Children's Home run by Keys Education Ltd in Warrington

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:

 Young people thrive and thoroughly enjoy living at the home. They feel safe and have a very strong sense of personal safety. They enjoy exceptionally good relationships with staff,with whom, they have strong and positive attachments.  There is evidence of significant change and improvement for young people. The frequency and intensity of risk taking behaviours, such as offending, drug use, anti-social behaviour and going missing from care for long periods have reduced, considerably. Young people become increasing safer as a result of the actions staff take to support and protect them.  The home provides young people with an exceptionally warm, safe, comfortable and homely environment. Young people have a strong sense of permanence and belonging.  Young people benefit from exceptionally well planned, highly individualised care because staff promote their needs, effectively. Young people make exceptional progress across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social,

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The children's home provision is good because:

emotional and behavioural development. They enjoy excellent attendance at school and make good educational progress.  Young people benefit from effective, high quality support from staff. The home maintains effective partnerships with families, social workers and schools of young people to ensure they benefit from the best possible help and support.  Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. Leaders and managers are consistently ambitious and energetic for continuing improvement. They can demonstrate the positive difference the home has made to the lives of young people.  As a result of this inspection, there are two recommendations made for the registered person’s, to address. These relate to, risk assessments for reporting young people missing from care and ensuring all staff are suitably trained and qualified.

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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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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure that staff can access appropriate training facilities and resources to support their learning needs. This relates specifically, to new members of staff being enrolled on the level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. (The Guide to the quality standards, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Recommendations

 should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This relates specifically, to ensuring each child has a risk assessment in place that highlights their needs and vulnerabilities in relation to them going missing for care. The assessment should have regard to and be compatible with the local authorities’ joint protocols and procedure's for reporting children missing from care. (The Guide to the quality standards, page 44, paragraph 9.5)

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline:  The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 3 young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

22/01/2015 CH - Interim declined in effectiveness

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good

Young people thoroughly enjoy living at this home. They feel safe and have a very strong sense of personal safety. They benefit from exceptionally good relationships with staff, with whom they have developed strong and positive attachments. Young people have positive role models in staff that they look up to, and learn from. There is evidence of significant change and improvement for young people who make exceptional progress across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. Young people benefit from effective, high quality support from staff that make a positive difference to their lives. Young people have consistently positive views about the home and their relationships with staff. They report, ‘Can I just say, that all the staff are excellent because they’re dead caring and they do a very good Job. I reckon they should all get a certificate, from Ofsted.’

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good

Young people benefit from exceptionally well planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs, effectively. Staff know young people well, having a good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities and take appropriate action, to address them. Care planning and practice is highly personalised to meet the needs of individual young people. Young people benefit from excellent attendance at school. Their educational progress and achievement is exceptional, taking into account their individual starting points. Staff are extremely supportive of young people’s education and they have consistently high aspirations for them. They work positively and proactively with their school to secure good educational outcomes for them. A deputy head teacher reports, ‘Since joining the home he (the young person) is thriving and he is settled, calm and functioning really well in school. He has made it clear to myself and other staff at school that he thoroughly enjoys being at this

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good

home, and it is very evident that he has formed some excellent and appropriate relationships with staff.’ Young people benefit from the services they need to promote their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. They are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians and have access to these services, when they need them. This includes specialist support, such as, counselling and therapy, if they need it. Consequently, there are effective arrangements made to promote young people’s physical and emotional health. Staff advise young people about key health issues and encourage them to lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Young people are making positive lifestyle decisions and are learning how to take responsibility for their own health. The arrangements for the storage and administration of young people’s medication are managed safely. Medical consent is in place so staff are clear about what health decisions

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good

and responsibilities are delegated to them. Young people are supported to maintain contact with their friends and families. This enables them to sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff help young people to develop their practical skills in cleaning, shopping and cooking to promote their independence. Staff allow young people to take appropriate risks to promote their growth and natural development. Young people are routinely involved in the running of their home. They attend regular house meetings and their participation and involvement in key decisions is actively encouraged. They can chair their own meetings and raise agenda items for discussion with staff. There is evidence that staff act on their reasonable requests and ‘you said we listened’ is a part of these meetings. This ensures young people receive feedback on their requests. Young people know how to make a complaint

