Children's Home run by Keys Cwc Limited in South Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 1 SC374640

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Crossways Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children‟s home is registered to care for up to three children. It is part of a large national organisation. Since the last full inspection, the manager has changed roles. A new manager has been appointed but has not yet started to work directly in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This children‟s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 18 July 2018. At that inspection, serious concerns were apparent in how well children were helped and protected, particularly in relation to children‟s healthcare needs and the management of their medication. Urgent action was required to remedy these weaknesses.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the actions that leaders and managers have taken to address the weaknesses. While positive action has been taken to improve the quality of care provided to children, these improvements are in the early stages of implementation and need time to be completed fully and to embed into practice. As a result, the requirements raised at the previous inspection will remain in place and be reviewed further at the next full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Following the previous inspection, leaders and managers provided staff with medication training and revised the systems to administer, record and store medication.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, medication is now managed safer than it was before. However, the new medication system is complex. While no medication errors have occurred since the previous inspection, the new system requires further review to ensure that it remains an effective and safe system. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 2 Medication administration records are now regularly audited. These audits are effective as discrepancies in records have been identified. Leaders and managers have taken suitable action to identify the reason for the discrepancy and to remedy it.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have received epilepsy management training as well as medication administration training. This training ensures that staff caring for children are better prepared to meet their needs effectively. Most staff have had their competency assessed in administering medication safely. However, the member of staff assessing the level of competency has not had the same checks undertaken of his practice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the previous inspection, a new manager has been appointed and is due to start working in the home. The care team is being strengthened by additional senior posts. Leaders and managers propose that these staff will work across different shifts to ensure a better level of accountability and management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

Action to improve the quality of children‟s records has started. Care plans and risk assessments are being reviewed and rewritten and files are being streamlined. Incidents are now recorded in one document and the oversight of these records has improved. Managers are identifying where staff‟s practice can improve. However, in one such instance, no action has yet been taken to formally address a practice issue with a member of staff.

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This monitoring visit

At the previous inspection, a weakness was identified in relation to the management of, and subsequent internal investigation into, a child protection concern. Work has taken place to explore this concern further with external agencies. Leaders and managers have undertaken an additional investigation into what happened. At the time of this inspection, they were finalising the findings from their review. The outcome of this work will be reviewed at the next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/07/2018 Full Inadequate 16/06/2016 Full Good 21/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‟s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home‟s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home‟s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child‟s welfare; and (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, care should be consistent and reflect children‟s needs and take into account their previous experiences. 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child‟s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child‟s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‟s behaviour, in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve 01/09/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 4 conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child‟s

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Requirement Due date

behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding; (ix) understand how children‟s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) 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; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‟s child protection policies; (b) that the home‟s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each

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Requirement Due date

child effectively from harm; and (e) that the effectiveness of the home‟s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 25/07/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 5 13: The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each

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Requirement Due date

child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard (1) The care planning standard is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (b) that arrangements are in place to ensure— (c) that each child‟s relevant plans are followed; and (e) that the child‟s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child‟s relevant plans is requested, if— (i) the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child‟s needs. In particular, ensure that all important information about children‟s current and historical needs and risks are known and understood by staff, and that the care that children receive reflects their past experiences and supports their emotional well-being and safety. In addition, ensure that care plans are relevant, clear and

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Requirement Due date

directive. 01/09/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 6 23: Medicines (1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. (2) In particular, the registered person must ensure that— (a) medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; (b) medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. 25/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers (1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. (2) The registered person may only— (a) employ an individual to work at the children‟s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that— (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (4) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

(b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (5) The relevant date is— (a) in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or (b) in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (6) The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— (a) does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a 01/09/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 7 home for a prolonged period; or (b) works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis.

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Requirement Due date

40: Notification of a serious event (4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (5) A notification made under this regulation— (a) must include details of— (i) the matter; (ii) the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and (iii) any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; (b) must be made or confirmed in writing. 01/09/2018

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children‟s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossways Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Group, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Paula Lahey: regulatory inspection manager Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC374640 9 to 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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