Children's Home run by Keys Education Ltd in Herefordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 1 SC062074 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

This privately owned home is registered to accommodate up to four young people. The home can look after young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff ensure that young people participate in a variety of activities and encourage their interests. This means that they have fun and develop their social skills.  The staff team provides regular and meaningful key-work sessions that help young people to improve their behaviour.  Young people know how to complain, and their concerns are responded to promptly. Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 2  Staff encourage young people to cook, tidy their bedrooms and make positive choices. This helps young people to develop age-appropriate independence skills.  Staff keep young people safe. This is because they follow safeguarding processes well and develop detailed risk assessments.  The registered manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision. This helps them to provide good-quality care.  The registered manager makes sure that care plans are well written. This means that the needs of young people are met.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have warm and established relationships with young people. This means that young people develop positive relationships with others.  The registered manager makes sure that young people regularly see their families and friends.

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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 registered manager needs to make sure that some staff receive mandatory training updates in fire safety, health and safety, and medication in a timely manner.  Redecoration of the property is needed. The bathrooms in the home are in need of repair and upgrading. The Grade II listed barn at the front of the property is leaning and needs to be made safe.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2016 Full Good 29/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to the leaning barn at the front of the home and redecoration of bathrooms within the home. 18/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to timely updates for staff training in fire safety, medication and health and safety. 16/03/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the previous manager has left and a new manager has been registered with Ofsted. One young person has left the home due to their aggressive and threatening behaviours to another young person. One young person has recently moved into the home. Staff make sure that young people are well supported when they move into and out of the home. Moves are well planned and organised. The manager makes sure that good-quality risk assessments take place to ensure that the needs of young people are well matched. As a result, all of the young people are getting along well. The young person’s guide is well written and is user-friendly. This helps to lessen some of the worries that young people have when moving into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a Grade II listed, detached building in the middle of the countryside. It is comfortable and young people have helped to decorate the games room by painting the walls. Staff make sure that there are photographs of young people throughout the home. However, the bathrooms are in need of some upgrading due to wear and tear. One shower is not working properly. This could have an impact on the young people if not maintained properly. In addition, there is a listed barn at the entrance to the driveway. It is leaning outwards. The barn behind the home recently collapsed due to storms. The manager needs to make sure that an assessment of the barn takes place. Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 4 Young people, staff and visitors could be injured and are at risk of potential harm from this building.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff help young people to improve their education outcomes. Young people who have not previously been in education or had poor attendance improve their attendance. For example, one young person, who had not been in education for some time, is now attending school most of the time with the help of staff. Staff transport all young people to get to and from education. Another young person also attends education and has been supported to do a hair and beauty course as part of this. Consequently, young people are helped to explore their areas of interest and given some choice in their education. Staff help young people to make progress in developing their confidence and improving their educational opportunities. A social worker told the inspector, ‘He has settled, he has made some really good progress. There is a positive and good atmosphere when I visit. He seems relaxed and calm, he has not raised any

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive structured and meaningful key-work sessions, which they participate in. Staff record the views and feelings of young people as part of these sessions. The sessions mirror the aims and objectives set in young people’s care plans. For example, staff work hard to help young people who display aggressive or bullying behaviours. Staff are consistent and firm in challenging homophobic behaviour and reinforce that this is not acceptable. Staff help young people to understand the impact that their behaviour can have on others. This means that staff help young people to improve their behaviour and fully understand their own needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the needs of young people and have good relationships with them. Young people receive care from a committed and experienced staff team. As a consequence, young people receive care from staff who prioritise their needs and who are consistent. A staff member told the inspector, ‘The core staff team is quite consistent with who we are as a team. We all communicate well, share opinions and get on well. Young people receive a good quality of care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager makes sure that young people’s files are well organised. Placement plans are well written and mirror the aims and objectives set by the placing authority. This enables positive progress and helps young people to make improvements in their everyday lives. Staff provide young people with consistent guidance and boundaries. The staff approach is based on warmth and young people are at the centre of staff practice. Staff use a nurturing approach, with limited formal ‘consequences’ to help young people to reflect on their behaviours and to improve their relationships with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide young people with a variety of activities to meet their social and recreational needs. Young people enjoy eating out, going to the cinema, spending time with their friends, going shopping, and mountain biking, trampolining and attending local support groups. This means that young people do activities that they enjoy. As a result, they develop their confidence and enjoy themselves One young person told the inspector, ‘I absolutely love it here. I like all of the staff and the food is great, there is Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 5 plenty of food. I like my room, I am now going to school and have no issues. There is nothing I am worried about or want to complain about.’

