Children's Home run by Keys Educational Services Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 1 Registered provider: Keys Educational Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care and accommodation for up to four children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children and young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since January 2019.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 4 February 2020 to carry out an interim inspection. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 4 February 2020

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 3

p.2

improvement to be good

The children living at the home benefit from the staff’s nurturing and individualised care and regard the home as a place of safety and stability. There is a relaxed atmosphere in the home and the children and staff clearly enjoy each other’s company. These positive relationships form the base from which the children are making progress.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children generally get along well with each other and have been settled at the home for some time. However, as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in accordance with government guidance, when the children were confined to the house, some of the children have been allowed by the staff to establish unhealthy habits and routines, such as staying in bed until lunchtime and snacking at night.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children are enjoying the return to their clubs in the community, such as boxing and football clubs, that were closed during the COVID-19 restrictions. The children are effectively supported by the staff to visit family and friends.

p.3

improvement to be good

All the children are making progress in educational placements that meet their needs. One child has gained a place at college to start after the summer holidays. The staff effectively supported the children through COVID-19 school closures to continue their education at home and continue their progress.

p.3

improvement to be good

Behaviour management plans do not always contain clear and creative behaviour management strategies so that staff can safely manage the children’s behaviour without having to physically restrain them. On one occasion, the restraint of a child was not necessary and the child became extremely distressed as a result. There was a lack of management oversight of this incident to inform learning for staff and potential trends and patterns.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children are encouraged and supported to learn from their mistakes and keep themselves safe. They receive praise from the staff for their achievements. The use of sanctions is minimal. The staff effectively support the children to understand the consequences of their behaviour on others.

p.3

improvement to be good

Comprehensive assessments of risk and control measures are in place to help promote the safety of the children. The manager and the staff work effectively with safeguarding professionals and social workers, such as when there is a concern about the practice of a member of staff. Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 4 The children report that they feel safe living in the home and could name a trusted adult they would speak to if they felt worried or upset. Incidents are reduced and the children rarely go missing from the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Permanent staff are rigorously checked before they start work at the home to ensure that they are suitable people to be working with children. However, leaders and managers do not ensure that agency staff undertake the same rigorous checks. One agency member of staff worked in the home without the manager ensuring that appropriate checks had been undertaken.

p.4

good

The registered manager is experienced. He is well liked and respected by the staff and the children. The staff team is consistent and stable, there is limited use of agency staff. The staff report that they enjoy their job and that the home is a positive place to work.

p.4

good

The manager understands that he and the staff are tired following repeated periods of lockdown due to COVID-19 and the impact it has had on the staff and the children. To address this, the manager has arranged for a consultant from the organisation to work with the staff to support them through the transition back to more ‘normal’ daily routines following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

p.4

good

Management oversight of records and documents lacks rigour. On occasion, the manager has not actively challenged other professionals to obtain the services that the children need. For example, one child is in need of an independent advocate, but this has not been actively pursued by the manager.

p.4

good

The home provides the children with a homely and comfortable environment. Any damage in the house is promptly repaired. The children choose the colours and furnishings for their bedrooms. Photographs of the children are displayed throughout the house, giving the children a sense of belonging.

p.4

good

Feedback from professionals is positive. Placing social workers comment about the progress that their children have made since coming to the home. Despite experiencing moves in their past, the children have settled and made progress at this home. Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6 (a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(ii))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that the children benefit from healthy and structured daily routines.

p.5

Requirement Due date

Ensure that the aims of a child’s placement are clearly documented in their plans, along with how these plans will be achieved, and to document planned timescales. 27 August 2021

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children to aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 27 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

p.6

Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

p.6

Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child);

p.6

Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)) 27 August 2021

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph(3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 27 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 7 This specifically relates to ensuring that if agency staff are employed, that full and satisfactory information is obtained prior to the agency member of staff starting work in the home.

p.6

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: 2507631 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Educational Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Tina Maddison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2507631 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9