Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd in Rossendale

Inspection report children’s home: SC020594 1 SC020594 Registered provider: Keys Education Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight young people. It offers a 12-week programme to young people who are in crisis. The programme includes young people engaging in activities, staying in temporary accommodation and camping. Ofsted does not inspect all accommodations used. However, the private company is required to carry out its own risk assessments for each accommodation used.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, Ofsted raised three requirements and two recommendations. The requirements related to:

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The organisation’s failure to challenge other agencies, when young people are not getting services they need.  Weaknesses in the home’s environment.  Young people’s risk assessments missing essential information. Only one of these three requirements is met. Managers are now challenging other Inspection report children’s home: SC020594 2 agencies and professionals if they consider that young people are not receiving the services they need. This has helped to ensure that young people have the help and support they need.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

However, there are continued shortfalls in the quality and cleanliness of the home’s environment. For example, furniture in a living room is dirty and stained. Flooring is not clean. Not all young people’s bedrooms have adequate storage, and their personal possessions are left on the floor. Many areas of the home, including corridors and landings, lack homely touches.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite young people being in placement for a period of time, their clothing and possessions are sometimes left in bags. Managers feel that young people will unpack ‘in their own time’. This detracts from a nurturing approach where adults make every effort to help young people settle into their new home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are shortfalls in the quality of young people’s risk assessments. For example, some contain inaccurate information about young people’s needs, including misleading information about areas of the UK that a young person can visit. Risk assessments do not always analyse or respond to identified risks, such as those associated with social media and mobile phone usage. These shortfalls mean that staff are not sufficiently informed about all the information relating to young people’s needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two recommendations were made at the last inspection. One related to young people not always having a return home interview after an episode of being missing from care. Young people still do not always have the opportunity to talk to an independent person, after being missing. This results in a missed opportunity for young people to be able to talk to someone outside of the home. The second recommendation related to shortfalls in physical intervention practice. Staff now offer young people an opportunity to have a debrief discussion following an incident. This means that young people have the opportunity to reflect upon an incident, and understand why physical intervention was used .

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people told inspectors that they get to meet lots of different staff at the home, and that staff regularly changed. One young person said, ‘I have had roughly 10 staff already.’ Young people report feeling unsettled by the frequent changes of staff caring for them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager does not ensure that staff receive regular supervision, and some staff have not had an annual appraisal. Consequently, staff practice is not regularly monitored, reviewed or evaluated. One member of staff has not completed their level 3 qualification in residential childcare, within the required timescale. Not all staff have received essential training to enable them to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for their role. This includes training in child sexual exploitation, anti-radicalisation, drug awareness, mental health, and self-harming behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers are unable to show that they follow some aspects of safe recruitment practice. Inspectors found some shortfalls in employment checks undertaken by the organisation. Inspection report children’s home: SC020594 3 This does not protect young people from unsafe adults seeking employment at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s files do not contain all the necessary documents required by regulations, including young people’s health information. As a result, staff do not always have all the essential information about the young people they care for.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted has not received a six-monthly self-monitoring report from the service. This does not allow the regulator to review the progress and development of the home in relation to young people’s welfare and safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to take part in a variety of activities on site and in the wider area, often staying in the organisation’s holiday cottages. Not all young people enjoy travelling around. One young person told the inspector, ‘I have stayed in three or four bunks. I don’t particularly like all the moving around, I would like to be in one place.’ He added, ‘Sometimes I can spend a long time driving around – like, two to three hours.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite the shortfalls, staff remain motivated and keen to make a difference to young people’s lives. A number of staff have worked at the home for several years, and are committed to helping young people make progress. Social workers are also positive about young people’s progress. One social worker told an inspector, ‘Staff are approachable and supportive to him.’ Another social worker said, ‘I am really pleased with the progress that she has made. Managers and staff always keep me updated about how things are going.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has introduced changes in the way staff work, to help young people learn appropriate age-related skills. As a result, young people work towards their independence, with structured help from staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2017 Full Good 12/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 26/07/2016 Full Inadequate

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Inspection report children’s home: SC020594 4 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.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that staff provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to the cleanliness of furniture in young people’s living rooms, and providing adequate storage and shelving in young people’s bedrooms. 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that the home’s day-to- day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to having detailed risk assessments. 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home. (Regulation 14(1)(2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child to the home. 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience, and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year). (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)). 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in a care home in a care role has the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. This is if the individual has attained the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’).

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(5)(a)) 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of 12/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC020594 5 each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(3)(d)) The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45(2)(b)) 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that ensures that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(e)) 12/02/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect children. (’Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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 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.

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Information about this inspection

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

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out Inspection report children’s home: SC020594 6 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’.

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tanya Chamberlain

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Inspectors

Julia Wright, social care inspector Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC020594 7 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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