Children's home run by Keys Educational Services Limited in Rossendale

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Senior managers have failed to support the registered manager when she had been clear about the detrimental impact that a young person had had on other young people and asked to end his placement immediately. This means that young people continued to be unsafe, due to risk-taking behaviours.  Young people’s experiences have been poor and their behaviour has deteriorated over the past few months. Young people have not been safe during this time, due to their risk-taking behaviours such as going missing, smoking cannabis, climbing on the roof and fire setting.  Staff do regularly talk to young people about incidents that have occurred. However, they do not plan direct work with young people in accordance with their care plans and risk assessments. This means that there is no proactive approach to managing risks or addressing their needs. Furthermore, staff are not yet good at using restorative approaches when

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because:

giving a negative consequence to young people. A risk assessment has not been completed for the very limiting window restrictors that have been fitted to prevent access to the roof from bedrooms. Young people do not currently have access to the internet, which they say that they need to search for jobs and keep in touch with friends.

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The children's home strengths

 The home has a strong and experienced registered manager who supports an established, experienced and child-focused staff team.  The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home, with plans to address shortfalls.  Young people have made progress with regards to their education, emotional well-being and independence.

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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 ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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13: The leadership and management standard

With particular reference to senior managers supporting the registered manager’s view on placements:

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13: The leadership and management standard

13.—(1) 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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13: The leadership and management standard

(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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13: The leadership and management standard

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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13: The leadership and management standard

(a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 30/09/2016

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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 in children's homes play a full role in direct work with children by planning key-work sessions that are related to the child's care plan and associated risks. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)  Ensure that children have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns

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Recommendations

for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned and provides care for four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that the age range will be between 11 and 18 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

25/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Young people’s experiences have been poor recently, due a young person being admitted who it turned out was not a good match to the home. The young person really altered the dynamics, impacting on the other young people who lived there. A young person said: ‘He turned the whole house upside down.’ Young people who were doing well reverted back to previous risky behaviour such as going missing, smoking cannabis and damaging property. They also tried out new behaviours such as climbing on the roof and fire setting. During this time, young people were also at risk of being drawn into gang culture. A young person who had wanted to stay at the home until he was 18 said that he wanted to move. He changed his mind when the new admission moved to another placement. Despite these issues happening, young people took their GCSE exams and are currently waiting for their results. Furthermore, other young people who had planned moves from the home

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Requires improvement

went ahead positively. Social workers talked about young people making good progress, but agreed that the new admission had a big impact and had upset existing residents. A young person said: ‘I really like it here.’ A social worker said: ‘He has very much seen it as his home.’ A young person who recently left said: ‘Thank you for everything you have done for me. I am so grateful. I've currently passed my mechanics and my English. I had failed my maths twice via anxiety, but I think I've cracked it this time.’ Young people have had, and do have, positive experiences at this home, but this has been hampered in the past few months. Young people are able to practise their independent living skills such as cooking, washing, shopping and travel. This helps them to move successfully into independent living. All young people agreed that they get on well with staff. Staff work hard at building strong, trusting relationships with them. However, young people going

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Requires improvement

missing and recent regular incidents have delayed this process. Young people are supported to make friends outside the home through the various activities that they participate in, such as swimming, trampolining and going to the local skate parks. Young people generally benefit from contact with their families. For some young people, contact arrangements are still to be agreed by the placing authority. Staff listen to young people and advocate well on their behalf to have issues with contact resolved. Staff facilitate contact with families and try to work in partnership with them to provide a more coherent package of care. Young people are consulted about their care and the day-to-day running of the home. One young person said that he has asked for a half-pipe ramp for his scooter. The registered manager is currently considering this, particularly the health and safety implications. The young person understands this. Young people

