Children's home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Rossendale

Inspection report children’s home: SC020606 1 SC020606 Registered provider: New Horizons Childcare Ltd

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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 three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 December 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 9 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC020606 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager and the staff know young people well and understand how to keep them exceptionally safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people consider this their ‘family home’.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people receive excellent support from a committed team of staff who care about them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff provide a nurturing environment, which young people need.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff use research to underpin their excellent practice.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager challenges other professionals when appropriate and works extremely effectively to ensure that young people get the support that they need.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are able to talk about their worries. Staff listen to them and put things right.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have made excellent progress in all areas.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Outstanding 04/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC020606 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Most of the young people have been living in the home for a number of years and have had the stability of an extremely committed staff team looking after them. This has enabled young people to build positive, trusting relationships with staff. Young people say that they feel comfortable in their home. One young person told the inspector, ‘It is just like a big family home, the staff are all great.’ All staff make an effort and come together with young people for special occasions, such as Christmas. One grandmother said that her grandchild is treated like ‘family’ by all of the staff. She said, ‘There is a special bond because everyone in the home has been really good and caring.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people told the inspector that they are really proud of their home. They said that they are able to ‘relax and have the space to just chill out’. Young people have developed exceptionally positive relationships with each other. Staff confirmed that the young people care about each other and give each other advice, as brothers and sisters would in any family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people personalise their rooms with their choice of furniture and decor. Staff ensure that young people have a memory box and albums, which contain items that have been important in their life journey. This means that young people feel that staff understand their history and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are sensitive and value young people’s views. Staff address any issues or concerns that young people have and resolve them quickly. A young person told the inspector that he does complain but staff ‘listen and then put things right’. Young people enjoy regular weekly meetings, where they raise any topics that they wish to discuss. Staff encourage young people to be creative and to come up with suggestions about how the home is run. They inspire young people and value the skills that young people have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have made excellent progress in their education and have aspirations to achieve and do well. Before they moved to the home, young people’s attendance at school was problematic. Attendance has increased dramatically, in one case from 36%. Now all young people attend education 100% of the time. This is because of the support that they receive from staff. Staff have very high expectations and emphasise the importance of education. Staff are proactive in daily home tutoring. One young person successfully completed 35 vocational awards in approximately three weeks while waiting for a place at an education centre. These qualifications contributed towards the young person’s choice of course. Young people now enjoy attending education and are really proud of their achievements. Staff help young people to explore their options for when they leave school, such as higher education or seeking employment and further training.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One young person already at college plans to go on to university. Another obtained part- time employment, which boosted their confidence and enabled them to further develop independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Excellent support from staff, underpinned by prompt, well-coordinated care plans, Inspection report children’s home: SC020606 4 enable young people to develop independence skills and begin to make progress from the start of their placements. This approach is excellent. Young people show confidence and a sense of belonging in the home. Staff support transition and independence planning. One social worker told the inspector that, ‘The staff are fantastic and committed and helped with the young person’s transition back home. The young person felt valued and respected by staff.’ Young people who have left the home still keep in touch with staff to let them know how they are getting on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people lead active social lives and undertake a range of positive activities, such as horse-riding, swimming, going to the cinema and Zumba classes. Young people put in a tremendous amount of effort each year growing fruit and vegetables, which they enjoy eating throughout the summer. Young people go on group and individual holidays. Staff actively promote the building of positive group attachments, as well as one-to-one time with young people. For example, a young person went away for a weekend to London with one member of staff. The young person said this was ‘fantastic, I really enjoyed it and did not realise that there was so much to do in London’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support young people to meet regularly with their families, who are usually some distance away. This helps young people to maintain links in their local area and see the people that are most important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that young people receive the therapeutic support that they need. The registered manager also arranges independent counselling when this is required. This avoids delays in young people receiving the help that they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are in good health. Staff encourage them when possible to make their own appointments as part of independence training. One young person has stopped smoking because of the support that they received. Now all young people are non- smokers. This helps them to lead a healthier life.

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

Staff’s in-depth knowledge of young people keeps young people safe. The one-to-one support that young people receive means that they gain insight into their behaviour and understand its impact. They trust and work with staff because they get the support that they need. Staff talk to young people about key issues, such as child sexual exploitation, drug and alcohol misuse, extremism and radicalisation. Young people also work with staff to learn strategies to manage their use of the internet and social media safely. Young people told the inspector that they are able to talk to staff about their worries.

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

Excellent risk assessment, planning and preventative work with partner agencies significantly reduces the risks that young people face. One social worker stated, ‘My young person is vulnerable and I find that staff at the home are prompt and competent with their risk assessments and advise me of any incidents in a timely manner.’

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

Young people have clear, individual routines and boundaries. They feel cared-for by staff and this helps them to significantly improve their behaviour. The number of physical Inspection report children’s home: SC020606 5 interventions has dramatically reduced. Staff have an excellent awareness of the triggers that could lead to an incident. They use research, and analyse and adapt their own responses to manage young people’s behaviour effectively. This helps young people to feel secure.

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

Young people gain a greater understanding of their own emotional needs and learn how to keep themselves safe. A relative told the inspector that, ‘The staff have worked miracles and kept [the young person] safe. There are differences in [the young person] because of the help that they have received. This shows what a marvellous job staff do.’

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

Young people who arrive at the home with a history of going missing soon become safer. The registered manager and the staff team provide excellent support to young people and help them to think about the risks that they face. For example, staff engaged one young person in discussions, underpinned by age-appropriate research, to consider the situations that they were placing themselves in. This creative input resulted in the young person recognising their own vulnerabilities, making safer choices and committing to staying in the home. Their independent reviewing officer told the inspector that staff provided ‘real commitment and nurturing, which the young person needed’.

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

The registered manager and staff have excellent working relationships with the police and other partner agencies. This helps to keep young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A suitably qualified and experienced registered manager has been in post since 2007. She supports a stable, long-standing staff team to provide exceptionally consistent care to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is inspirational and ambitious, and has high expectations of her staff and the young people. Staff and young people like and respect her. She leads by example and ensures that staff deliver consistent support to each young person in accordance with their individualised care plan. This provides the stability that young people need. Young people receive outstanding support and have positive experiences. They are achieving their full potential in all areas of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager’s excellent practice ensures that young people are exceptionally well supported as they move towards independence. Consequently, young people are confident and ready for their future life away from the home. The registered manager seeks support from independent advocates so that young people’s voices are heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager confidently challenges young people’s placing authorities to ensure that individual care plans meet young people’s long-term needs. Working in partnership with other agencies is a strength of this team. A consultant psychiatrist stated, ‘The home’s staff do a fantastic job; they do the right things for the young people and will follow up with other agencies so that young people get the services that they need.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC020606 6 The registered manager has an excellent grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of her home. Effective, regular supervision allows staff to reflect on their practice. A member of staff told the inspector that the registered manager ‘is always there to support us and encourage us with our own development and progression’. For example, one member of staff has taken the lead on delivering research-based training within the team and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

throughout the organisation. This covers key areas, including trauma, empathy and self- injurious behaviours. This development has ensured that young people’s behaviour management plans are underpinned by current research.

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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

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: SC020606 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Horizons Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Balsinder Jaspal-Mander, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC020606 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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