Children's home run by Keys Active 8 Care Limited in Rossendale

Inspection report children’s home: SC064428 1 SC064428 Registered provider: Active 8 Care Ltd

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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 home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for children and young people who may have challenging behaviour and/or may be emotionally vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC064428 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Good 10/05/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC064428 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

Receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for a child’s pathway plan to be in place. 14/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

Full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that there is a satisfactory documented explanation of any gaps in staff employment history. 14/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— If they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the independent visitor sees the young person who lives in the home. 14/08/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC064428 4

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improvement to be good

The home has been through an unsettled period. Staff have experienced difficulties in managing young people’s unpredictable and aggressive behaviour. Consequently, a young person’s placement ended earlier than planned, as staff were unable to meet his needs.

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improvement to be good

The home’s admission procedures failed to fully consider the impact of new admissions on the existing group of young people. This resulted in a deterioration in young people’s behaviours. There was an increase in missing from home incidents and criminal activity in the community. This had an impact on the overall experiences and progress of the young people.

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improvement to be good

There is currently one young person living in the home. Although he experienced unsettlement in his placement, he has now settled into a routine and is investing in his placement. He has positive relationships with staff, who are supporting and encouraging him to make good choices.

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improvement to be good

The young person’s education attendance has been erratic. With staff support, the young person is now attending and engaging in his education provision. He is revising for his forthcoming GCSE examinations and is considering his future career choices.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the young person to attend his health appointments. Reports from key- worker sessions demonstrate the time that staff spend with the young person, supporting him to understand how to look after his own health. Staff have sourced a dentist, who has assisted in building the confidence of the young person. This has prepared and supported him to have the treatment required.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the young person to maintain his identity and promote contact with his family. They ensure that the contact sessions are safe and in line with the young person’s care plans.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there was an increase in the number of missing from home episodes. When young people are missing from the home, staff follow procedures in line with young people’s risk assessments. In the period since the other young people moved on from the home, the remaining young person has been using his free time safely. There have been no recent missing from care episodes and he now prefers to be in the company of the staff and his friends from school.

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improvement to be good

For a period of time there was a significant increase in serious incidents of aggression and assault, both in the community and in the home. Staff requested police assistance Inspection report children’s home: SC064428 5 on a number of occasions to help manage young people’s aggressive and challenging behaviours. Young people have been subject to criminal justice procedures as a result of their behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment procedures require improvement to be good. Not all relevant checks, including a consideration of gaps in employment, have been considered. This does not demonstrate that young people are cared for by staff who have been appropriately checked.

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improvement to be good

There have been five incidents when physical intervention has been necessary. This has been low level and used to keep the young person, staff and other young people safe. This has decreased since the other young people moved on from the home.

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improvement to be good

The local police visit the home to discuss any issues with the manager. They give staff advice and address young people’s offending behaviour. They encourage positive behaviour in the home and the community. This has encouraged the young person to make better choices, and he has not engaged in any further offending behaviour since the other young people moved on from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager at the home for over 26 weeks. The acting manager has made an application to Ofsted to be registered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager has previously managed this home. She is currently undertaking the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The acting manager is supported by an experienced, suitably qualified deputy manager who shares her commitment to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent person has not seen the young person during the last three visits. This does not give the visitor the opportunity to observe the young person in his home, or to talk to him about his care experiences. This is a missed opportunity to consider the young person’s views, wishes and feelings about the care he receives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The young person does not have a pathway plan in place, despite the organisation’s numerous requests to the placing authority. The organisation has escalated this to a higher level. The young person has made a formal complaint, with the support of his independent advocate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is able to identify the improvements necessary to gain good outcomes for the young person. She intends to improve the admission impact assessment to ensure that any risks to him are fully considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recording has improved. The organisation has introduced new documents in relation to young people’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These documents are clear and easier to follow. This will assist staff in the day-to-day care of the young person. Inspection report children’s home: SC064428 6

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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: SC064428 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, 2nd Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Jo Hornby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064428 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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