Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Southampton

Inspection report children’s home: SC389174 1 SC389174 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care and Education 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 and accommodation for up to seven young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities. It can provide long-term residential care for up to four young people and short-break care for up to three young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2013

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 25 September 2018

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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: SC389174 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Outstanding 08/02/2017 Full Good 13/09/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC389174 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 01/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the staff consistently follow medication administrating procedures, and that systems in place minimise the likelihood of human error. 29/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 29/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC389174 4 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home is maintained to an acceptable standard within reasonable timescales.

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Recommendations

 Children should be supported to express themselves as individuals and should be given an appropriate degree of freedom and choice in relation to day to day arrangements for their care, depending on their individual needs and the setting in which they are cared for. This is in relation to both activities and personal items such as clothing, technology and leisure items. Children’s reasonable preferences in relation to day to day arrangements should be met with consideration given to safeguarding, particularly in relation to the use of technology. Where a child’s preferences are unreasonable or cannot be met for safeguarding reasons, staff should discuss this with the child to help them understand why. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21) In particular, the registered manager should ensure that the staff take every opportunity to support the children to make day-to-day choices and have access

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Recommendations

to the same communication systems that they use at school and home.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Thoughtful and child-centred planning ensures that the children experience responsive care tailored to their individual needs. Staff spoke fondly of the children in their care, and they know them very well. As a result, the children enjoy a sense of belonging and stability at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to pursue their individual interests and encourage them to try new activities. Children have a strong presence in the local community, visiting local Inspection report children’s home: SC389174 5 parks, shops and activity centres. Staff regularly use public transport with the children. These opportunities have helped the children to become more confident.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff collate photos of the children, which forms part of their life story record. This provides a pictorial record for the children and their families to enjoy and shows the children’s progress during their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create positive opportunities for the children to help around the home. This includes inviting the children to the office to help with paperwork, checking first aid kits and health and safety processes. Staff enjoy being with the children, and they take their time with them. These activities build on the children’s growing independence and self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively and benefit from thorough planning. Parents reported that children settle quickly at the home, and their individual needs are well catered for. Staff welcome and value the uniqueness of each child.

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

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding. They are confident about what action to take if they have a concern about a child. The induction safeguarding training is adapted to reflect the needs of the children who stay in this home. So, the staff have awareness of the additional vulnerabilities and risks for children with disabilities.

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

The registered manager and the staff work in partnership with the children’s parents. They make a conscious effort to ensure that families are welcomed at the home. Staff recognise the importance of the enduring relationships between the children and their families. One parent commented on feeling comfortable to ‘potter’ in the home while caring for her child. The open atmosphere provides reassurance to the children’s families and is an additional safeguarding protective factor.

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

Parents observe that their children feel safe and comfortable in the home. The supportive approach shown to the families by the staff has helped strengthen relationships between the children and their families. Staff deliver care with dignity and respect.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour well. Children respond to the consistency and stability which the staff provide. The staff team is skilled in implementing strategies that reduce behaviours that may pose a risk. Consequently, incidents of children showing distress have lessened over time.

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

Staff are good at recognising the signals children use to indicate their feelings, wishes and needs. However, not all the children have access to the communication systems they use at school and home. In addition, meal options are not provided in a variety of formats that mirror the children’s communication needs. This means that the children’s day-to-day choices are restricted. Inspection report children’s home: SC389174 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager returned from long-term leave in summer 2019 and has focused on several areas to improve the home that include extensive refurbishment. A significant amount is still to be done, and this affects the aesthetics and general feel of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have not received specific training to support a child with visual impairment. This means that the staff’s knowledge is limited in this area, and this has an impact on their ability to meet the child’s needs. This training was booked during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been a number of medication errors at the home. Staff have identified these quickly, and have taken swift action to reduce the risk of harm. All medication errors follow the child protection process and are recorded as a safeguarding concern. Staff formally discuss the incident with the senior management team to identify ways of improving their practice. The registered manager and a newly appointed nurse have used learning from each incident to improve future practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and the registered manager show commitment to the development of the staff team. Yet, some of the staff have not achieved the mandatory level 3 qualification within the required timescale. This is a repeat requirement from the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff use of a range of methods to gain the children’s views, wishes and feelings. When one method does not work, they adapt it, and another is used to gather information that leads to an improved environment for the children. For example, an independence skills plan has helped a child to become more involved in the maintenance of her personal space.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager supports staff who work well together to provide a consistent approach for children. This is enhanced using regular agency staff. The use of the same agency staff means that they feel part of the team, and there is consistency for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is ambitious for the children. For example, she challenges other professionals when there are shortcomings in services to children. This has ensured positive outcomes in health, education and general well-being of the children. Parents and professionals spoke highly of the staff team, and one parent described all the staff as ‘amazing’. Inspection report children’s home: SC389174 7

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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: SC389174 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care and Education 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

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Inspectors

Anne-Marie Davies, social care inspector (lead) Vevene Muhammad, social care inspector (team) Inspection report children’s home: SC389174 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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