Children's home run by Keys Care Limited in Belfast

Inspection report children’s home: SC063959 1 SC063959 Registered provider: Keys Care Ltd

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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 privately owned and run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has been managing the home since 2007.

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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: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC063959 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2019 Full Inadequate 09/07/2018 Full Good 16/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC063959 3

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12) This is in relation to all staff receiving training to develop their skills to alert them to risks associated with wider contextual safeguarding.  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36) In particular, scrutinise the records of sanctions used at the home.  The registered person must ensure that the home is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) In particular, consider all risks in the immediate locality of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have put a great deal of effort into addressing the shortfalls in child protection identified at the previous inspection. The impact of this is that the children at the home are now protected and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are making good progress in all aspects of their development. Staff know the children well and have developed positive relationships with them. Consistent care has helped children to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff spend a lot of time with the children and have plans for enjoyable activities for them, which are enjoyed in and outside of the home. Staff help children to influence their day-to-day care experiences. Staff listen to the children and give them opportunities to talk about their care, such as recreational activities and food choices. The children know how to make a complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s regular school attendance is helping them to focus on their goals and aspirations. There is daily contact between the staff and teachers that supports any of the children’s challenging behaviours in school. This ensures that any disruptions to learning are minimised. Inspection report children’s home: SC063959 4 Staff meet children’s physical and emotional health needs well. They provide children with high levels of emotional warmth, clear routines and boundaries. Children and their staff are provided with regular support and guidance from external therapists. This helps the children to start to make sense of their past experiences and supports the staff in the work they carry out with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are building a new life story in this home where they are respected for who they are. The staff support the children to understand themselves and respect others. Together, they are creating happy memories.

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

Regularly updated, clear and thorough risk assessments and behaviour support plans are now in place. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection and helps to keep children safe and protected.

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

Staff talk to the children to help them understand the risks that they might face. Key- work sessions take place if there has been a concern, for example arising from social media, self-harm or inappropriate relationships. Because of the work of the staff team, the children are learning more about their own strengths and vulnerabilities. They are becoming increasingly safe.

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

Since the last inspection, all staff have completed a series of training and workshops. This has significantly improved their ability to recognise and respond to any of the children’s safeguarding concerns. Additional training for staff in contextual safeguarding would enhance their knowledge and skills. This would provide them with a better understanding of the children’s possible negative experiences of harm outside the home, for example with friends, in schools and in neighbourhoods.

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

Behaviour management plans provide staff with clear instructions on what approach and measures to take if a child displays negative behaviours. Staff’s early intervention and de-escalation skills help to restore calm when situations arise. The use of restraint is rare. Consequences for inappropriate behaviour in the form of reparation are occasionally used. However, some records of the consequences imposed are incomplete.

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

There is no bullying or discrimination. The home is a family environment where, on occasion, there is rivalry between the children for staff’s attention. Staff encourage and support the children to understand each other’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the management team has been very reflective. Everyone who works in the home has increased their knowledge and they have learned from previous experiences and a significant incident. A full programme of training and an action plan have been completed. Inspection report children’s home: SC063959 5 The whole team comprises longstanding staff and a new staff member. The staff work closely with a range of health, education and social care professionals. This provides a consistent and joined-up approach to the children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff told the inspector that they feel supported by the management team through increased supervision, regular consultancy sessions and workshops specific to safeguarding children. Because of this, they now feel confident and have a better understanding of the strategies to keep the children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team and staff understand the importance of milestones in children’s lives. A child was able to have and enjoy a farewell party and leaving breakfast when staff, other children and friends celebrated together. This was significant, as the child’s placement in the home ended at short notice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good oversight of the service and she utilises the monitoring arrangements in place. She consults regularly with parents, social workers and other professionals. Partnership work is effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals’ feedback during the inspection were unanimously positive about the levels of communication between them, the registered manager and the staff. Effective partnership working is helping to ensure that children’s plans are progressing and that children continue to make good progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s safe area review contains gathered information from professionals relating to the risks that the home’s location presents to the children. This could be improved by using the knowledge the staff have about the local area.

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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: SC063959 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o Pinsent Masons, 1 Lanyon Place, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT1 3LP

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Inspector

Mark Kersh, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063959 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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