Children's home run by Keys Educational Services Limited 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 judges that it has improved in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirement and recommendations made at the last inspection have been addressed as follows:

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The senior managers now actively consider the manager’s views, especially those that relate to concerns about the compatibility of the children, either prior to or after admission to the home. This enables the manager to ensure that the children live in a home environment that promotes their well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The children have regular key-work sessions and monthly key-working tasks. The staff work with the children to identify a minimum of three tasks/areas to address during the month. These include topics such as child sexual exploitation, curfews, behaviour in court, identity in the workplace and budgeting. These focused topics enable the children to address areas of concern that are current in society or in their lives, and helps them to identify strategies to achieve their goals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The children now have a computer and access to the internet within the home. The children have regular conversations and key-work sessions with the staff about internet safety to ensure that the children know how to stay safe online.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager now ensures that the children’s risk assessments more clearly detail the steps that the home will take on a day-to day basis to manage any assessed risks.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has worked with the staff to ensure that any sanctions that they put in place for the children are more restorative. This is to enable the children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been two admissions since the last inspection. One of the new children has moved out as the continuation of his placement would have placed himself and others at risk. The home has undergone a difficult period towards the end of 2016. The manager was off on sick leave for a few weeks. During this period there were a number of significant incidents. These included episodes of bullying and assaults on the staff and a child that led to the arrest of two children. The senior managers agreed with the staff that one child would move out and that the other child would remain in placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

During the unsettled period bullying became an issue within the home. A social worker said, ‘That was the most worrying situation as one of the children was bullying [child]. Ultimately I feel that he is safe now. The home were very open about the events and acted quickly.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A family member of a child who was involved in some of the negative behaviours said, ‘Although he pushes the boundaries, he feels safer there than he has done anywhere else. Teenagers will push the boundaries but they [the staff] maintain them and that gives him some normality. After his downs [negative behaviour at the home] they are still there for him.’ This demonstrates the commitment of the staff and their ability to work with very challenging children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are still working with the children to rebuild their relationships with each other. The child who it was agreed would stay spoke positively about the fact that he was able to return to the home and said, ‘The house returned to normal when the other child moved out.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has a therapist who attends the house each week and conducts direct sessions with the children, and works with the staff to identify strategies that can assist them in their work with the children. These strategies have enabled staff to support a child who has had a recent episode of self-harmful behaviour as he is happy to speak with the staff but does not want to meet with the therapist.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff very rarely use physical intervention as they use de-escalation techniques such as humour to defuse heightened situations. Children rarely go missing from home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are positive about the care that they receive and are able to name the staff that they would speak to if they had any concerns. A child said, ‘I feel safe here. The staff care about the children and will not even go to bed if children are out. The staff will come and collect you from wherever we are when we are out.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All of the children are now engaging in education. One child is attending college and is also working part time. Two children are attending school onsite and the tutor has arranged for each child to have two days doing vocational placements. One child is on a music course and the other is on a mechanics course. The tutor reports that their attendance has greatly improved and that they met the 80% target for a term for the first time. One of the children had achieved 100% the previous week, which had been unimaginable when he first started attending. The tutor is of the view that using the AQA Unit Award Scheme is proving successful as the short units enable the children to see their progress more easily. One of the children’s social workers said, ‘He has come on leaps and bounds and there has been some progress and positive changes to his outlook on life. Before moving in he was going missing, offending and wanted to deal drugs. The home has helped

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

him and he now talks about being a mechanic.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The staff are positive about the manager, and the support and leadership that she offers. They spoke of the difficulty that they encountered with the group and how they had covered shifts even when tired because of their commitment to supporting each other and wanting to keep the use of agency staff to a minimum. During this period there were a number of incomplete entries in the children’s records and case files. The manager has highlighted and addressed some of these as part of the home’s internal auditing. These omissions have not impacted on the care of the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professionals are positive about the working relationship that they have with the manager and the staff. Their comments include:  ‘Communication is good and the staff provide regular updates.’  ‘Communication is fantastic whether face to face, via email or when the staff attend care and education meetings.’

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned and provides care for four children and young people who have 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 17/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 11/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/08/2015 Full Good 25/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that the staff, with particular reference to accuracy, are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 that 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

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

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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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