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

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager has a child focussed approach which he has spread through the rest of the staff team.  Young people benefit from a nurturing and caring environment which is provided by a stable management and core staff team.  Young people have good relationships with the staff which they value.  Young people have great opportunities to enjoy their childhood, through play and social activities. This gives them new and positive life experiences that assist them to develop into balanced young adults.  Staff understand and implement strategies, guide and support young people to ensure they are kept safe.  Young people benefit from the promotion of education engagement, resulting in positive learning.  Staff receive good training opportunities and regular supervision. This enhances their knowledge to how to care and safeguard young people.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and

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Requirement Due date

maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

(a) the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

(b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45 (1) (2) (a) (b)) In particular, the reports demonstrate the manager has consulted with children. 28/09/2015

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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

 The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 51, paragraph 10.1) In particular, that staff vacancies are recruited to quickly to ensure the continuity of care is maintained.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children's home providing accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/02/2015 Interim Improved Effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05/02/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

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good

Staff are child centred and speak about the importance of nurturing and supporting young people while giving structure which enhances their life chances. They have built positive relationships with young people. Young people said, ‘The best thing about living here is the staff. They take us to loads of places, they talk and explain things to us,’ another said, ‘I am close to the staff who have worked here some time, I can talk to them.’

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good

Young people benefit immensely from having clear daily routines with a strong focus and high expectations for them to attend education. A young person said, ‘I go to school every day, we all have our tea together, we all have a set bedtime depending on our age.’ Where young people have struggled to attend their education provision, alternatives have been quickly sourced. This provides young people with clear boundaries of what is expected of them and assists them to feel secure.

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good

Young people’s health is given importance. Staff have built effective working relationships with health professionals to ensure they can meet the needs of young people. Young people said that the staff support them to attend health appointments. They are encouraged to eat a balanced diet and take part in planning the weekly menu. Staff discourage any young people from smoking and have explained the dangers to their health, which is continually reinforced. Young people take part regularly in physical activities. Young people said, ‘I have a scooter, and go a lot to the skate park,’ and another said, ‘I play footy with the staff on the field opposite.’ Consequently, young people are accessing local health services and are equipped with information and activities which promote a healthy lifestyle.

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good

All the young people attend school or alternative placements and have made progress in having good or better attendance. Staff work tirelessly to promote this. Particular young people have made continued academic progress. An education provider said, ‘X is attending school well, and is really enjoying it.’ Staff effectively communicate with education providers to ensure that all necessary information is shared to make sure young people receive the right support if they experience difficulties. This affords young with a sensitive approach to promote their learning.

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good

Young people profit from regular contact with their families and other important people in their lives. Staff work hard to support young people to build and maintain constructive relationships with their families. It is recognised that these networks will be important to them once they have left care.

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good

Young people are supported to learn skills that they will need in adulthood. All undertake their own laundry and maintain their personal space. The older ones are involved in preparing meals and are learning to budget their money. An independent visitor said,’ The staff meet X needs well, with his day to day life and support him with independence skills, which include cooking, attending education and budgeting money.’

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good

Young people live in a home that they feel safe in. They say that, ‘Staff talk to us a lot about keeping safe.’ This is reflected in the direct work undertaken by young people in line with their individual placement plans.

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good

Professionals and staff report that young people’s risk taking behaviour has reduced over time. This has included not going missing, improved attendance at school and the reduction in the amount of challenging and difficult behaviour. Staff have a good understanding of each young person’s needs and constantly support young people in these particular areas.

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good

Staff promote young people’s success by building strong and trusting relationships. They know once this has been established, young people are more ready to engage and listen to their advice and guidance. As a result, young people are more settled and are kept safe.

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good

Young people know how to complain and have done so. Quick action is taken to investigate and address any complaints raised. This shows that young people’s concerns are listened to and taken seriously. Young people said that bullying behaviour is not allowed. There has been an issue of name calling. Swift action was taken, with young people being spoken to individually and collectively. In addition, the close supervision of young people ensures that staff can intervene and address any reoccurrence of such behaviour immediately. This course of action has been successful. Young people said that there is no bullying occurring.

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good

The staff approach to managing behaviour is giving young people positive praise and incentives along with clear expectations and support. Young people said, ‘The staff are fair with us.’ A staff member said, ‘We nurture the kids here, give them praise, we’re consistent. I can diffuse situations and do use humour, this works with most young people.’ As a result, young people’s difficult and challenging behaviour has reduced overtime.

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good

The manager has over ten years’ experience working with young people. He holds the required qualification for the position. He has been a Registered Manager at this home since 2013.

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good

Young people benefit from being cared for by a stable core staff team, who are trained and experienced in working with young people. The service has three staff vacancies. On occasions this results in staff from other homes working to support and care for the young people. Every effort has been made to ensure these are the same individuals to provide continuity of care to young people. However, if this situation is allowed to drift it could impact negatively on maintaining the good care that these young people are currently afforded.

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good

The manager and senior team demonstrate a good awareness of the strengths and weakness of the service. Young people confirm that the staff focus is on keeping them safe and attending education. This is done well. Young people have the opportunity to experience new things and get to go out on activities and trips. There is a commitment to improving behaviour, setting boundaries and recruiting to staff vacancies. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses in the service and is able to improve the quality of care provided. Professionals involved with the service all said they have positive relationships with the staff team. A leaving care manager said, ‘The home meets young people’s needs well; they are kept safe. The staff send weekly update reports and I receive calls from the service as and when required.’ This demonstrates that staff build effective working relationships and keep all professionals well informed about the

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good

Young people profit from a staff team who are committed to doing their best for them. This is upheld by the manager, who ensures that the staff receive regular supervision, support, training, staff meetings and daily handovers. As a result, staff feel valued and motivated to plan and provide good care to young people.

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good

Recommendations from the last inspection have been met. The front door has been replaced, helping the home blend in with the rest of the community and making it safe and secure. The assessment of the local area has been reviewed and now considers information provided by community agencies. This enables the staff to evaluate any potential risks to young people from having a better knowledge of the locality. In addition, it allows them to make suitable decisions and take any required action to safeguard everyone.

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good

Effective monitoring of the service ensures that shortfalls and deficiencies are identified and action is taken to address these in most instances without delay. Monthly independent monitoring reports clearly demonstrate this. Young people are regularly consulted in a number of ways. They say they have weekly young people’s meetings, key work sessions, attend their reviews and have general daily discussions with staff. Requests from young people have been actioned even though the manager’s monitoring reports do not include direct feedback and the opinions from young people about the facilities provided and the care they receive.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. procedures set out in the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

regulates and 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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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

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Information about this inspection

Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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