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Requires improvement

have made decisions about the decor, menu and activities. They also take an active role in their statutory reviews. However, young people complained that they do not have access to the internet. They say that they need it for job hunting and to keep in touch with friends. The registered manager confirmed that they currently do not have access to the internet, and will look to rectify this. Young people are fit and active. Their physical and emotional health needs are promoted. They have access to company therapists, where this is required. Young people have been supported successfully to reduce their self-harming behaviour. Young people like the house that they live in, although one complained about it being in the countryside. They have their own en-suite bedrooms which can be locked for privacy. The house is large, with a number of communal spaces. This enables young people to be with others or find space on their own, if they wish.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s risky behaviour increased because staff were unable to manage the behaviours of one young person, despite their wealth of experience and expertise. Young people agreed that staff help to keep them safe. Staff have a good understanding about how to keep young people safe, but have struggled with the high volume of recent risky behaviours being displayed. Staff rely on forming strong relationships with young people to promote positive behaviour, as well as using incentives. Due to the persistent and prolonged missing incidents of one young person, they struggled to build positive relationships with him, therefore struggled to manage the risk-taking behaviour exhibited. This young person easily influenced others in the home to follow his lead. When young people go missing, staff follow good procedures to help them to return to the home safely. They work proactively with other agencies to prevent

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Requires improvement

missing incidents, as well as working closely with them when young people are missing. This may include complex work such as working with professionals, such as the police. Staff take immediate and appropriate action when young people are suspected of using illegal substances, fire setting or climbing on the roof. Young people have been prevented from climbing on the roof from their bedroom windows by the use of very limiting window restrictors. There is no risk assessment for this extreme but effective measure. Staff need to complete a risk assessment for each young person to ensure that this restrictive measure is necessary. Furthermore, the risk assessment should be regularly reviewed to ensure that it continues to be necessary. Staff do record the regular conversations that they have with young people about their risky behaviour. However, they do not work proactively by planning key-work sessions to address themes identified within their care plans and risk assessments.

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Requires improvement

Young people are given positive and negative consequences for good and poor behaviour. Staff continue to struggle with ensuring that young people are given consequences that are restorative in nature. This was a recommendation at the previous inspection. The registered manager said that it is something that she continues to support staff with. Staff are trained to use physical intervention, when necessary. They rarely use this, yet do so appropriately when needed. They say that they much prefer to talk to the young person or give them space to calm down. Health and safety systems are good, and the home is maintained to a reasonable standard.

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Inadequate

The very experienced registered manager’s views about placements are not supported by senior managers. This has led to a young person staying longer at the home than was believed appropriate by the registered manager. The registered manager completes comprehensive impact risk assessments prior to admission to assess the potential impact of new admissions on the current residential group. Unfortunately, the impact of the most recent admission was far greater than anticipated, and this was quickly realised. The registered manager very clearly stated her views about the placement, asking for notice to be served immediately. Senior managers did not respond to this request. Therefore, young people continued to be put at risk during this time, until the young person was moved by the placing authority. Inadequate management decisions have resulted in unnecessary delay that have had a big impact on everyone at the home.

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Inadequate

The registered manager is a very experienced, appropriately qualified, and provides strong and supportive leadership. She provides good support to her established and experienced team of staff, who deliver child-focused care. However, they have felt exhausted from the past few months due to the poor behaviour of most young people. Furthermore, they have not spent enough time with young people, getting to know them and supporting them with their needs, as they have been reacting to the risk-taking behaviour exhibited by them. Senior managers have failed to recognise this, and have sent a number of referrals to be considered for immediate admission as soon as one young person had been discharged. The registered manager has complied with all the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection, with the exception of one. She continues to work with the staff team to establish a more restorative approach.

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Inadequate

She has a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has plans to address any shortfalls. Staff feel very well supported by the team and managers in the home. They have regular supervision and team meetings. This ensures effective communication and staff development. A member of staff who was redeployed for a short time to the home said: ‘I appreciate your help and support during that time. All your staff were really friendly and welcoming, and I appreciate it.’ Staff are either appropriately qualified, completing a qualification or about to be enrolled. They have access to good training opportunities, although staff complain that training venues are too far away. The regional director said that she will look into this. Staff have completed a recent course on a therapeutic approach that the company has adopted. Staff are not enthusiastic about the approach, therefore it has not yet been embedded in practice. The registered manager said that she is

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Inadequate

currently waiting for extra support from a company therapist to give staff a better understanding.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 ‘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 0300 123 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, work- based 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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