Children's Home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 1 SC450994 Registered provider: Keys Direct Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children aged between 10 and 18 years old, who experience a variety of complex needs and who need specialist support. Four children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the post on 10 June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been in post since June 2024, they are in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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be good

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

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be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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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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be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2024 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Good 27/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 3

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improvement to be good

No children have moved in or out since the last inspection. All four children were present during the inspection and three children were spoken with. One child chose not to share their views.

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improvement to be good

Overall, children have made progress from their starting points. However, recent changes in leadership and management have led to shortfalls in safeguarding children. A social worker said that lack of consistent staffing, and the use of agency staff who do not know children well, have had a negative effect on their child’s views of living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have regular conversations with children to help them understand their experiences. Often, these conversations are supportive of children and sensitive to their needs. However, staff sometimes refer to children as being manipulative. This can be perceived as child blaming. The language used by staff in records is stigmatising and does not support children to understand their behaviour in a helpful way.

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improvement to be good

All the children are in education. They are making good educational progress. Children are working towards or are meeting their individual learning targets. One child has good attendance at their mainstream school. One child has a part-time job.

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improvement to be good

Children have a variety of positive experiences. They have been on holiday, to adventure parks and football matches. Some children have had horse-riding lessons. Children have fun and new experiences with staff that help to build their confidence and self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to feel valued through regular rewards. Staff use games and other incentives to help children to recognise their positive behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Three children are working towards independence. Staff are helping them to make choices about cooking, cleaning and budgeting. Children are learning skills that will help them progress into adulthood. A social worker spoke positively about their child’s overall progress to date and the support that core staff have provided at times of difficulty for the child.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not always deployed staff appropriately taking into consideration their skills, their relationship with the children and their experience of the home. Children have gone missing from care six times since the last inspection. On one occasion, this led to a child experiencing harm. Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 4 Since the last inspection, the manager has reintroduced a log for recording consequences. On one occasion, a consequence was not reviewed by the manager for 15 days, and a child was not spoken to by the manager about the consequence for 20 days. This was due to the manager being away from the home and the task not being delegated to another appropriate person. This does not provide timely oversight to ensure that children are treated fairly.

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improvement to be good

Monitoring alarms are used on one child’s door and the use of this is not regularly reviewed. This does not support a homely environment for the child.

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improvement to be good

Risk-management strategies such as close monitoring of a child have not been reviewed appropriately. An identified strategy to reduce risk was removed without consultation with relevant professionals. Records of this monitoring are contradictory and do not give the rationale for the level of monitoring.

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improvement to be good

On one occasion, a manager directed staff to leave a child’s electronic cigarette in the child’s room overnight. Staff were concerned that removing the item would result in an incident with insufficient staff to manage it.

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improvement to be good

There have not always been enough staff working in the home who are suitability skilled to meet the needs of the children. On one occasion, there were not enough staff who were appropriately trained to hold children. This was identified by the manager, who raised it with senior leaders; however, this was not addressed. This resulted in staff being unable to hold a child during a significant incident and, consequently, the police being called for support. When staff have held children, this is necessary and proportionate to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Children have free time in the community. Staff support children to reduce risks and increase this free time. One child said that moving into the home ‘was a blessing in disguise’.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks that using the internet may pose to children. When there have been concerns around children’s use of the internet, staff have acted in a timely way to reduce this risk. Children have been supported to gain an understanding of online safety through conversations with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection in March 2024, the registered manager returned from long-term leave. They left their post in June 2024. The interim manager who was in day-to-day management of the home during the March 2024 inspection has now been appointed as permanent manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight and monitoring of the home have not been effective. Consequently, a number of the shortfalls identified at this inspection had not been identified by leaders and managers. Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 5 There have been practice concerns about some staff. Managers’ decisions on the deployment of staff have had a direct negative impact on children’s safety. On one occasion, poor staff practice led to a child going missing and experiencing harm. Despite a significant incident happening, the manager deployed staff ineffectively on two further occasions that day. This led to a further allegation of harm from another child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On another occasion, the manager directed a member of staff not to lone work while an incident was being explored. However, this staff member returned to full duties without clear management rationale. A further allegation of poor practice followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records in the home are contradictory of each other and inaccurate. Leaders and managers could not explain why staff have signed and dated records about children when those staff were not at the home on the date that the records were signed. Other records about children’s information in staff handovers is different between versions of documents. This does not help leaders and managers to have effective oversight of staff practice or children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, staff have not received regular one-to-one supervision sessions from April 2024 onwards. This included the period when there was a change in leadership and more frequent use of agency staff. New members of staff have not received supervision support in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The new manager offered one group supervision session to the staff team in June 2024. Infrequent supervision sessions reduce the opportunities for staff to reflect on the children’s experiences and to discuss practice issues. This also reduces the oversight that leaders and managers have of staff’s skills and training needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff generally receive regular training. Two new starters are yet to complete the home’s mandatory training. Some staff are yet to complete training that is specific to children’s identified needs. One member of staff has not achieved a relevant qualification within the required timescale. Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 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, The 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the deployment of staff and agency workers takes into consideration their skills and experiences and considers who is best able to support children’s individual needs. 24 July 2024

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 30 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 7 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

staff have suitable training and experience to meet children’s needs and that there are sufficient numbers of trained staff in the home at any time;

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Requirement Due date

managers provide frequent and effective supervision;

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Requirement Due date

managers review records to ensure that they are accurate and that they are accurately signed and dated by staff.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

any use of increased monitoring of children is kept under regular review. 24 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

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 signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 24 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 8 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(ii)(c))

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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

The requirements are that— the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 27 December 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information about 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) Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 9

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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: SC450994 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Direct Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspectors

Rebecca Hannell, Social Care Inspector Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC450994 11 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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