Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd in Rossendale

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There were eight requirements and three recommendations made at the last inspection. Five requirements and three recommendations have been met. Work to meet the other three requirements is on-going.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people have lived at the home for a long time and some of the staff team know them well. Good information is in place to support staff to get to know a new young person who has just moved into the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is a lack of information about one young people’s leaving care arrangements. This means staff do not have the knowledge they require to support and reassure the young person. A placing authority pathway plan is not in place. Planning meetings have taken place without the young person present and without consultation beforehand or feedback afterwards. The young person feels vulnerable, ill-informed and anxious and has resorted to historical self-harm behaviours to express feelings.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people do go missing and staff and the registered manager are proactive in bringing them home. Staff are well informed and follow local protocols. Where unsafe behaviours take place the registered manager makes safeguarding referrals and liaises with placing authorities. Placing authority return interviews to ensure young people’s well-being are not taking place. The registered manager is not robustly challenging placing authorities where this is the case.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

High risk incidents continue to increase and staff practice is reactive rather than proactive. Self-harming by taking paracetamol and being admitted to hospital has become a monthly pattern for one young person. Progress to change this behaviour is not being made. Recently another young person has copied these behaviours. Strategies are in place to manage the environment and keep them apart. However, one young person’s emotional well-being is not being addressed and is left feeling low and unsupported.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are not always detailed. They do not use new information to inform staff of emerging patterns and trends. There are no strategies in place to anticipate triggers or reduce risks.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are delays in key working sessions taking place after key incidents or before or after important meetings. As a result important messages and learning is diluted and young people are not supported or kept informed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The house does not feel homely or welcoming. Previous imaginative decoration is looking tired. Young people had been instrumental in upgrading the décor but work has stopped. Young people’s bedrooms are chaotic and lack personalisation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection in January 2016 the registered manager has made progress in some areas. A young person whose needs could not be met by the home has moved on. A deputy manager started in post in February and is successfully supporting the registered manager. Staff have attended additional training in child sexual exploitation and additional training with regard to self-harm is planned for next month. The registered manager has been proactive in bringing the responsibility of external consultation of parents and professionals as part of quality assurance back into the home. This should provide valuable feedback and support the manager in moving the service forward.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately operated children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

19/01/2016 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

12/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

21/01/2014 CH - Interim Inadequate progress

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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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, to ensure children's needs are met in relation to obtaining comprehensive information about children, securing essential services, and ensuring independent return home interviews, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— (a) seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans; (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs. (c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans. 07/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, in relation to risk assessments for self-harm and Pathway Plans, the registered person must ensure that children— (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, (2) (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose; (b) that arrangements are in place to— (i) ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and 07/05/2016 (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

(c) that each child's relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which-include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child: are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. In particular: a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child's placing authority. (Regulation 36, Schedule 3,(17) (19) (26)) 07/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

12 (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure – (a) that staff – (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s

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Requirement Due date

child protection policies; (b) 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; (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is 07/05/2016 monitored regularly.

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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Information about this inspection

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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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