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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 1 SC386651

p.1

Broadwood Education Services

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private national provider of education and social care for children and young people. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is situated in a very rural location. Young people can attend education within the company school or via external provision.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A full inspection of this children’s home was carried out in July 2017. At that inspection serious and widespread shortfalls were identified and the home was judged to be inadequate. As a result, two compliance notices were issued in respect of leadership and management and the safeguarding of children. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress made by the registered persons to deal with the weaknesses. Inspectors found that the registered persons have failed to take sufficient action to comply with the notices. While improvements in some areas have been made, leaders and managers have not specifically focused their improvement work to deal with the points raised in the compliance notices. As a result, there are still serious weaknesses in how well this home is managed and in keeping young people safe. Staffing and in particular, ensuring that the staff have the required expertise to care

p.1

This monitoring visit

for the children, remains a concern. Not enough has been done for leaders and managers to assure themselves and demonstrate that staff can now recognise indicators of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and can protect children when they are online and in potentially unsafe relationships. The registered manager advised inspectors that a new member of staff with no prior Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 2 experience would be starting work in this service the week after the inspection. There were no plans for this member of staff to receive training in respect of safeguarding or behaviour management prior to them working alone with children. This poor decision has the potential to leave children at risk. Despite temporary staff (employed from an external agency) regularly working in the home, they are not provided with training in the behaviour management strategies that this organisation adopts. As a result, one significant and dangerous

p.1

This monitoring visit

incident became prolonged because only one member of staff on duty at the time had the required training to safely intervene. Neither leaders, managers nor the independent visitor have identified this weakness. As a result, no action has been taken to prevent a similar incident from happening again. Leaders and managers have taken steps to update care planning documents. However, it is concerning that this important information was not updated promptly following the last inspection. Not all required information is available for staff in terms of the expectations upon them to protect children. In part, this is due to the vast amount of documentation for each child. However, some important details are missing in terms of clear direction for staff and the specific strategies they need to protect the children. Leaders and managers do not have clear and safe oversight of incidents that occur in the home. This obstructs them in identifying areas of risk and poor practice.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Consequently, changes that may be required in how staff keep children safe are not being made. There has been one allegation made by children since the last inspection. This allegation was progressed in line with policy and procedure. Appropriate steps were taken to ensure that the safety of children was a priority. There has been one significant incident where children in the home were threatening to make allegations about staff. This incident has not been reviewed effectively by leaders and managers and the children have not been spoken to about the incident.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The compliance notices have not been met. At the time of this report, Ofsted is considering the next course of action. A second full inspection is scheduled to be completed.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/07/2017 Full Inadequate 04/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Good 08/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that

p.3

Requirement Due date

prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; (vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; (viii) provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and (ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice; (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the 30/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 4 home are designed and furnished so as to— (d) ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that— (i) relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health; and satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3). (3) The conditions are—

p.3

Requirement Due date

(a) that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority; (b) that the care meets the child’s needs; (c) that the care is delivered by a person who— (i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and (ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. 7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard (1) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) develop positive relationships with them; (b) engage with them; and (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) ensure that staff— (i) ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in

p.4

Requirement Due date

the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; (ii) help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; (iii) help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; (iv) regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; (v) help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be 30/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 5 limited; (vi) help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and (vii) make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii); (b) ensure that each child—

p.4

Requirement Due date

(i) is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; (ii) has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and (iii) is given appropriate advocacy support. 11: The positive relationships standard (1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.5

Requirement Due date

(iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those 30/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 6 relationships can be supportive or harmful; (vii) help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; (viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; (ix) understand how children’s previous experiences and

p.5

Requirement Due date

present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. 12: The protection of children standard * (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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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 30/08/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 7 about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s 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

p.6

Requirement Due date

child effectively from harm; (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 13. The leadership and management standard * (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— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (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; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in

p.7

Requirement Due date

the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 30/09/2017

p.7

Requirement Due date

23: Medicines (1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and 30/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 8 disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. 31: Staffing of children’s homes The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. 30/09/2017

p.7

Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports (1) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (2) When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— (b) to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (3) A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. (4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. 30/09/2017

p.8

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.8

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Broadwood Education Services

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: New Hall Hey Road, Rossendale, BB4 6HR

p.9

Inspector(s)

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Paula Lahey, regional inspection manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC386651 10 to 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.

p.9

Inspector(s)

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.10

Inspector(s)

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

p.10

Inspector(s)

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

p.10