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

Inspection report children’s home: SC026991 1 SC026991 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run and managed by an established private provider. It is registered to provide care and support for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There is a registered manager in post.

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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

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC026991 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/04/2017 Full Good 09/11/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/05/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC026991 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Records should include sufficient detail to enable the reader to identify what staff do to monitor and support young people’s well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a warm, friendly environment. Staff support and encourage young people to personalise their bedrooms. Framed photographs of young people’s families ensure that young people maintain their identity. Young people are investing in their placement. Staff ensure that the young people have their input acknowledged regarding plans for their home. Young people are proud of their home and their new room, which they have named ‘the rainbow room’. This room reflects a happy space where young people can relax or play games. A young person said, ‘I love our rainbow room. I chose a lot of the colours. We wanted it to be bright and happy, and it’s very bright.’ Staff quickly get to know young people and support them to manage their behaviours in a calmer way. Staff keep young people busy. Staff support them to engage in recreational activities of their choice. They celebrate young people’s achievements, such

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

as gaining awards for gymnastics. Staff take young people to and from school in the organisation’s vehicles. The bodywork of both vehicles is damaged by young people who have moved on from the home. The manager has escalated this issue. She is waiting for a quote on repairs or a replacement vehicle. The staff confirmed that the young people dislike travelling in the vehicles. A young person said, ‘The only thing that needs sorting out here is the cars. They are dinted and banged all over and look horrid.’ A recommendation has been made to reflect this shortfall. Staff have formal key-work sessions with the young people. They discuss a selection of Inspection report children’s home: SC026991 4 topics including keeping safe. Staff have lots of informal discussions with young people. These are often when travelling in the car or at the dinner table. These sessions are not recorded by staff. This fails to show all the work that the staff do with the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager is keen to improve staff recording. Staff have been trained to care for and support young people who have attachment difficulties. They know that these young people need time and patience to develop trust in the staff. Staff understand how changes in the young people’s care can impact on their emotional well-being. Staff support young people to prepare them for future transitions to adult placements. Since the last inspection, the home has welcomed two admissions. The manager ensures that admissions are well planned. She gains important information from social workers and families. This information helps her to match the new admission with the existing young people. This has resulted in young people enjoying positive relationships. A young person said, ‘Sometimes one of the new kids gets on my nerves, but they are okay. I do get on with them.’

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

Young people are safe. Staff teach them how to keep safe in the home and the community. The young people do not go missing from the home. Staff keep them busy with recreational activities. A young person said, ‘I’m very safe here. Staff tell me how to keep safe and not get into any danger.’ Young people have settled into their placement. There have been less incidents when young people have gone missing from the home. Staff know what to do if young people go missing. They follow procedures. Staff search for the young person. They inform police, placing authority and the young person’s family and record all required information. Staff provide young people with consistent care and responses. Staff know young people well. They understand how their individual risks and emotions can cause anger and frustration. Consistent boundaries and routines afford young people with security and stability. Staff know that young people’s experiences are often communicated through negative

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

behaviour. Staff identify the triggers to young people’s behaviour. They provide opportunities for young people to discuss issues that may worry them. The manager has developed an ‘open office door’ strategy. This means that young people have ample opportunity to talk to managers and staff at any time. Since the last inspection, physical intervention has been necessary on six occasions. The interventions used have been low level and used as a last resort to maintain the safety of the young people and staff. The manager evaluates the records to ensure that they are proportionate and necessary. Staff use rewards and incentives well and individual goals are linked with young people’s interests. Young people are managing their behaviours in a calmer way. This has resulted in the reduction of displays of anger and frustration. Inspection report children’s home: SC026991 5 Staff support and encourage young people to talk about what makes them angry. Young

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

people tell staff how best to respond to these emotions and help them manage their behaviours. Staff support young people to identify better ways to manage their complex behaviours. This is proving effective and there has been a reduction in notifiable incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong leader and is supported by a capable and experienced deputy. She is experienced and has gained the required qualification in leadership and management. The manager is assertive and a good advocate for the young people and staff. She is child focused and leads her staff team with confidence. The manager has high expectations of her staff team. She ensures that young people’s care is consistent and nurturing. She recognises the qualities of the staff. She speaks highly of them and is proud of the work that they do to improve the young people’s lives. Staff say that managers are ‘very approachable’ and ‘very supportive’. Staff supervision and appraisal is regular and of good quality. This forum gives staff an opportunity to discuss their progress and professional development. The manager strives to make continuous improvement in the home. She uses the monthly reports from the independent visitor as input to the plans for improvement. She

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

evaluates care practice and monitors and reviews the quality of care. She considers how she can develop the service to improve young people’s lives. Young people have good relationships with the manager. They seek her advice and are comfortable in her presence. The manager gains young people’s views on their care. She supports young people to share their opinions on their care and long-term plans. She makes sure that these plans are meaningful and achievable and can show the progress that young people have made. The home is well staffed and resourced to meet the needs of young people. The staff team is suitably qualified and competent in providing good care to young peopleand their families. A social worker said, ‘I am very impressed with the care. This home is the best I have worked with in my long career.’

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC026991 6 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

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Information about this inspection

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: SC026991 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Jo Hornby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC026991 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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