Children's Home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report children’s home: SC450994 1 SC450994 Registered provider: Direct Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to four children who display challenging behaviour and may have been subject to abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post for six years. She is qualified and registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has met two of the three requirements and three of the four recommendations that were raised at the last inspection. One requirement and one recommendation have been raised again at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been one discharge and two admissions since the last inspection. Impact risk assessments were undertaken to ensure compatibility of children. Staff work closely with the child, social worker and future placement to ensure that onward transitions are positive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children continue to make good progress. They have developed good, trusting relationships with the staff, who know and understand their individual needs. A child said Inspection report children’s home: SC450994 2 that staff are always available to talk to and help her. The staff team has stabilised since the last inspection. With one exception, all the staff have passed their probation. Children benefit from continuity of staff. They said that they feel safe living at the home because of the staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Checks carried out on agency staff have become more robust since the last inspection. Consequently, the manager can establish agency staff’s suitability to work with children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff understand the importance of education. They encourage and help children to attend school. Two of the children spoken to said that they had not been in education for a long time before moving to the home. The manager has challenged other professionals to ensure that children access suitable education provision.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents of children going missing have reduced since one child moved on. Staff actively search for children if they go missing. Incident records are clear and detailed. Children are welcomed back into the home after incidents of going missing. They can speak about the incident with staff. Social workers undertake return home interviews to understand the reasons why children go missing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been nine physical interventions since the last inspection, which have all related to one child. Staff discussed the incidents with the child, who had opportunity to give their view. There have been no physical interventions since January 2019.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new electronic recording system was implemented in February 2019. This helps the manager to monitor care practice and drive improvement. An independent person visits the home each month and provides a report of their visits. However, none of the visits since the last inspection have included consultation with families or external professionals. Some reports are not detailed enough to contribute effectively to improving practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff understand the importance of children’s relationships with their family. Clear plans guide the staff to ensure that visits with family are safe and positive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been one complaint since the last inspection. This was dealt with in a timely way, and the child was happy with the outcome.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff help children to develop independence skills in line with their age, understanding and presenting risks and in consultation with the child’s social worker. Staff undertake individual assessments and identify actions to support the children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are in the process of reformatting placement plans. They review and update the plans every month. However, they have not ensured that all new information is added to the plan throughout the month, which means that important information may not be communicated effectively.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have undertaken the organisation’s mandatory training. However, staff have not accessed training in understanding gang culture and county lines. This means that staff Inspection report children’s home: SC450994 3 may not be alert to indications of these issues. One member of staff has not achieved a relevant level 3 qualification within the required timescale.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has reviewed the location risk assessment. However, the assessment does not consider all of the risks in the local area or provide risk-reduction strategies.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/08/2018 Full Good 08/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/09/2016 Full Requires improvement

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s placement plans are up to date. 18/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

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— 26/07/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC450994 4 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 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

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role that they play in the training and development of staff at the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, provide staff with training in understanding and managing issues relating to county lines and gang culture.  The review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location and the premises of the home should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for

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Recommendations

safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) In particular, gain views from parents and social workers.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC450994 5 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Direct Care 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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Inspector

Trish Palmer: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC450994 6 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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