Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 1 SC386502 Registered provider: Keys Education Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people , taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 18 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy living at the home. They are kept safe and develop a strong sense of personal safety. Young people enjoy exceptionally good relationships, with staff, who contribute to change and improvement in their lives. Young Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 2 people benefit from well planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively and improves their outcomes.  There have been no new admissions, placement breakdowns, disruptions or failures since the previous inspection. Young people benefit from continuity of care and have stability and consistency in their lives. Young people make good progress across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social, emotional and behavioural development, taking into account their individual starting points.  Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Young people become increasingly safer as result of the actions that staff take

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Key findings from this inspection

to support and protect them. The home maintains highly effective partnerships with the police, social workers, schools and other professional agencies to ensure that young people benefit from effective help, protection and support.  Young people attend school or alternative educational provision regularly, and receive good support and encouragement from staff. Personal education plans are in place to support young people’s learning, and staff consistently have high aspirations for young people. The home works closely with the providers of young people’s education to promote their educational achievement.  Young people benefit from contact with their friends and families, and they sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff place young people’s safety at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges that this presents. Staff manage incidents of

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Key findings from this inspection

challenging behaviour effectively and have seen a considerable reduction in the use of restraint.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home provides young people with a physically safe, warm, comfortable and homely environment. There is an effective programme of routine redecoration and repair. However, the upstairs bathroom is now looking weathered and is not cosmetically in-keeping with the otherwise high quality standards observed elsewhere within the home.  The home meets the aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. However, the statement does not include the arrangements for staff professional supervision and the frequency of those arrangements for any new or inexperienced staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/11/2016 Full Good 24/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular, to include, the arrangements for the professional supervision of all staff, including any new and unqualified staff. (Regulation 16 (1)) 30/06/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home is well maintained and homely, and meets young people’s basic needs and physical necessities. This relates specifically to upgrading the upstairs bathroom. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 3.9, page 15)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from continuity of care and have stability and consistency in their lives. Young people make good progress across all aspects of their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development, taking into account their individual starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from well planned, highly personalised care that promotes their needs effectively and contributes to change and improvement in their lives. Care planning is well planned, and practice is highly individualised to meet the specific needs of the young people. There is evidence that the care that the home provides has a positive impact and is making a positive difference to young people’s lives. A social worker reports, ‘He seems to be very content and settled. The staff are excellent and are very caring and committed. I’m very pleased with it as a placement. He’s attending school on a regular basis and his educational progress is positive. Overall, I am Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 5 getting the impression he is making progress and is moving forward.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff treat young people as valued individuals with unconditional positive regard, dignity and respect. They have a good awareness of young people’s specific needs and vulnerabilities, and take appropriate action to address them. Staff spend quality time with young people, they listen to their views and act on their reasonable requests. The views of young people are routinely sought so that they can contribute to key decisions and influence the running of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are actively encouraged to attend school or alternative educational provision regularly, and they receive good support and encouragement from staff. Their attendance is good and is improved in relation to their starting points. Staff consistently have high aspirations for young people, they work closely with educational staff to promote young people’s educational achievement. Extra curriculum activities are supported and encouraged for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from a broad range of activities both at the home and in the wider community. They enjoy visiting the local gym, swimming, bowling, going to the cinema and playing golf. Young people are consulted about the types of activities they enjoy doing and every effort is made to source their preferred choice of activities. Their specific interests are actively encouraged, which develops their self-esteem and social skills, and builds their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians. They have access to these services, including any specialist support they need, to promote their physical and emotional well-being. The arrangements for the administration and storage of their medication are managed safely and effectively by staff. There are effective arrangements made to promote young people’s good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote contact for young people, and this ensures that they can sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff ensure that contact is a positive and safe experience to enhance young people’s positive self- view and ability to sustain their attachments and own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn to develop their life skills and they receive good support to help prepare them for independence. One young person who is now an eligible care leaver is soon to leave the home to make their planned transition to adulthood. They have secured their own tenancy and are looking forward to moving on after almost two years living at the home. Staff are sad to see them leave and are currently planning for a positive ending.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The safety of young people is consistently at the centre of staff’s practice, irrespective of the difficulties that the young people present. Staff have a good understanding of young people’s specific needs and vulnerabilities, and young people become increasingly safer Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 6 as a result of the actions staff take to support and protect them. A social worker reports, ‘In his previous placement he went missing a lot because he was unhappy. The number of his missing-from-homes has now decreased.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are kept safe and develop a strong sense of personal safety. Risks associated with them using drugs, offending and going missing from care are all well managed. The use of clear risk assessment identifies individual need and vulnerability and provides staff with strategies to address and minimise the risk to young people. The home can demonstrate a significant decrease in incidents of missing-from-care and other forms of unsafe, risk-taking behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

