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

Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 1 SC064500 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 one of a number owned and managed by a private organisation. The home specialises in caring for young people who may have particular therapeutic needs associated with recovery from trauma, abuse or attachment disorders. It is registered to care for three young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has managed the home since May 2012.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2018 Full Good 29/08/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home and uses monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(h)) 30/06/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Ensure that the registered manager, who is responsible for good employment practice, audits staff recruitment files, prior to staff working in the home, in order to address any shortfalls. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  Ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who live here benefit from living in a caring environment. There are clear boundaries and routines. Young people know what is expected of them. This predictable care helps them settle and reduces their anxieties. Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 4 Young people have good relationships with staff. Some staff have worked in the home for a long time. However, there have been some staff shortages at times, since the last inspection. This has been due to staff sickness and the need to temporarily increase staffing levels to manage the challenging behaviour of one resident. The staffing shortfall has been met by staff working additional shifts, and by staff from other homes in the organisation covering shifts in this home. The latter has resulted in many unfamiliar faces for young people, which can be unsettling. This situation has now steadied, with rotas indicating increasing stability for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are making pleasing progress. Good-quality care plans ensure that young people’s physical and emotional health needs are addressed. One young person has successfully given up smoking since her admission to the home. In addition, young people meet regularly with the organisation’s therapist. She also provides advice and guidance to staff on the most suitable way to address specific behaviours or challenges presented by young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people attend the organisation’s school. Their attendance is regular, and they are making good progress. Good communication between home and school ensures that young people receive consistent responses. Staff work effectively with education staff to help address any particular challenging behavioural issues in school. Incidents for one young person have since reduced, maximising their learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to pursue their own interests inside and outside of the home. Young people currently enjoy attending scouts, free running classes, youth club and dance classes. Young people also receive encouragement to engage in activities to help the local community. Currently, one young person helps at a local charity shop and another at a brownie group. These activities help young people’s confidence, improve their social skills and will help them gain employment in the future.

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

Staff ensure that the home is a safe place to live. Staff are clear about their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Good staffing levels ensure that young people can access support when they need it.

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

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the histories and needs of the young people in their care. Staff understand about the implications of early trauma and disrupted attachments on young people’s presentation and behaviour. Staff receive training in therapeutic parenting and appreciate the significance of responding calmly and consistently.

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

Staff do need to engage in physical intervention on occasion, to ensure the safety of the young person or others, in times of crisis. Records demonstrate the need to have done so. However, there has been a significant reduction in the number of incidents for one young person over recent months, as he is learning how to manage his behaviour and seek support in more effective ways. Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 5 The atmosphere in the home is calm and young people generally get on well together. They were observed to show care and empathy towards each other during the inspection. Bullying is not a concern in the home.

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

Risk assessments demonstrate that staff assess a range of risks associated with each young person’s behaviour. Strategies are agreed to manage these risks safely. However, not all assessments are up to date or clear enough about young people’s behaviours of concern prior to moving into the home.

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

Staff recruitment procedures are, in the main, good. However, the registered manager had, in one instance, failed to investigate further comments of concern expressed verbally by a referee. Discrepancies in address details had also not been identified when documents for identity purposes were checked. Such scrutiny is required to ensure the integrity of those in employment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked in the home for seven years. He is appropriately qualified and is also currently participating in a future leadership programme, funded by the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are consistent in their approach. They provide a safe and nurturing environment for young people. They want young people to know that they belong here, and that staff care for them. They listen to young people and act on their suggestions, whenever possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a range of training courses, both taught and online. This provides more flexibility. They are positive about the spectrum of courses available. Similarly, staff receive regular supervision, which supports them to work effectively. However, some staff are overdue an annual performance appraisal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are taking personal charge of the development of the home. Each staff member is responsible for improving the appearance of a room or facility in the home. Staff have named this project ‘Operation Sparkle’. Young people are actively involved, and improvements are already underway.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Liaison with other professionals is good. They are complimentary about the home. One commented, ‘Communication is good. Staff keep us informed with regular updates about the young person. Staff have a genuine commitment to [name of the young person] and have a good understanding of his complex needs. He now sees this as being his home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Shortfalls in the effectiveness of management monitoring were identified as a weakness at the last inspection, 11 months ago. This continues to be a concern. Weaknesses identified included health appointments not being recorded, missing documentation, errors in young people’s care plans and records not being signed. The manager accepts that, over recent months, he has had to prioritise staffing issues to ensure the welfare of Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 6 young people, which has affected his ability to effectively complete these auditing tasks. However, he was taking action to address these matters during the inspection.

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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: SC064500 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

Mandy Williams, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064500 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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