Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 1 SC001016

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 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 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: 12 February 2019

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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: SC001016 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2019 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good 22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are making progress from their starting points. They are happy and settled and there are good relationships between each other and the staff. The staff know the children and young people well and invest their time in them. There is a friendly and nurturing atmosphere in the home, which helps the children and young people develop a sense of security and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people have access to therapeutic support by the home’s mental health professional. This offers children and young people the opportunity to explore their feelings and for staff to gain a greater understanding of their needs. Staff have a good understanding of the effects of trauma on children and young people. This enables them to better support the emotional well-being of children and young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Views, wishes and feelings of children and young people are gathered through a variety of methods of consultation. Children and young people attend a weekly meeting, they participate in key-work with staff and are supported in making complaints where appropriate. The staff also advocate for children and young people and ensure that their views are heard in multi-agency meetings. As a result, children and young people feel empowered and able to contribute to important decisions in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff place the well-being of children and young people at the centre of their practice. Their needs are met to a good standard, they are provided with routines and boundaries and are able to enjoy a range of activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people can pursue their talents and also try new challenges. They are supported with activities, such as playing for their local football team, going to the skate-park and enjoying trips to the cinema. This supports children and young people to integrate into the local community, make new friends and enjoy new interests and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people who are new to the home benefit from well-planned introductions. The impact on the other children and young people is well considered.

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

Children and young people are better protected because of good safeguarding practice. The knowledge staff develop about the children and young people helps them to better understand their risks and can target interventions more effectively.

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

When children are at risk of harm, there is a robust response, which includes internal support from specialist services to give children and young people the tools they need to reduce their risks and make better choices in the future. Children and Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 4 young people are supported to take age-appropriate risks. This helps them develop a sense of responsibility and independence.

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

The staff are supported by clinical professionals who contribute to the individual care and behaviour management plans for the children and young people. They have clear boundaries and the rewards system in place helps them to focus on positive behaviours. Any incidents of damage are dealt with through restorative practice. This has resulted in a marked reduction in negative consequences.

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

Investigations into allegations of harm or complaints against staff have been thorough. The relevant agencies are informed in a timely way and the priority is focused on the safeguarding of children and young people. Outcomes from allegations and complaints are shared with the children and young people involved. This shows the children and young people that they are listened to and that their voice is valued.

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

The home currently uses an electronic and paper system to record incidents. However, when physical interventions have been used, it is not always recorded as a physical intervention on both recording systems. This is confusing and could lead to information being misrepresented. To date, there has been no impact on children and young people. Therefore, a recommendation has been made to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a long-standing manager who provides stability to both children and young people. Leaders and managers are passionate and committed to ensuring the success of the children and young people in their care. This is mirrored throughout the staff team, whose members show great pride in the work they do with the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the children and young people and their progress. They have high expectations for the children and young people and what they can achieve. They have been a positive influence in the lives of children and young people. One ex-resident has shared a video thanking the staff and manager for the support he received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has recently experienced a period of disruption. There has been a prompt response to review the action taken and an action plan has been implemented. As a result, children and young people’s behaviour has significantly improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings, which inspires learning and development. These allow staff to reflect on their contribution to the progress of children and young people and to understand how they impact on their experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers understand the importance of achieving a permanent home for children and young people and the impact when this is not achieved. The manager will challenge other professionals when practice standards are not meeting Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 5 the needs of the children and young people in their care. When the home is unable to meet the needs of any child or young person, the manager makes appropriate decisions, including serving notice. However, despite this the manager has worked hard to ensure that children and young people leaving the home do so in a planned manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not maintained all the necessary paperwork on each child or young person’s file. That said, there is some evidence of these concerns being escalated with the placing authority. However, there has been some drift, which has resulted in a delay in updating plans and gathering all essential information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A recommendation was made at the last inspection to ensure that key-work sessions are recorded and in a way that is meaningful to the child or young person. This recommendation has not been fully met and has therefore been made again. Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 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

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

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 27/03/2020

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Recommendations

Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

In particular, key-working sessions should capture the voice of the child and demonstrate their understanding and learning for those sessions.

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Recommendations

This is to ensure a consistent approach to the recording of physical interventions.

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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: SC001016 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, 2nd Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Deb Duffy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 8 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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