A key-worker for one young person who has difficulties with his volatile behaviour reported, ‘He’s doing so well. I feel good being strict with him. I feel ok saying that now because I know how to handle him by being strict and with confidence. He makes me proud. I think he feels safe and he does trust us.’ The young person reports, ‘It’s been good, thanks. I’ve been happy and that’s all you need to know. School’s fine. It’s awesome, by the way. It’s pretty much all fine. I’m not bored anymore. I’m quite happy. There’s no reason to be bored. It’s alright here, to be fair with you.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff demonstrate a positive attitude in caring for young people. They are sensitive towards their needs and any previous traumatic experiences. They understand how young people’s strong feelings and emotions can be communicated through their behaviour. Staff know the young people well, and they anticipate issues and understand the triggers for their behaviour. Staff take appropriate steps to reduce risk and prevent incidents from escalating. They teach young people how to resolve conflicts positively and manage their feelings and behaviours safely. This has led to considerable reduction in the use of restraint, which is only ever used as a last resort to protect young people from actual harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff encourage the development of young people’s positive behaviour, they make good use of targeted incentives and rewards. The use of sanctions is fair and proportionate, and young people understand the consequences for unacceptable behaviour. Most young people rarely go missing, and those that do benefit from an effective response to promote their quick and safe return. The frequency with which young people go missing has reduced considerably, taking into account their individual starting points.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people know how to make a complaint, and the complaints procedure is understood by young people and is easily accessible to them. There have been two complaints since the last inspection. Both complaints have been properly investigated and have been treated seriously by staff. Young people have access to an independent advocate. Consequently, they can receive support and independent representation to address any complaints or concerns that they may have.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are protected from abuse, bullying, child sexual exploitation and all other Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 7 forms of significant harm. Staff are trained in child protection so that they know how to deal with any allegations and report suspected abuse. The home maintains highly effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding agencies to protect young people and keep them safe from harm. Staff employed are selected and vetted carefully to ensure that young people are protected from having contact with unsafe or unsuitable people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from a physically safe, warm, comfortable and homely environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively and the home is consistently maintained to a high quality standard for young people, staff and visitors. The home has an effective programme of redecoration and repair. However, the upstairs bathroom is now looking weathered and is not in-keeping with the otherwise high quality standards observed within other areas of the home. A recommendation is made in respect of this issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. The home employs a full-time, suitably qualified and experienced registered manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the home. The registered manager demonstrates effective leadership of the home’s routine operations and promotes the quality of young people’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs sufficient staff to meet the needs and numbers of young people. The manager consistently ensures that the home is adequately staffed and is always well resourced. The home is committed to ensuring that all staff are appropriately skilled, trained and well qualified to the level 3 diploma, children’s and young people’s workforce. A large number of staff are currently undertaking or are near completion of this training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported effectively, well managed and led. There are effective arrangements made for their training, professional supervision and appraisal of their practice. The training needs of staff are identified and met. Staff are developing their knowledge, skills and collective practices in caring for the most vulnerable young people. Consequently, young people benefit from staff who have sufficient experience, skills and training to meet their specific and diverse needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home meets the aims and objectives, as set out in its statement of purpose. The home provides a good quality service for young people. The home can demonstrate that the care that it provides has a positive impact and makes a positive difference to the lives of young people. The statement of purpose contains most of the information required to meet regulation. However, the arrangements for staff professional supervision are not included in the home’s statement of purpose, and it is unclear if any new or inexperienced staff receive more frequent supervision. A requirement is made in respect of this shortfall. Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 8 There are effective arrangements made for routinely reviewing and improving the standard and quality of young people’s care. The home’s performance is scrutinised effectively by an independent person who makes an impartial judgement about the home’s arrangements made to safeguard young people and promote their well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Following these visits, the registered manager receives a detailed report which enables them to understand the home’s strengths, weaknesses and shortfalls. The manager produces an action plan in response to any issues identified following the home’s external monitoring activities to secure the home’s improvement. Combined with their own internal monitoring activities which they use to review patterns and trends there are effective arrangements to promote the home’s continuing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager monitors the progress that the young people make in relation to their respective plans, and maintains highly effective partnerships with their families, schools, social workers and other professional agencies to ensure that they benefit from the best possible help and all round support. The manager escalates concerns and challenges any professional decisions that they believe are not in the best interests of the young people who they are responsible for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home ensures that all notifications are sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. Significant incidents that occur at the home are reported to all of the appropriate authorities. This ensures that the home and other professional agencies can take appropriate action to support and protect the young people living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has met and addressed the recommendation from the previous inspection. The manager and a key-worker have both re-written a young person’s placement plan to make the document more child-friendly to improve the young person’s awareness and understanding of their plan. As a result, the young person is now able to make a positive contribution and is being supported by their key-worker to actively and meaningfully do so.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hurstwood Court, Laganwood House, New Hall Hey Road, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 6HR

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC386502 10 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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