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

Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 1 SC389180 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned by a national organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children who have complex health needs arising from learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2014.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/08/2017 Full Outstanding 21/02/2017 Full Outstanding 29/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/03/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (4)(a)) 30/04/2019

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people live a full life in this home. Staff do not see their disability, but their ability. Consequently, children and young people participate in a wide range of activities ranging from trips in boats around islands to visiting slapstick comedy leisure activities. One young person attends a local church where he is well known by the congregation and has a ‘place of honour’ where he likes to sit on a weekly basis. Staff use ‘activity outcome boards’ to assess children’s and young people’s responses to the activities so that they can improve the experience next time. Children and young people enjoy the warm, engaging and constructive relationships with staff. They know how to communicate with staff, who are responsive to their needs. An example was a young person being able to use eye gazing to direct staff to a particular shop, to the DVD section, and then to a particular DVD that he was then able to

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

purchase. Children and young people are clearly at the centre of practice. A placing social worker said, ‘I could not think of anywhere better for him, the staff adore him.’ A young person said, ‘Thank you for looking after me, the princess that I am.’ Children and young people enjoy positive relationships with each other. They become friends in the home, seeking out interaction and giggling together. They attend surprise birthday parties and events that affirm their friendships. Children and young people enjoy the music provided by the ‘DJ of the house’. Staff are imaginative and creative in their approach to meet the complex needs of the children and young people. Examples include sourcing a sensory mattress topper and a bespoke armchair. A placing social worker said, ‘Staff are so imaginative about what they Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 4 do, it all comes from them.’ Children and young people personalise their rooms. The specialist equipment, necessary

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

for their healthcare, fades into the background of the personality of each room. Staff ensure that any necessary monitoring, such as the use of a video camera, is discreet and that the necessary consents are in place. Staff meet children’s and young people’s complex health needs. They follow up on any essential appointments. They agree with health professionals and placing social workers any delays in treatment that are in the best interest of the child or young person. A placing social worker said, ‘The staff understand the medical complexities.’ There is an excellent approach to medication. Trained staff ensure that children and young people, some of whom have complex prescriptions, receive their correct medication at the right time and through the right route. A recent independent medication audit recommended some minor changes to the procedures that staff have embraced fully. The ‘read about me files’ contain excellent detail informing staff how to provide the best

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

possible care. The ‘write about me files’ demonstrate that staff are diligent in following the plans. Goals are clear. Children and young people make excellent progress such as gaining their ideal weight, increased confidence to spend more time in the community, and improvements in health. Staff support children and young people to be as independent as they can, for example supporting a child to use a spoon to feed themselves with limited intervention by staff. Children and young people who have severe communication difficulties have a voice. Staff understand their idiosyncrasies, vocalisations or eye gaze and respond immediately so that children and young people are not frustrated. Some children and young people use advocates, especially for future transition plans into adult services. Equally, staff are resolute in their approach to future care planning into adult services. They advocate for the best possible placement to ensure that all the needs of the young person will be

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

met. This means that some young people stay in the home after their 18 th birthday while the right placement is sought.

p.4

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

Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding in their safeguarding responsibilities. They know how to respond in the event of any concern and especially appreciate the availability of on-call managers for advice, even during night-time hours. Staff are aware of agreed protocols with consultant paediatricians in responding to medical emergencies such as epileptic seizures. They have a calm, professional approach, following due process and involving the emergency services when necessary. They keep children and young people as safe as possible. Staff inform and update parents and relevant professionals during such events. Staff take the child or young person’s ‘health passport’ to the hospital so that health professionals are aware of the individual needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 5 The registered manager has an excellent working relationship with other safeguarding professionals including the designated officer in the local authority. She ensures that any

