Children's Home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC033817 1 SC033817 Registered provider: Keys Group

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2018.

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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: SC033817 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2018 Full Good 25/04/2017 Full Good 12/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/05/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC033817 3

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Recommendations

 Any home using CCTV or other monitoring equipment should have a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home in accordance with regulation 24. Homes must gain consent to any monitoring or surveillance by the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. The use of CCTV is regulated by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and the Surveillance Camera Code of Conduct (Home Office 2013). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 3.16)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning

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Recommendations

as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Appropriate forms of contact should be promoted and facilitated for each child, including where appropriate visits to the child in the home; visits by the child to relatives and/or friends; letters, emails and texts; use of social media and other forms of contact via the internet. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.18)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children who have lived at this home have made good progress. Some children have become more stable and their experience of living at the home has been positive. A social worker said, ‘It’s been brilliant. Staff have been really good and the child has settled really well.’ Staff and children experienced a period where the matching process was not fully effective and this led to difficulties in sustaining children’s placements. The manager made difficult decisions about whether some children’s needs could be met at the home. However, other children have experienced longer-term placements prior to being supported on to independent living arrangements. The home is warm, welcoming and is decorated to a good standard. The manager has worked hard to improve the aesthetics of the home. This is a vast improvement since the last inspection. The accommodation is homelier for children and staff. The manager had met the recommendation made at the last full inspection. There has

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC033817 4 been progress with children’s engagement in education. One child, after being at the home for a short period of time, had successfully sat their GCSEs. The child’s mother said, ‘I don’t believe she would have achieved this without the support of the staff.’ Staff provide a nurturing environment for children. They achieve this by forming positive, trusting relationships with children. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and they model positive relationships. A young person who had moved on from the home said, ‘My time there was successful. Staff helped me to manage my emotions. I hated it at first, but then I got to love it.’ Children are supported to see family members who matter to them. Parents have expressed how well staff have worked in partnership. Some children have long-standing friendships which staff could support more proactively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key workers and managers track children’s progress on a weekly and monthly basis. Social workers receive reports to update them about children’s progress and achievements. Communication with key agencies is positive. Key-working sessions are comprehensive and cover topical issues. Children’s views are captured and they take some ownership of the key-working sessions.

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

The management team ensures that robust safeguarding processes are in place and are well understood by the staff team. The manager prioritises safeguarding children. She has worked hard to refocus the staff team and place safeguarding at the centre of child care practices. Staff have a good understanding of the indicators of child sexual exploitation and they work hard to reduce the risks to children. Staff work proactively with the police and the children’s social workers. This helps to keep these vulnerable children safe. Staff provide children with a safe place to live. They have a good understanding of the children’s needs and they use risk assessments which are clear and well written. This supports children’s safety inside and outside of the home. Multi-agency working has improved since the last full inspection, with closer working relationships between staff and other agencies. The use of monitoring equipment should be part of agreed plans and should be risk

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

assessed as being necessary. Plans should show how staff are working towards reducing the need for monitoring as children become safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is approachable and accessible. The manager is relatively newly registered but is providing strong and supportive leadership. The manager has driven the service to improve outcomes for children. The manager uses internal management audits to monitor performance and prioritises working on any recommendations. Staff report that they feel supported by the managers and they are aware of the Inspection report children’s home: SC033817 5 manager’s safeguarding focus. Supervision takes place regularly, and staff feel able to report relevant issues. A staff member said, ‘If I had an issue, I would alert the manager. I feel confident that they would deal with it.’ Staff feel able to share ideas and issues with managers. The manager works well with other professionals, and other agencies report that communication from managers and staff is good. The managers have advocated well for children. They have affected change by using

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

appropriate challenge. For one child, this supported her to remain at the home and achieve qualifications before moving on to independence. Staff training is thorough, well coordinated and well planned. Staff are currently focused on attachment and trauma training. The organisation is starting to implement trauma informed assessments and plans for children. This is not yet fully embedded in the home. Staff are either qualified in residential care or currently undertaking an appropriate qualification.

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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: SC033817 6

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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

Bev Allison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC033817 7 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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