Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 1 SC001016 Registered provider: Broadwood Residential Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 22 February 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are cared for by staff who understand their needs well and use this knowledge to support them to build up their resilience.  Young people are making progress in most areas of their lives.  Young people enjoy trusted relationships with staff and feel safe with them. Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 2 The children’s home's areas for development:

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Staff need to understand their responsibility to assess whether a young person is at risk of harm.  Leaders and managers need to ensure that risk assessments are kept under review, particularly in response to incidents.  Reviews and development plans need to focus clearly on goals and how well they are achieved to continually improve the quality of care.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/09/2016 Full Good 09/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/07/2015 Full Good

p.2

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.

p.2

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.2

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

p.2

Requirement Due date

that staff 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. (Regulation 12 (1) and (2) (a) (i)) 30/09/2017

p.2

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered 30/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 3 person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that–

p.2

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13 (1) (b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

Specifically, to ensure that all staff are aware of the classification of missing from home episodes according to the missing policy. To ensure that missing episodes are recorded under the appropriate classification.

p.3

Recommendations

 Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19). In particular, there needs to be much stronger reflection on the voice of the young person in key- working sessions.

p.3

Recommendations

 The report of the quality of care should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how these actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One of the strengths of the home is the secure relationships that young people are able to build with those who care for them. Young people identify the staff as a positive feature of living at the home. Young people are supported to understand how to build friendships with their peers and to show respect for others. For some young people this is a considerable achievement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have developed a sense of permanence and belonging. For one young person, so much so that he is not in agreement with his placing authority’s plan to move him back to his local area. Staff have assisted him to make contact with the Children's Commissioner and are supporting him to challenge this decision.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-working sessions are taking place regularly. However, the impact of these could be improved by making them more proactive in educating and informing young people, rather than reacting to negative incidents. There needs to be much stronger reflection on the voice of the young person in these sessions.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the young people are making progress in education. Some have undertaken Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 4 exams. Plans are in place for them to continue education and training after the school break. The manager is working in partnership with the school and the virtual school headteacher about one young person whose school attendance is problematic.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff pay attention to the social development of young people. They have secured a volunteer placement with animals for one young person. This will help build his confidence and experience with other people, and with routines outside of the home. Another young person is encouraged to follow his passion for ‘scootering’ at the local skate park.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of young people are being met. Since coming to live at the home, two young people have reduced or ceased medication. They have received immunisations and dental work for the first time. Due to the age of the young people it would be beneficial for them to undertake work around relationships and sexual health.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the young people, including those who are placed away from their local areas, have access to specialist help. According to the home’s statement of purpose there is a psychologically informed care pathway, with assessments and staff training to support applying this knowledge in the daily life of the home. Young people are attending regular counselling sessions which are helping them to develop the resilience to cope with setbacks in their day-to-day lives. The management of young people by staff is informed by guidance from psychological assessment.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment is safe and young people are comfortable. Communal areas have been redecorated and are clean. A requirement in respect of the physical environment is met. The lounge area would benefit from a more homely feel and personalisation to increase young people’s sense of belonging.

p.4

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

Young people feel safe and protected in the home. They identify staff whom they can talk to if the need arises, due to open and trustworthy relationships being in place. Young people know the reasons why staff take steps to keep in touch and want to know their whereabouts, although they don’t always appreciate it!

p.4

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

Positive behaviour and relationships are reinforced, encouraged through activities and financial incentives. Poor behaviour is dealt with restoratively where possible. When necessary, young people have written letters of apology and have engaged in restorative meetings to repair relationships. Effective use of de-escalation techniques such as ‘planned ignoring’ results in no need for physical intervention.

p.4

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

Staff know the risks and vulnerabilities of the individual young people. However, these are not always reflected in clear risk assessments which are updated with new information. Although the incidence of young people going missing from the home is infrequent, when this has happened missing plans and protocols have lacked clarity. This has resulted in some administrative confusion, although staff have acted to protect Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 5 young people.

p.4

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

There are positive and proactive relationships with the police. However, staff at the home need to be secure in their knowledge of their own missing protocols, rather than being guided by those of the police. This is in regard to whether young people are classed as ‘away without authorisation’ or ‘missing’.

p.5

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

Investigations into allegations are shared with the appropriate agencies in accordance with statutory guidance. Young people are supported and protected throughout, and are consulted with about the outcome.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is appropriately qualified and is experienced in his role. A number of the staff team are relatively new and inexperienced. They are subject to an induction period and are receiving regular supervision. They have undertaken a variety of appropriate training to develop their knowledge and skills. Some staff have been transferred into the home from another establishment as a temporary measure. This could have had a destabilising effect on the relationships between staff and young people. Fortunately this has not been the case, but more consideration needs to be given to assessing the impact of such measures in the future.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have systems in place to actively and regularly monitor the quality of care given. The manager has a comprehensive development plan to improve the experiences and outcomes for young people. Both this and the six-monthly review of the quality of care would benefit from being more focused, with clear, timed steps identified to achieve goals. This would ensure that progress could be monitored to prevent the possibility of the achievement of goals drifting.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has thorough knowledge of the individual needs of the young people. These needs are reflected in appropriate placement plans which are followed by staff. As a result, young people make progress from their starting points and are able to build sustained relationships with carers.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager plays a key role in developing effective working relationships with placing and host local authorities. When necessary, he challenges them in the interests of young people. Relationships are also successfully maintained with the family members of young people.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people are at the centre of decision-making and practice at the home. Both the management and staff are committed to improving the outcomes for young people. A staff member said: ‘We want to show them there is good in the world. There are people who have let them down but we won’t.’

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 6 Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.6

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: SC001016 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Broadwood Residential Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Attachment Centre, Hurstwood Court, New Hall Hey Road, Rawtenstall, Lancashire BB4 6HR

p.7

Inspector

Janet Black, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC001016 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8