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Inspection report children’s home: SC064050 1 SC064050 Registered provider: Keys BR 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 provides care for up to two children or young people aged between 10 and 17 on a medium- or long-term basis. The home supports children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and offers a therapeutic placement to support children and young people with complex needs. The registered manager has been in post since November 2016 and is suitably qualified.

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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: 16 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC064050 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/08/2018 Full Good 23/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC064050 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, the 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 ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that new staff receive supervision in line with policies and procedures. All staff should receive full debriefs when incidents occur and additional support when needed. 12/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that consequences used are appropriate and that children and young people understand why they are receiving a positive consequence, and record these. 19/10/2019

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet Inspection report children’s home: SC064050 4 the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) In particular, take further action when challenges are unsuccessful, including making formal complaints.  The home’s record of the event must include a description of the action taken and the outcome of any resulting investigation. Following a notifiable event under

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Recommendations

regulation 40 the home should contact the placing authority to discuss the need for further action. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child’s day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3) In particular, ensure that the garden is well maintained and welcoming and that damage to the home is repaired in a timely manner.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62,

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Recommendations

paragraph 14.14) In particular, record when ligature blades have been replaced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have good relationships with staff. They are confident in raising their concerns, which are listened to and acted upon. This enables them to ask for support and help when needed. Children and young people attend full-time education. They are supported to transition into new education provisions. This maintains their high level of education and progress. Staff promote independence for children and young people, adapting their approach in line with the age and stage of development of each child and young person. This ensures that children and young people have the skills they need to succeed when they leave the home. The therapeutic model and input from clinical leads inform care practice, developing staff knowledge and understanding, as well as providing new strategies. Children and young people take part in a wide range of activities. These include local activities and groups, as well as holidays in the UK. This provides the children and young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

people with opportunities to socialise. Staff promote children and young people seeing their families in a safe way. This maintains positive relationships and helps children and young people to be included in Inspection report children’s home: SC064050 5 their own family dynamic. This improves their sense of belonging.

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

Children and young people say they feel safe. Allegations are taken seriously, regardless of their history. Protocols are followed in order to safeguard the children and young people. Close working relationships with external agencies ensure quick actions and responses. This level of response prevents children and young people from being criminalised. Staff are also offered additional training as necessary. Risks are identified, and work is completed with children and young people in a variety of ways. This specific work educates children and young people about potential dangers, including knife crime and gangs. This helps to protect children and young people when they are away from staff. Children and young people are supported to take age-appropriate risks. These risks are managed effectively in line with their individual needs, ensuring that they are provided with opportunities to learn and develop.

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

Children and young people are helped to manage their emotions. They are provided with strategies to help them, and staff are well trained in how to de-escalate issues and support them. This knowledge has led to a reduction in incidents and restraints. Positive reinforcement occurs in line with the children and young people’s individual needs. However, this is not clearly logged and not always communicated fully with the children and young people. This means that they are not aware of their positive behaviour and cannot develop this further. Negative consequences are used and discussed with the children and young people. However, some sanctions are inappropriate as they do not link directly to the negative behaviour or the behaviour has already been addressed in a different way. This affects other aspects of the children and young people’s lives and opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by an experienced manager, who has high aspirations for the home. These are shared with the staff and influence their practice. This provides a nurturing and supportive environment for the children and young people. Supervision sessions happen regularly for established team members. However, they are not always used for reflecting on incidents that have happened or on how the staff member is feeling. Debriefs that do happen are limited in detail and do not identify any support that is needed. This is being addressed through the introduction of a new format for recording debriefs. Recruitment is thorough, and all checks are completed. This prevents inappropriate individuals from working at the home and protects the children and young people. New staff receive a two-week training programme which provides them with extensive knowledge before working with the children and young people. However, new staff are

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

not undergoing supervisions in line with the home’s policies. They are therefore not fully supported, especially when incidents have occurred. Inspection report children’s home: SC064050 6 Staff are provided with ongoing training and have access to specialist services, including a therapist, a child sexual exploitation worker and a police liaison officer. This ensures that staff are able to access support and advice quickly. Notifications are received in line with regulations. However, on occasion they have lacked detail and clarity about the incident and actions that are being taken. The manager has recently undertaken training for this, and this is an area she is developing with her senior and deputy. The manager has established positive links with many agencies and will challenge others when documents are not in place. However, there is no escalation when these challenges are ineffective or there continues to be a significant delay. This could impact on the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

children and young people’s access to services and support. The manager has established a thorough monitoring system in the home. However, some checks are not recorded, for example whether the ligature cutter blades have been replaced. This could lead to unsafe equipment being used.

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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: SC064050 7

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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

Debra Boldy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064050 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 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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