Children's Home run by Keys ACE Limited in Bury

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 home ensures all detailed information is received and thorough planning is carried out prior to placements being made  The care provided is individualised in line with the assessed and plan needs of young people  Young people feel able to contribute to the running of the home. They are involved in key decisions and their views are central to all aspects of how the home operates and develops its practice  Relationships between young people, registered manager and staff members are positive, supportive and friendly. Staff members work as a cohesive team and follow agreed strategies to enable young people to progress  Young people are safe in the home and previous risk taking behaviour is changed. Staff members are skilled and use positive intervention techniques  Consistent messages and well organised strategies ensure absences and missing from home incidents are managed well. This protects young people

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The children's home provision is good because:

as staff members know where they are  Daily routines are structured which contributes to young people’s quality of care and sense of belonging  Risks are managed well and understood by staff members ensuring strategies protect young people  From their starting point young people make excellent progress and their education outcomes are improved  Partnership working is professional and reduces young people’s risk of being exploited, which helps them to become increasingly safe  Young people are central to the care provided with leaders and managers prioritising their needs extremely well  The registered manager and management team know the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This helps to secure improvement and rectify shortfalls  Areas for improvement are identified as follows; the home is recruiting to fill a vacant staff position. Return interviews need to be carried out when young people return from being missing. Supervision records need to be

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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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

’13. In order to meet 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

13 (2) (d) The registered person must ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. 31/10/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child (The Guide to the Quality Standards Page 45 paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Ensure a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 61 paragraph 13.3)

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline:  The home is registered to accommodate four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties  The home is privately owned  The primary focus is to develop individual opportunities for young people within, education, personal development, family contact (if applicable and appropriate) through structured approach via the whole staff team. As written in the home's statement of purpose

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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good

Young people receive exceptional care and this allows them to progress from their starting point in the home. The positive impact this is having is clear to see for those who have lived in the home for a considerable time. Their confidence and self-esteem has flourished and they have developed an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging. Equally, young people recently accommodated are benefitting from the nurturing environment and positive role models of staff members.

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good

‘It’s great here, we have a laugh, you learn right from wrong, I never want to leave, they (staff) are so welcoming and friendly,’ are comments made individually and as a group about how young people see their care. Relationships between young people themselves and with staff members are excellent. Staff members spend time with young people and welcome them back into the home, when returning from school or college. Staff are interested in how their day has been and experiences are shared.

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good

All young people have fulltime educational placements and regularly attend school or college. There is effective partnership working with local schools and colleges. This enables suitable placements to be sought for young people, prior to or on admission to the home. Staff know how well young people are achieving and support them to make progress, such as, assisting with homework, attending meetings and parents evenings. There is a good selection of education materials, such as arts and crafts and books and young people have access to a computer and desk for study.

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good

Young people are healthy and enjoy home cooked nutritional meals, which cater for their dietary and cultural needs. They contribute to the menus, experience cooking and baking and have the support of a nurse and dietician. Their health needs are assessed, monitored and reported on. Specialist health provision is available and the home has a psychotherapist who visits on a regular basis. Young people’s emotional, social and psychological well-being is promoted well. They have access to smoking cessation and drug and alcohol services. Information on the effects smoking, legal highs and alcohol is available to them and the negative social impact these substances can cause.

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good

Young people are at the centre of the care provided, they contribute towards their ‘all about me’ care plans, sign written records for agreement and participate in regular meetings between each other and staff. Their views are listened to and acted upon. Staff act as any reasonable parent would and have delegated authority to arrange overnight stays for young people with their friends.

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good

Young people benefit from and engage in regular key worker sessions where needs are discussed and targets set for them to achieve. A social worker says, ‘They really involve the young people in all aspects of this home, young people are listened to and their views are acted upon. I feel confident that my young person is being looked after very well.’

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good

There have not been any complaints raised by young people or from the local community for some considerable time. Young people demonstrate well their knowledge of what they would do if they had a concern or complaint about the care they receive in the home. Complaint forms and contact details of independent people and organisations are available for them without having to request these from staff.

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good

Daily routines are structured around education where young people attend school and college. Preferred activities and hobbies are undertaken after the evening meal or at weekends. Young people have enjoyed a holiday together with the staff during the summer break. Other staff travelled to the holiday destination and surprised young people and engaged in enjoyable activities with them. This demonstrates the commitment and care, staff place on the needs of young people.

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good

All young people have contact regularly with their family and friends, and these significant people are welcomed when visiting the home. Staff transport young people to and from contact. This ensures young people who live a considerable distance from the home are able to maintain close links with important people in their lives.

