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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 1 SC026991

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Keys Child Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Children were spoken with as part of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

On 7 August 2020, Ofsted received a complaint which was followed by information from the designated officer. The concerns related to the provider not sharing documents to promote the children’s health and well-being. As a result, a monitoring visit was carried out on 11 August 2020 to check whether the home was meeting regulations. Following this visit, four compliance notices were issued.

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This monitoring visit

On 16 September 2020, inspectors completed a monitoring visit. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the provider to meet the four compliance notices issued. These relate to: regulation 5, engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met; regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; and regulation 35, behaviour management policies. At this visit, the inspectors found that the provider had taken steps to improve staff responses to safeguarding concerns. Furthermore, care planning for children has been reviewed and new monitoring and review systems implemented.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans have been reviewed and updated to ensure that they accurately reflect each child’s behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. More pertinently, the strategies for managing risk-taking behaviours such as self-harm are clear. These documents are now discussed as standard agenda items at daily briefings and Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 2 managers ensure that they are formally reviewed each week as part of a review of each child’s care. Staff spoken to during the inspection showed a good understanding of these plans and could demonstrate how they are supporting children to keep themselves safe. All of the reviewed plans have been shared with all of the professionals involved in the individual children’s care.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, steps have been taken to improve the staff’s responses to safeguarding issues. For example, new systems have been introduced so that decision-making processes relating to safeguarding are clearly recorded. Furthermore, the managers have tested the staff’s knowledge of safeguarding in individual supervision sessions and in team meetings. Because of these changes, children’s welfare is promoted more effectively, and staff are better equipped to recognise and respond to concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have undertaken a range of training courses. This means that staff now have the skills and knowledge to deliver care to children in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Specifically, staff are now trained to be able to safely manage children’s self-harmful behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of management oversight and monitoring in relation to behaviour management has improved. Children and staff are now debriefed after each incident of physical intervention. However, it remains a concern that on one occasion the debrief of staff was carried out by a manager who had also been involved in the incident. Therefore, the registered manager cannot be sure that all interventions were carried out safely and in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has introduced a management checklist, which enables her to routinely monitor, evaluate and analyse the work undertaken by the staff. Daily, weekly and monthly monitoring takes place and has enabled the manager to identify weaknesses and to take remedial action. As a result, the quality of the records and practice has improved. However, despite the systems that are in place, these are not always utilised in the absence of the registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s environment is now adequately maintained. This ensures that children live in a warm, nurturing environment and helps to raise their self-esteem. By taking the initiative, staff can model good approaches to maintaining comfortable personal space.

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This monitoring visit

Significant events involving children have not been reported to Ofsted. A failure to share information with all of the relevant people compromises the safety and welfare of children. Furthermore, the regulator is unable to carry out its monitoring function to ensure that all of the appropriate action is taken by the provider to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

No further enforcement action is planned. However, a further inspection will take place to review how these improvements are being embedded to improve the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/05/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Good 06/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/04/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 23/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 5 that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(c)) 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; and 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)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 23/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 24(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 23/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out— 23/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 6 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35(1)(a)(b)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a clear record of the staff working in the home at any time. 23/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40(4)(e)) 23/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 7

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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: SC026991 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Care Ltd, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspectors

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Miss Suzanne Birchall, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC026991 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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