Children's home run by 4 Keys Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 1

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4 Keys Care Ltd

Monitoring visit 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 who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager. The previous registered manager resigned from the organisation in February 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to assess the provider’s compliance with a notice to restrict accommodation at the setting. The visit was also carried out to review the evidence provided as part of monitoring compliance notices and to follow up concerns raised by a parent.

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This monitoring visit

At the home’s interim inspection on 18 February 2020, the home was found to have declined in effectiveness. There had been insufficient progress in meeting the requirements set at the full inspection in August 2019. These requirements were reset, and new requirements added. The registered manager left her employment shortly after the interim inspection. Due to the shortfalls identified, accommodation at the home was restricted, and two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis, off-site monitoring of the compliance notices and the restriction of accommodation was carried out on 23 March 2020. An action plan had been submitted by the provider. This, along with information from the regulation 44 visits, was used to consider whether the provider had made progress against the steps set out in the compliance notices. The steps in the compliance notices were deemed to have been met, but the improvements were minimal and untested, so the restriction of accommodation remained in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 2 This monitoring visit established that some of the information provided in the provider’s action plan was inaccurate. There was insufficient evidence of progress in addressing the shortfalls identified at the interim inspection. Safeguarding practice is poor. The recording of incidents is chaotic and inconsistent. Leaders and managers

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This monitoring visit

do not share full, accurate information with safeguarding partners or placing local authorities.

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This monitoring visit

The management arrangements in the home are inadequate. Leaders and managers lack the necessary skills and experience to manage the day-to-day running of the home. There is a lack of accountability and clear delineation of roles. Leaders and managers have failed to put in place measures to identify and manage safeguarding concerns effectively, including the use and oversight of restraint. Staff lack the skills, training and confidence in managing behaviour and in using restraint. This has led to inconsistent and poor practice.

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This monitoring visit

The management and progression of allegations against staff continue to be poor. Processes designed to safeguard children are not followed.

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This monitoring visit

Safe recruitment practice is not being adhered to. Gaps were found in pre- employment checks, and information that should have been held on file was not present.

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This monitoring visit

Children have limited opportunities to raise concerns independently.

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This monitoring visit

This setting has been without a registered manager since February 2020. It is Ofsted’s view that the current on-site management arrangements, including the oversight of the responsible individual, demonstrate that leaders, managers and staff have insufficient experience or knowledge of residential childcare and the underpinning regulation to run this home effectively. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 28/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 4

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 29/05/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 29/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) 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

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 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.

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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. 29/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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)(e)) The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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the name of the person so appointed; and

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the date on which the appointment takes effect.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(2)(a)(b)) 19/06/2020

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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

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)) 29/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— 29/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 7 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—

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

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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 registered person must ensure that—

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the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. 29/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 8 (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records and assessments are accurate, accessible and individual. 29/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

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

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are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 9

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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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Inspectors

Bev Allison, social care inspector Sarah Orriss, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2502009 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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