Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 1 SC370899 Registered provider: Keys Care Limited 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 three young people (males) with a variety of complex needs, including behavioural, emotional and social needs and who require specialist support. The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2008.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2018 Full Outstanding 08/11/2017 Full Good 17/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 3

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outstanding

Young people make very good progress from difficult starting points when moving to this home. Before coming to the home, most young people have received little education and have experienced considerable disruption with constant changes of placement. For some, this has included periods in custody. The manager and staff help young people to develop trust and to make rapid progress in all areas of their development .

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outstanding

The manager and staff forge strong bonds with young people. Staff persevere through difficult and challenging times. Staff remain steadfast in their resolve to help young people reverse cycles of negative behaviour that have hampered them. Consequently, these strong relationships become fundamental to helping young people make the beneficial changes needed. One parent wrote, ‘Your staff are amazing because without your support I wouldn’t be able to rebuild a relationship with my son.’

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outstanding

Young people start to make excellent progress with their education. Most young people have been out of school for a significant period and this means they have missed a great deal of their education. The manager and staff work very effectively with partner agencies and develop achievable education plans for young people. They tailor plans to a young person’s individual needs, interests and talents and this helps young people to make progress and develop their confidence in learning.

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outstanding

Staff provide good help and support with young people’s emotional and psychological needs. A psychologist working with the organisation completes individual assessments of young people. Staff understand these assessments that inform young people’s placement plans. This means staff quickly identify when young people are struggling with their psychological well-being and they take effective action to provide young people with the help and support needed.

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outstanding

Young people moving into or leaving the home receive very good support from staff. The manager works effectively with partner agencies and the staff when considering a new young person for the home. Young people leaving the home receive very good help through a detailed independent living plan, which is subject to regular review and change in line with the changing needs of the young person. The manager and staff understand how crucial it is to get transitions right.

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outstanding

The manager and staff are improving the overall condition of the property for the benefit of young people. At the time of this inspection, the home was undergoing some refurbishment. The home appears tired in some areas and redecoration is required to ensure that this is a home young people can be proud to live in. Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 4

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outstanding

The manager and staff prioritise young people’s safety and welfare. Staff know young people’s whereabouts. They know young people’s friends and keep in constant communication with them when they are in the community. Staff strike a good balance between ensuring young people’s safety and allowing them the freedom to take age-appropriate risks. Staff have the confidence to place their trust in young people and consequently young people do not let them down.

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outstanding

Young people’s behaviour improves over time. They experience consistent and firm boundaries from staff. This has resulted in a reduction in the frequency of concerning incidents and young people going missing has become rare. Young people talk to staff and confide in them over important matters. They respect the decisions staff make and this prevents incidents arising and maintains a calm atmosphere.

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outstanding

The strong bonds young people have developed with staff have helped them to become safer. Young people who regularly tried to self-harm have now discontinued this behaviour. Incidents of substance and alcohol misuse have significantly reduced and criminal behaviour is no longer a worry for young people. Young people therefore make significant progress.

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outstanding

Staff take the correct action, in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation, when the behaviour of young people becomes concerning. Staff manage incidents effectively. The manager provides very good and detailed oversight to learn lessons and prevent any reoccurrence. The manager has taken robust action when the behaviour of staff has fallen below expectation because the welfare of young people takes precedence.

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outstanding

The manager has completed an exceptionally strong location risk assessment. He has considered a range of views from partner agencies. He has linked locational risks to individual vulnerability of young people and sets out a plan to keep young people safe. This assessment helps staff to keep young people safe in the wider community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is very experienced, knowledgeable and committed and leads this home well. He is respected by staff, young people and other professionals. He has undertaken regular training and development to keep his knowledge and skills up to date but failed to enrol and complete the required qualification for managers. This is a shortfall regarding his own professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a visible presence for young people and he has developed very good relationships with them. He understands young people’s needs, vulnerabilities and crucially their strengths and potential. He is forward looking, organised and Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 5 confident. He is optimistic and ambitious for young people and works tirelessly with them and staff to achieve their goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good support, including regular professional supervision. These meetings put the welfare of young people first. Supervision sessions provide the opportunity for staff to focus on their welfare and professional practice. Supervision sessions are well structured and guided by a comprehensive agenda, which captures the pertinent issues. Staff report they can raise any issue or worries with the manager because they know they are listened to and taken seriously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training and development remain of crucial importance to the manager. Consequently, staff undertake a wide range of training and development, which improves their care practice. The manager has ensured that staff have either obtained or are undertaking the required qualification for residential childcare workers. One member of staff has not completed this programme within the required timescales. This is now a priority for the manager to get this member of staff qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Processes to assure that when agency staff work in the home they have the required qualifications, experience and knowledge equivalent to the existing staff group are not consistently robustly applied.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works effectively with partner agencies and secures the right services to help young people make progress. The manager is a strong voice for young people if he believes they are being let down by others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people receive very good care and support because the manager constantly evaluates quality of care. He uses several systems, including monthly independent visitor reports and feedback from professionals and most importantly the young people. The manager and staff listen to young people intently and this helps to develop the strong relationships which are fundamental to the progress young people make in this home. Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 6

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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 (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has— (c) by the relevant date, attained—

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Requirement Due date

(i) the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

(ii) a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 28 (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 20/03/2020

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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

(a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

(b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 Diploma.

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food, hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The use of external agency staff can be a positive choice to complement the skills and experiences of the permanent workforce. Any external agency staff should Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 7 meet the requirements in Regulation 32(4) regarding mandatory qualifications and the registered person should consider their skills, qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work in the home. The use of agency

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Recommendations

staff should be carefully monitored and reviewed to ensure children receive continuity of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC370899 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Pinsett Mason Llp, The Soloist Building, 1 Lanyon Place, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT1 3LP

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Inspector

Phillip Morris, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC370899 9 to 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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