Children's home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in Southend-on-Sea

Inspection report children’s home: SC482380 1 SC482380 Registered provider: Keys Direct 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

This home is run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children who may have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties. The manager of the home was registered with Ofsted on 17 June 2019.

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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: SC482380 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2018 Full Good 27/09/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC482380 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

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, make immediate arrangements to ensure that all of the fire doors close fully. 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(c)) 31/01/2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, assess the need to activate door alarms during daytime hours.  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes

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Recommendations

should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Inspection report children’s home: SC482380 4 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) In particular, challenge the placing authority to ensure that return home interviews take place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a good home and the overall experiences of the children are positive. The staff invest in the children and support them effectively when they are in crisis. This enables the children to feel a sense of permanency. The staff establish positive relationships with the children that are built on trust. The home provides long-term placements that have a positive impact on children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transition arrangements at the home are good. The staff assess the children’s needs effectively to ensure that they are appropriately matched to the children who already live at the home. The staff provide good support to the children who are leaving the home. The staff helped one child, who recently moved on, to plant a tree in the garden. This was a symbolic gesture to demonstrate that the child would be remembered. The staff understand the importance of having positive endings, particularly for children who have a history of disrupted attachments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff recognise and promote the importance of engagement in education. There is a school on-site, however, the children attend education provisions that best suit their needs. Education placements include mainstream school and specialist provisions. One child is yet to be provided with a school; however, the staff are providing learning opportunities at the home and supporting in-house education arrangements until a formal placement is found. Access to education helps the children to develop academically, personally and socially.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide the children with a variety of activities that are tailored to the children’s interests, such as horse riding, cinema trips, bowling and swimming. The children enjoy holidays. The staff took the children camping and also visited Snowdon. Involvement in community-based activities increases the children’s confidence and provides opportunities for them to expand their experiences and skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm and nurturing environment. However, the door alarms for the front and rear doors are activated throughout the day. This does not lend to a homely environment and is not currently in place to reduce risks to children. This compromises the staff’s capacity to create an environment which is akin to ordinary family living. Inspection report children’s home: SC482380 5

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

The staff ensure that the children are protected from harm and are enabled to keep themselves safe. Staff take effective action when there is concern about a child. They engage with associated professionals effectively to work in the children’s best interests.

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

The children’s risk assessments comprehensively detail relevant risks and are regularly reviewed. The staff have an informed understanding of the children’s risks and the measures to take to reduce them.

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

The home has effective strategies in place to address bullying including an anti-bullying contract, which all the children sign up to. The staff manage incidents of perceived bullying well. As a result, bullying infrequently occurs and the staff are quick to respond to any conflict that arises between the children.

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

Damage in the home is repaired quickly. However, one fire door did not close securely. Despite the manager’s requests for this to be repaired, there was delay in this being completed. The manager made immediate plans to rectify this problem as this poses a risk to children and staff. However, this is a repeated shortfall as issues with fire doors were observed at the previous inspection.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced over the course of the year. This indicates that the children have become more settled. However, the children have not always been provided with return home interviews by the responsible placing authorities. The manager has not made adequate challenge to ensure that these interviews take place. This prevents children from having access to an independent person to discuss their reasons for going missing and their experiences while they have been missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced registered manager holds a relevant level 5 diploma. The manager has high aspirations for the children in his care. The manager and the deputy manager have had a positive impact on the home and have been influential in changing the children’s lives. The manager is widely respected by the staff team and associated professionals. The manager and deputy have complementary management styles that provide the home with strong leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been several changes to the staff team since the last inspection. These changes include a new manager, deputy manager and responsible individual. Despite this, the staff remain consistent in their care of the children. The responsible individual has a positive and frequent presence at the home. The manager has an informed understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas that would benefit from development. The manager is making good progress towards reaching his vision for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Therapeutic support is provided by the wider organisation. The staff have direct access Inspection report children’s home: SC482380 6 to the therapeutic team. This enhances their knowledge, skill base and understanding. In turn, this helps the children to understand their emotions and express themselves in healthier ways. This has contributed to a reduction in children’s risk-taking behaviours, including self-harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team provides the staff with regular supervision and appropriate training opportunities. The staff said that they found supervision meaningful and that it helps them to deliver effective care. Induction arrangements are thorough and provide the staff with an informed understanding of the home’s aims and objectives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Sanctions imposed are reasonable and proportionate. The manager monitors the records to ensure that sanctions are fair. However, the manager has not routinely gained the children’s views about the sanctions that they receive. This is a missed opportunity to provide children with guidance on negative behaviours. It also limits the children’s capacity to give feedback on their experiences.

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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: SC482380 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys 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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Inspectors

Lianne Bradford, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482380 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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