p.4

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

internal investigations are of a high quality with clear evidence and reasons for decisions reached. Other professionals ratify such decisions. The registered manager adopts safer recruitment practice so that only adults deemed to be suitable to work with children are employed. It is noteworthy that she has challenged agencies to provide the same level of documentation and assurance that they adhere to safer recruitment practice. The registered manager has recently provided training in behaviour management techniques to staff. Staff are aware of the legislation and regulations around such interventions. The registered manager has a system in place that meets all the regulations for recording such interventions. Staff are diligent at recording any physical contact with a child or young person, for example support when an individual is exhibiting self-injurious behaviour (SIB). Staff follow the SIB plan written by the

p.5

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

community nurse specialist. Children and young people enjoy appropriate physical contact with staff. Staff may hug them or ruffle their hair. Staff may, on occasion, use physical touch to calm and reassure a child or young person after an epileptic seizure. Such interaction is underpinned by the touch and physical contact policy as recommended at the last inspection. Staff use a wide range of equipment to support young people who have a physical disability. Key staff ensure that such equipment is regularly maintained and certified. The registered manager has a clear plan to replace some hoists and tracking as older equipment fails. Although the home has a fire sprinkler system, the registered manager is not complacent in her approach to fire safety. She ensures that there are clear personal emergency evacuation plans. She discusses with the fire service the stay put policy. She enacts scenarios with staff as to the response if there was a fire in various locations in the

p.5

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

building and where they would move the children and young people to ensure that they were safe.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 6 The registered manager is conscientious, diligent and motivated, with an attention to detail. She leads a team that is equally driven and competent. There is a culture where the desire to provide the best possible care and outcomes for children and young people is infectious. The registered manager has been successful in recruiting the right calibre of staff who are assiduous in following the comprehensive induction training programme. New staff speak highly of this and the support given by team leaders. They say that they feel fully equipped to do their role. A member of staff said, ‘Thanks to Keys Group I now have a level three qualification.’ Morale is high. Team working is excellent. Staff encourage each other using positive affirmation notes on the staff board. Key workers play a vital role in ensuring that all necessary documentation is in place. They keep the detailed placement plans up to date. Such plans are well formatted, easy

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

to read, with a useful pen picture giving an oversight of each child and young person. Key workers challenge other professionals when necessary and advocate strongly for their key child. There is a lengthy handover to new key workers to ensure that the effective work continues. All staff demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of children and young people who have complex needs. They provide exceptional care and support, fully aware of how to respond in a calm and professional manner when children and young people need emergency treatment. Staff achieve the aims and objectives in the statement of purpose. Children and young people admitted into this home enjoy a long period of excellent care and support over many years. In the event of a new admission, the registered manager carries out comprehensive impact risk assessments to consider the effect on the current children and young people living in the home as well as the new child or young person. The

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

registered manager recognises the differing needs of children and young people living in the home and ensures that staff are up-skilled in relevant training. The regional manager gives additional support, for example arranging other professionals to be available such as an occupational therapist and positive behaviour support adviser. The registered manager has challenged other professionals, as required at the last inspection, in the delegation of specialist healthcare tasks. She has been innovative and creative in her thinking to ensure that staff are trained in accordance with Ofsted/Care Quality Commission guidance. She has recently recruited a qualified nurse who has a background in learning difficulty, special needs and epilepsy, to oversee and manage such training. Staff are meticulous in their record keeping. The detailed information they keep informs the placement plan, risk assessments, healthcare plans and behaviour support plans. A

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

placing social worker commented most positively on the record keeping and how she had found such records very useful in other proceedings. The registered manager has a clear structure for staff supervision, which occurs on a regular basis. Staff have an opportunity to reflect on practice, review training and discuss any other issues having an impact on their role. She has made a deliberate decision to defer some appraisals while she updates the home’s development plan so that targets can align with that. Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 7 The registered manager has prepared the statutory report that is required to be supplied to Ofsted on a regular basis, but has not sent this in. Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 8

p.6

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.

p.8

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: SC389180 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

p.9

Inspector

Keith Riley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC389180 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10