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good

and they have access to advocates who can make representations on their behalf. Young people benefit from positive activities both at the home and in the wider community. Consequently, they develop their own specific interests and hobbies, for example, attending the army cadets, crabbing and wheelchair basketball. Young people thoroughly enjoy the diverse range of activities that staff routinely plan and arrange. They report, ‘Can I just say all of the other children here, are really good…Do you like it here, I’ve been here the longest. We do lots of activities, crabbing, the beach, Blackpool and Southport…I’m getting a passport.’ Young people benefit from these positive experiences and they develop social skills and improved self-confidence, as a result. Young people report, ‘It’s lovely, beautiful and happy.’ And ‘It’s amazing, staff are kind and helpful.’ Judgement grade

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good

Young people are kept safe and have a strong sense of personal safety. Their safety is consistently at the centre of staff practice. Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Young people benefit from effective support, help and protection. Young people become increasingly safer because staff have helped them to reduce their difficult and risk taking behaviour. The frequency and intensity of risk taking behaviours, such as going missing from care, for example, have reduced significantly. Young people are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. Staff are trained in child protection so they know to deal with any allegations and report suspected abuse. They teach young people about risks in the community and they educate them so they know how to keep themselves safe. Young people recently discussed and participated in a role play, about ‘stranger danger.’ They

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good

learned about unsafe people, safe strangers and trusted adults. The home maintains effective partnerships with social workers, police, schools and other agencies, to promote the safety of young people. Should young people go missing there are effective arrangements made to promote their safe return. The use of clear risk assessment and effective, safe working practice keeps young people safe and reduces the risk of them suffering actual harm. Most, but not all young people have risk assessments in relation to them going missing from care. Consequently, a recommendation is made, in respect of this issue. Staff promote young people’s positive behaviour and anticipate issues. They understand how their feelings and emotions can be communicated through difficult and sometimes challenging behaviour. They support young people to self-regulate their own behaviour which has seen a positive reduction in incidents of negative

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good

behaviour. Consequences are few and rewards are many. The use of restraint, if used at all, is only ever used as a last resort, to protect young people from harm, accident or injury. A local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) reports, ’Staff and children at the care home have been welcoming and very helpful within the village participating in local events, including the recent litter pick which involved members of the public and local councillors who were very impressed with the children.’ Young people benefit from a warm, homely, comfortable, physically safe and appropriately secure environment. Health and safety matters are managed effectively to promote a safe environment for young people. The home is tastefully decorated and furnished to high quality standards. Young people’s private living accommodation is highly personalised and reflective of their individual needs and wishes.

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good

The manager of the home has applied to Ofsted to be the registered manager of the home. They have completed a fit person's interview and await their registration. The manager is suitably experienced, skilled and qualified. They are currently undertaking further training to obtain a suitable qualification in leadership and management. The manager is supported by a deputy manager and two senior members of residential staff. They demonstrate effective leadership of the home’s staff and operation and ensure the home is well staffed and resourced.

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good

The manager has addressed and met the requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection. This has secured the home’s improvement. The manager now prioritises the needs of young people more effectively and makes proper provisions for their welfare and safety. The home only accepts new admissions whose needs the manager feels able to meet.

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good

The new deputy manager has strengthened the home’s management position. She provides effective support and cover for the manager to promote the smooth and efficient day-to-day operations of the home. This arrangement ensures the home is managed efficiently and effectively and there are clear lines of delegation, responsibility and accountability.

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good

Staff benefit from effective support, regular professional supervision and appraisal. The Statement of Purpose has been updated to reflect the skills, qualifications and experience of staff working at the home. Additionally, the manager is now also receiving regular, professional supervision from their line manager to support them in their managerial role.

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good

Staff have received training on emerging sexuality, sexually harmful behaviour and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. This ensure they have the right skills, knowledge and competence to meet and understand the specific needs of the young people. New staff employed since the last inspection have yet to be enrolled on appropriate training to enable them to obtain a professional qualification in caring for young people, but they are currently completing their induction and mandatory training.

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good

Leaders and managers demonstrate strong and effective leadership. They ensure the home is managed and staffed in a way that meets the needs and numbers of young people. As a result, young people benefit from good support and appropriate supervision, from staff.

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good

The performance of the home is monitored effectively. This includes an independent person visiting the home each month to review its performance and report on the conduct of the home. Young people, staff and other professionals are consulted to form an accurate opinion about the quality of young people’s care. The manager monitors patterns and trends and has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and its weaknesses to secure, continuing improvement. Combined, there are effective systems to review and improve the standard and quality of young people’s care.

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good

The home meets the aims and objectives, as set out in its Statement of Purpose. The home is able to demonstrate the positive difference it has made to the lives of young people. It can show how it has influenced their progress and experiences leading to positive change and improvement.

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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

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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