Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report children's home: 1248043 1 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education 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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have learning disabilities. The home is privately owned and managed. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 16 October 2017.

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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: 28 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: 1248043 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/11/2017 Full Good 25/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1248043 3

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Statutory requirement

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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32(1). In particular, ensure that references are sourced prior to employment. 25/02/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home's manager. (‘Guide to the children's home regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children's home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children's home: 1248043 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people living in this home have positive experiences and make good progress. They benefit from a well-established staff team that cares about their well- being and meets their needs. The staff have nurturing, strong and positive relationships with the young people that are underpinned by open, honest and consistent communication appropriate to the young people’s level of understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s transitions in and out of the home are very well managed. When young people move on, staff work closely with the new placement to ensure that the young person’s needs and wishes are well understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is supported and promoted in the home. When young people do not have an identified education provision, staff work alongside the placing authority to arrange one. Staff have developed strong links with young people’s schools to ensure that there is positive communication and a joined-up approach. This provides young people with support and consistency. One young person who had not attended school for almost six months is now attending school regularly. The young person commented, ‘schools great I love the routine.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Complex health needs are being well managed. Strong and well-established links exist with community-based healthcare services. The home retains good links with a range of services which provide specialised care to young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are helped to maximise their potential and are encouraged to develop skills to give them greater independence. For example, staff work with young people to prepare meals and to provide them with a sense of monetary value by shopping with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a welcoming and nurturing feel, it is well decorated throughout, and it is homely. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, and this creates a sense of belonging.

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

Staff provide a safe and trusting environment where young people can grow and develop Young people respond well to this and as a result, challenging behaviours reduce considerably in a short space of time. A parent commented, ’The staff have been amazing at helping him to quickly become so calm when he is angry.’

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

Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They work within policies and procedures to keep young people safe. Care plans, coping strategies and assessments of Inspection report children's home: 1248043 5 risk are detailed and reflect the individual needs of each young person. They are revised and updated regularly, which keeps them current.

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

Staff complete regular training in the use of physical restraint and de-escalation techniques. They only use such measure of control to prevent young people from hurting themselves and or others. Staff record these incidents with care and provide a detailed record. As a result, managers have all the information that they need to evaluate these incidents. There have been no incidents of physical intervention for over six months.

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

Behaviour management is well managed. A non-confrontational approach means that young people live in a non-punitive environment. Young people are consulted on what works for them when they are anxious or upset. A young person said, ‘When I’m stressed out I go in the garden and like to be left alone for a few minutes. The staff know that’s what helps me.’

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

Staffing levels are good, which allows young people to have access to good levels of support. Staff are sensitive and insightful to the needs of young people. As a result, young people confide and trust in staff. This helps staff to keep young people safe.

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

High staffing ratios, coupled with good organisation and planning, ensure that young people do not go missing from the home.

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

The procedures for recruiting staff to the home requires improvement. One of the staff files did not contain up-to-date references.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2017 and holds a relevant qualification. She is passionate, committed and leads by example. The registered manager monitors all key documents and decisions and has constant discussions with staff about young people. She enjoys direct interaction with young people and knows their needs and preferences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have worked at the home for a considerable length of time. They work together to ensure that young people have consistent care and support. Young people recognise this and say that this has helped them to make positive progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and training is available to enhance their knowledge and skills. The young people are discussed in detail at team meetings and are the primary focus in the home. Staff say that they like working here. Staff thrive on the achievements that young people make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff seek support and guidance from other professionals when required. Young people benefit from this multi-agency approach. Professionals speak positively about the home and the progress that the young people make. A social worker commented, ‘It's a low stimulus environment that fully meets the needs of the young Inspection report children's home: 1248043 6 person who lives there. The staff are very experienced, and there is so much evidence of emotional warmth from the manager and all her staff extended toward the young person and he reciprocates such emotions.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager consults young people, families, staff and stakeholders. The results of these consultations contribute to the comprehensive internal monitoring and review of the quality of care that the home provides. Monthly external monitoring visits are of a good standard, they offer appropriate challenge and the reports provide action plans for the manager to address.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care planning documents held in the home are generally of a very good quality. However, some records have not been updated, for example, to show the current education provision for a young person. The registered manager agreed that these shortfalls had not been identified in the current auditing system. She has committed to review and revise her systems to ensure complete and accurate records are kept in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence that the staff have completed a variety of training that is tailored to assist them in meeting the complex care needs of the young people at the home. However, the manager does not have an up-to-date workforce development plan and therefore was unable to confirm whether the staff have some of the appropriate knowledge to carry out their roles.

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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: 1248043 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, 2nd Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Melanie McGuinness

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Inspector

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1248043 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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