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good

Young people’s cultural differences are promoted and they learn about other faiths and lifestyles. There are good displays which reflect the diverse world they live in and the staff team are mix gender.

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good

Young people are involved in daily chores and help to keep the home and their bedrooms tidy. They are involved in daily basic independence skills which will become more comprehensive as they get older. These steps will ensure young people are prepared well for moving on and adulthood.

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good

Collectively, placing social workers were positive about how well the home works with them. ‘They keep me informed and provide weekly written updates’ and ‘This is one of the better homes where I have confidence in the manager and staff team.’ These comments are backed up by the actions staff members take in relation to strategies followed within detailed risk assessments and plans. Such measures help to keep young people increasingly safe because of the actions staff take to help and protect them. Young people are safe and say they feel safe in the home.

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good

Risks to young people are identified during the referral process and followed up in meetings with placing authorities. Answers are sought from information provided in relation to a young person’s past experiences. Decisions for placement are only agreed when the home is confident that any new placement will not negatively impact on the current resident group.

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good

This robust approach enables decisions to be made where the home can confidently address and meet the needs of all young people. As a result, the home is settled and there are very few incidents of negative behaviour displayed. Young people have incentives to work towards and they understand and achieve their goals. This approach has significantly reduced the number of restraints or sanctions imposed on young people. There are no issues of bullying and young people confirm this, they have good relationships and support each other.

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good

Most young people have no issues and staff have no concerns in relation to them being missing from the home. They do not smoke, drink alcohol or experiment with illegal drugs or legal highs. When incidents of young people being missing or absent from the home occur, staff follow them, record a chronology of attempts to keep in touch with them and inform all relevant professionals and family. These steps reduce the risk of young people being exploited and ensure they return home safe and well.

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good

Records show two incidents of a young person being missing from the home, following their admission. On each occasion staff have been vigilant and followed agreed strategies to ensure their safe return. Professional meetings to identify risks and agree plans have taken place, to minimise any incidents and protect the young person. The police missing from home coordinator confirms they have no concerns about this home and says, ‘I am confident in the actions staff take to protect young people, they go above and beyond and keep me informed of any such events.’

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good

‘However’, independent return home interviews have not taken place with the young person. As a result, a recommendation is made. This is to ensure any information from such interviews is taken into account when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect the young person.

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good

The home is well presented, decorated and furnished to a high standard and set in a rural location. There are no outstanding repairs and all health and safety checks, including fire evacuation practices are up to date and regularly carried out. This ensures all who live, work or visit the home are kept safe.

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good

The home has an experienced registered manager with the necessary qualifications and is further enhancing her knowledge by undertaking the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management. She is supported by a management and staff team who are all qualified to Level 3 or above. The registered manager leads her team effectively and arrangements to manage the home in her absence do not impact on the young people or the care the home provides to them. The whole team has a sense of shared ownership and take their responsibilities seriously.

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good

The home is currently recruiting to fill a vacant post. This has had minimal impact on young people as the home is not operating to full capacity and staff are covering the shortfall in hours. A requirement is made to ensure the home is fully staffed. This is to ensure that when the home is operating to full capacity there are sufficient numbers of staff to provide care for each young person, and to reduce the impact on those staff currently working extra hours.

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good

The management team and staff members have a clear understanding of the progress young people have and are making across all aspects of their development. Detailed plans which young people contribute towards are in place and show progress from young people’s starting point in the home. Young people’s progress is analysed regularly and all achievements are celebrated with them.

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good

The strengths and weaknesses of the home are known and a clear development plan is in place. Regular monitoring by an independent person and the management team ensure any shortfalls identified are quickly acted upon. This ensures the home at all times operates in line with the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose document. This document provides accurate information to placing authorities and families about the service the home provides. Young people receive information about the services they can expect to receive in the form of a children’s guide and they confirm ownership and involvement in this document.

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good

Staff members confirm they receive regular supervision, their annual appraisals are complete and that team meetings are valuable in discussing young people’s needs and moving them forward. Records of staff supervision and annual appraisals where not available during the inspection. As a result, a recommendation is made. This is to ensure records are made available for inspection to show evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation.

p.9

good

The management team and staff work proactively and effectively with outside agencies, such as, police, local authorities, independent reviewing officers and education. Challenges to these services are carried out if the team considers any responses not to be in the best interests of young people. This secures positive outcomes for them.

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good

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection.

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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. 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

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 Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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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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