level. This has the potential to compromise the quality of care provided for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say they feel supported by the manager. However, staff are not having formal supervision or attending team meetings on a regular basis. Consequently, staff do not have an opportunity to discuss issues regarding childcare practice, to help them understand and effectively meet each child‟s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The storage of children‟s files is not adequate. They are not stored in a locked cabinet to ensure confidentiality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home‟s location risk assessment, which is reviewed on a regular basis, does not Inspection report children‟s home: SC434223 6 include all known risks in the local area. For example, it does not reflect the potential risks from a river, which is within walking distance from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and staff work closely with a range of professionals, especially teachers and placing social workers, who are positive about the quality of care provided for children. Professionals report that „communication with staff is very good‟ and so they keep up to date with children‟s progress.

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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: SC434223 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Specialist Residential Children‟s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sue Young: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC434223 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 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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