Children's home run by 4 Keys Care Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 1 Registered provider: 4 Keys Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for up to six children and young people. The home provides care and accommodation for children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Inspection date: 18 February 2020

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 18 February 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been insufficient progress in meeting the requirements set at the last inspection. These requirements have been reset and new requirements added. The registered manager is currently absent from the home. The home is currently being overseen by the deputy manager, supported by senior management.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are significant shortfalls in management monitoring and management oversight of the home. Key documents have not been completed or shared with relevant professionals. When there have been significant incidents or concerns, this information has not always been shared with Ofsted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Social workers are not routinely made aware of incidents of restraint. Most restraint records have not been monitored or signed by the manager. Following a physical restraint, debriefs with children and staff are not carried out. This does not allow children the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings following incidents. Staff do not have their practice challenged and do not have the opportunity to discuss incidents. On one occasion, an inappropriate restraint technique was used. This led to an injury to a child which required medical attention. This was not challenged, and no action was taken by the manager in response to this. Some information held in the restraint record is not factually accurate.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care planning and case records are poor. Information contained within files is inaccurate and insufficient. In one care plan, the child’s legal status was inaccurately recorded. Another care plan contained a different child’s name. Care plans are not unique and individual to the child. Risk assessments are confusing and do not always identify the appropriate level of risk, particularly in respect of specific behaviour, such as self-harm. This means that staff do not always have a clear sense of risk, or the strategies to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The voice of the child is not captured within documents specific to them, such as care plans. Evidence of consultation with children is limited. Children do not routinely have access to or sign their plans. This means that children’s views, wishes and feelings are not always included or responded to.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The monitoring of fire procedures and equipment is insufficient. Fire doors are not routinely checked. Specific high-risk areas do not have smoke detectors. There is only one operational fire exit from the home; the other two fire doors are locked with keys. The key for one of these doors is missing and has not been replaced. This would make any evacuation from the home more difficult in the event of a fire. Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 3 Staff do not have regular one-to-one supervision. Staff do not have the opportunity to reflect on their practice or discuss any concerns they may have.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recruitment processes are not robust. Gaps in employment are not explored and reference checks are not thorough. The manager has had complete oversight of recruitment in the home, and senior managers have not always been involved in the process. This has the potential for unsuitable staff to be employed who may cause harm to a child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are making some progress in the home. Missing from care incidents have significantly reduced.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children do not attend education consistently. One child is waiting for a suitable placement and is currently supported by a tutor. External agencies come into the home to work with children and staff. Staff support children well and, overall, they are warm and nurturing towards the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have positive and trusting relationships with staff and they know that staff care about them. However, one child has raised a concern recently about feeling isolated and being treated differently to the other children. Senior management has taken this concern seriously and is investigating it. Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 5

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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

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f) (h)) * 23/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(c)(f)) 15/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— 15/04/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 6 take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b)(d)(e)) * 23/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 01/05/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 7 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2502009 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 18 Hoffmans Way, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1GU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tony Clarke-Holland

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2502009 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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