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

Young people currently living in the home are safe and say that they feel safe. This is because the registered manager makes sure that child protection processes are followed. Staff receive mandatory safeguarding training and the registered manager discusses safeguarding processes within team meetings. Since the new registered manager has started in the home, there has been a considerable reduction in the number of safeguarding notifications. The registered manager takes effective action to prioritise the safety of young people. During this inspection, staff did not raise any safeguarding concerns in relation to the quality of care that young people receive. During this inspection, staff members shared knowledge about how to manage safeguarding concerns professionally and promptly. As a result, staff are able to prioritise the safety of young people.

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

Physical restraint is used in the home only as a last resort. Staff use distraction and de- escalation techniques to avoid this. Records of physical restraint are well written. They include feedback from young people. The registered manager reviews the incidents within timescales. This means that young people understand why the restraint was used. This helps to avoid future incidents. Sanctions are rarely used and they are mostly restorative in nature.

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

There have been no allegations made about staff since the last inspection. Staff recruitment processes are robust. This means that young people receive care from appropriately checked adults. As a consequence, young people are kept safe. Another young person told the inspector, ‘I like the home and staff and there is nothing I am worried about.’

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

There have been three formal complaints made since the last inspection by young people. Managers and staff respond quickly to concerns and complaints made by young people. Complaints are well recorded and staff and managers take swift and effective action to resolve the complaints. The registered manager makes sure that young people receive a written response to their complaints. The registered manager prioritises concerns about bullying within the home. For example, one young person complained that he did not feel safe due to the behaviour of another young person. The registered manager held meetings and provided a holiday for the young person who complained. The registered manager took effective action to address these concerns. The registered manager adequately risk-assesses situations in which there are concerns about the safety of young people. This thorough approach keeps young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the necessary experience for the role. She was recently registered with Ofsted and is in the process of completing her management qualification. The registered manager is very dedicated. She has an ambitious vision and provides Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 6 good oversight of the service. She is supported by a loyal and experienced deputy manager. The managers make sure that regular team meetings take place, to share knowledge. One staff member told the inspector about the registered manager, stating, ‘She is a really good manager and knows how it all works, and she knows what positions we are put in and what logistical nightmares you can have. She is supportive. She helps us through situations.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive regular, practice-related formal supervision. Supervision notes are generally well recorded. Staff work as a united team to provide the best possible care to young people. Staff receive very good support from managers, including the responsible individual who frequently visits the home. This means that young people receive care from adequately supported and skilled staff. Staff complete a range of mandatory and additional training to help improve their practice, including safeguarding, self-harm and radicalisation. However, some staff are not up to date with mandatory training requirements. This is because some staff require refresher training in fire safety, health and safety, and medication. This could affect the welfare of young people if training updates are not completed in a timely manner. The registered manager has taken action, and is addressing this with individual staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has completed a thorough risk assessment of the location of the home. This means that potential risks in the surrounding area are identified, and the actions taken to minimise the risks are well recorded. This helps to keep young people safe. The home’s statement of purpose sufficiently reflects the aims and objectives of the service. The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. She has completed an evaluation of the quality of care provided and has an action plan identifying areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff have good relationships with social workers, the local safeguarding team, the police, teachers and parents. This means that young people receive the best possible support across all areas of their development. A social worker told the inspector, ‘In my view, there is an excellent quality of care provided to him; it has helped him make progress. They have managed his behaviour really well. He engages and has made significant progress; he has also engaged in education as well.’ A parent told the inspector, ‘Staff are excellent: they support our contact, somebody is there all of the time, and there really is an excellent level of care. He has an advocate and wants to stay at the home.’

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 7 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: SC062074 8

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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

Anna Gravelle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC062074 9 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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