Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 1 Registered provider: CF Social Work Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by an independent provider. The home cares for up to two children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Following a full inspection on the 11 April 2023, Ofsted served a compliance notice in respect of the leadership and management of the home on 19 April 2023. On 23 May 2023, Ofsted conducted a monitoring visit. At this visit, the provider had met the steps set out in the compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/04/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living at the home. The child spends most of their free time and weekends with friends, away from the home. This limits the opportunities for staff to build trusting relationships with the child and reduces the child’s sense of belonging and permanence.

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improvement to be good

The child, who was not attending school at the last inspection, is beginning to make some progress and is now re-engaging with education. Feedback from the child’s teacher is that their attendance is not regular. The communication with and support from the home’s staff was described as very good. Partnership working and good support with education help to lessen the child’s anxieties about returning to school.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not consistently providing healthy eating options for the child. Weekly menus do not include enough fresh fruit and vegetables. Staff’s suggestions to broaden the child’s preferences and prepare daily, chopped fruit, have not been implemented. Consequently, the child’s weight has increased.

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improvement to be good

The staff encourage the child to attend health appointments. However, the child has refused to attend three separate dental appointments and has now been removed from the patient list. This means that the child will not have quick and easy access to dental treatment when they need it.

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improvement to be good

The house is clean and welcoming. Improvements have been made to the home’s interior. The child has recently moved to a larger bedroom and chosen the colour scheme and blinds. The space under the stairs has been changed from a storage area to a small den, with strip lights, a sofa and beanbags. This space is used and enjoyed by the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to share their concerns and opinions. The child now has an advocate and access to a suggestion box to write down concerns to share with staff. This enables the child to express their views about the care they receive.

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, there has been a reduction in the number of times the child has been missing from home. This reduction has been credited to the positive steps the staff have taken with the child. These have enabled the child to have free time in the community with friends. On two occasions, when the child has left the home without permission, staff have not followed the missing-from-care protocol. Failing to follow protocols reduces the opportunity to find and return the child to the home as soon as possible. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 4 Staff use consequences as a response to behaviour. However, the consequences and staff’s responses are inconsistent. The manager has not provided staff with alternative, restorative options. This means the child has not been given the opportunity to learn and reflect on how they can behave differently.

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improvement to be good

The staff have conversations with the child about socially acceptable behaviour. However, there continue to be incidents when the child has been involved in anti- social behaviour in the community. Therefore, it is difficult to measure the positive benefit of these conversations.

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improvement to be good

On occasions, the child has caused damage to the home. The staff and local police have worked in partnership to help the child understand that possible criminal proceedings could occur when they cause damage. Consequently, these incidents have reduced considerably.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are regularly updated and easily accessible for staff. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding, the risks that they need to manage and the actions required to keep the child safe.

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good

The registered manager and senior managers have worked hard to make improvements since the last full inspection. A detailed workforce development plan is in place to drive improvements to the quality of care.

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good

Feedback from the child’s parent and social worker is mixed. They are pleased that the child has started to engage with education, and that their unsafe behaviours have reduced. However, they both raised concerns in relation to poor communication and lack of information-sharing. This means that essential information is not consistently shared with people who are important to the child.

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good

A trauma-informed training session has been provided for staff. However, this was not well attended. This means that not all staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge to accommodate the child’s needs.

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good

The manager completes a six-monthly review of the quality of care provided. However, the manager has not demonstrated how she has responded to children’s feedback and opinions in this review. This weakens the review and evaluation of the care provided.

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good

Safe recruitment processes are comprehensively carried out to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. The staff receive a thorough induction, which includes a range of training and shadow shifts with experienced staff. Good induction, support and training help staff to meet children’s needs and provide continuity of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 5 Managers have a visible presence at the home and make themselves available to staff for guidance and advice. Staff receive regular supervision sessions. Consequently, staff said that they feel supported by their managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff provide healthy food options and encourage healthy eating. In addition, ensure that the child has access to dental services. 21 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 21 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, help the child to understand and develop socially acceptable behaviour. In addition, ensure that staff receive training relating to post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff follow the child’s missing-from- care protocol and consistently implement consequences. 21 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff aim to support full-time attendance at school unless the child’s relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  The registered person should ensure that information relating to the child they care for is shared appropriately. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.7)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review includes the opinions and feedback from the child in the report. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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 for children’s home: 2701100 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3-4b K Line House, West Road, Ipswich IP3 9SX

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Inspector

Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2701100 10 inspects 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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