Children's Home run by Keys Stepping Stones Limited in Tameside

Unique reference number SC005567 Inspector Valerie Shephard Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Stepping Stones Children's Services Limited Registered person address Keys Attachment Centre, Hurstwood Court New Hall Hey Road ROSSENDALE Lancashire BB4 6HR Responsible individual Heather Ann Laffin Registered manager Simon Peter Bottomley Date of last inspection 03/02/2014 2 of 8 Inspection date 05/06/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

This home provides a homely and nurturing environment. Personalised and well planned care takes into account the individual and diverse needs of the young people in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Good relationships exist between staff and young people. Staff understand the reasons for young people’s emotional fragility and support them to develop trust and achieve positive outcomes. Young people are safe and say they feel safe. There is positive consultation with young people about their care enabling staff to improve their support to young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and is effective in tackling issues to secure improvements. Effective challenge by the manager addresses any shortfalls identified in the care and management of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

A parent said, ‘the home is doing a really good job with my child and I am really pleased he has settled. I have no concerns and cannot fault the home.’ 3 of 8

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children's home that is part of a large national organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/02/2014 Interim good progress 30/05/2013 Full good 28/02/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 18/09/2012 Full good

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure sanctions and rewards for behaviour are clear, reasonable and fair and are understood by all staff and children and are subject to regular review to evaluate their effectiveness. (NMS 3.8) 4 of 8

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from stable placements and develop good relationships with staff which has a positive impact on their self-view.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people maintain good health while in the home. They benefit from the provision of nutritious food and opportunities to engage in physical activities which support a healthy lifestyle. They attend their health appointments and mostly engage in their therapy.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people participate in a range of community activities such as horse riding, swimming, and using the trampoline and scooter park. Engagement in these activities supports good health and assists young people to develop confidence in their abilities.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make varying degrees of progress in their education depending on their individual and specific needs. A recent school report on a young person said ‘he is just beginning to make academic progress and is clearly benefitting from the close support offered to him within our small nurturing environment. It is hoped that this young person will continue to develop academic and social competencies.’ Attendance is very good overall, however on occasions young people have been out of school for example due to exclusion. In these situations the home is active in providing alternative provision during the interim period. Young people are vocal and are confident in expressing their views, wishes and feelings to staff. Their views and opinions clearly have an input into the running of the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from contact with their families and people of significance to them from their past. Good outcomes have arisen due to the changes made to contact arrangements. For example, for some young people, increasing the opportunities for contact in the family home has had a positive impact on their behaviour. Young people are encouraged to invite friends to their home for tea and to play. This provides them with opportunities to socialise with others of their own age away from the school setting.

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Quality of care good

Staff successfully build positive relationships with young people assisting them to develop trust. Staff use these relationships to empower young people to address their difficulties and change their behaviour. Young people benefit from a therapeutic living environment underpinned by the organisation’s therapy team. 5 of 8 Staff care for young people in line with their care plan. The implementation of a new format better captures young people’s views and input into care planning. There is good consultation with young people about their care and their views on the running of the home. Staff obtain young people’s views through a variety of ways such as house meetings, key work sessions and feedback sheets. Young people know how to complain and there is evidence that they have done so in the past. Young people have a voice in this home. A social worker said, ‘the staff are very friendly and welcoming and they provide

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Quality of care good

excellent care to my young person. I like the way the young people speak to staff and vice versa’.

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Quality of care good

There is evidence of good communication with schools and contingency plans if young people are out of school on a temporary basis. This ensures that their learning continues until permanent arrangements are in place.

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Quality of care good

Staff promote a healthy lifestyle and young people are encouraged to make sensible choices about the food they eat. Staff provide a varied diet and have seen pleasing results with young people enjoying a regular intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. Staff use incentives with a small minority of young people in an attempt to dissuade them from smoking.

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Quality of care good

Staff support young people’s involvement in activities which benefits socialisation as well as good physical health. Young people have a tendency to pursue solitary pastimes so staff arrange activities from time to time which encourage full participation. This supports a healthy group living experience.

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Quality of care good

The home is well located and designed and provides a homely environment. The home is part of the community and overall enjoys peaceful relationships with neighbours.

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Quality of care good

A social worker said, ‘I feel this is an excellent home, staff go the extra mile. I have no concerns and there is nothing they could do better.’

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people say they feel safe within the home and like spending time with favoured members of staff. Young people enjoy activities and trips out in the community while protected from known risks. There is no bullying in the home and young people say they would tell the manager if this arose.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people rarely go missing. When missing events occur, staff manage these effectively and follow protocols to ensure the young person returns safely. Similarly, where there have been safeguarding issues or an allegation, the home has dealt with them following appropriate guidelines. The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) said, 'I have liaised with the manager from Fernbank on a couple of occasions and I 6 of 8 can confirm that I have no concerns about the setting or them following managing allegations procedures.'

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There is a focus on positive behaviour management with staff encouraging young people to work towards tangible rewards. However some incentive plans are no longer effective and in need of review to ensure they continue to produce desired results. A recommendation is made in this respect.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are effective at de-escalating potentially difficult situations and consequently young people are rarely restrained. Where restraints take place there is evaluation of their effectiveness by the manager. This ensures any trends and patterns are identified to effect change and improvement.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Robust recruitment practices result in suitable and appropriate vetting of new staff. Checks and references help to ensure the home does not appoint adults who could pose a risk to young people. Verification of references and exploration of gaps in employment histories are routinely undertaken. These practices support safer recruitment to benefit the young people in the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home provides a physically safe environment. Health and safety checks are undertaken regularly and fire drills involve young people to ensure they know what to do in an emergency. All electric and gas appliances are subject to regular checks. This means that young people’s living environment is free from avoidable risks.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has been in post since September 2013 having previously been the assistant manager for over three years. He has eight years’ experience in residential care and possesses a level 4 management qualification. He is currently working towards the level 5 certificate in management, to further enhance his skills in developing and improving the home. The manager adopts a ‘hands on’ approach and is effective in his management of the staff and home. A staff member said, 'the manager and staff are very supportive and I enjoy working as part of the team. The manager is exceptional, very encouraging and I believe has faith in his staff. Staff come into the home with a smile. I love my job and want to remain in this home.'

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Leadership and management good

Monthly monitoring of the home enables evaluation of the quality of care and outcomes for young people. The manager promptly addresses actions raised by the independent visitor to drive forward improvements.

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Leadership and management good

Routine consultation with children, parents and social workers provides valuable feedback to inform service delivery and future growth. The home’s development plan has realistic targets in place and is subject to regular review. The manager deals with complaints and concerns efficiently. 7 of 8 The home employs sufficient staff to care for the young people and does not rely on agency personnel to provide cover. Although only a minority of staff currently possess a recognised child care diploma, the remaining staff are working towards this qualification. The provision of refresher training at regular intervals ensures staff knowledge and skills are up to date. Staff benefit from suitable supervision and there is evidence of challenge to staff practices where appropriate to effect improvement. Monthly consultation and reflection with the therapeutic team assists staff to provide care which best meets young people’s emotional needs.

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Leadership and management good

Overall the home’s records are clear and up to date and give an account of each young person’s life since admission. There has been an improvement in staff recording evidence, for example to demonstrate work they are undertaking with young people. There is prompt notification of significant events relating to the protection of children to the appropriate authorities as required. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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