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

Inspection report children's home: SC363393 1 SC363393 Registered provider: Broadwood Education Services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a large national private provider of care and education for children. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post who is registered with Ofsted. However, at the time of the inspection, this person was absent and the home was being managed by an interim manager.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC363393 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/11/2017 Full Good 18/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children's home: SC363393 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, assess and reduce risks associated with children who are victims of exploitation and may be vulnerable to perpetrators of offences against them. 17/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home— the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all fire doors comply with the above regulation and that staff understand how to check fire doors. 17/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose is clear and up to date. 17/09/2018 Inspection report children's home: SC363393 4

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Recommendations

 Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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improvement to be good

Until recently leaders, managers and staff have not delivered care that consistently provides good outcomes and experiences for young people. While all young people have made some progress, the decisions to move new young people into the home has led to a lack of effective assessment and meeting of their needs. Inappropriate matching of young people contributed to some difficult behaviour and issues of bullying, which staff could not successfully resolve.

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improvement to be good

Following recent leadership changes in the organisation, there has been a significant improvement in practice. These changes benefit the current resident. Staff have quickly built an effective and meaningful relationship with the young people. In a short space of time, the young person has stopped smoking and is eating a healthier diet. The staff are meeting the young person’s cultural and identity needs, encouraging family contact and keeping a well-ordered record of the young person’s time in the home.

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improvement to be good

A varied and exciting range of activities has been and continues to be on offer. The young person is currently engaged and benefiting from these experiences. Previously, engagement by young people who have since moved out was sporadic. One young person disengaged from any help and support the staff offered.

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improvement to be good

The welfare and safety of the young person currently living in the home are promoted. The staff have high aspirations for the young person’s future and are working in partnership with the placing authority to secure appropriate services for the young person, including education. Inspection report children's home: SC363393 5

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improvement to be good

Since the previous full inspection, the manager and staff were unable to keep all young people safe. Despite working with a variety of support agencies and holding regular strategy meetings, one young person continued to put themselves at serious risk of harm. Another young person who had to leave the home put another resident at risk, and there were frequent altercations, including physical violence, between two residents.

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improvement to be good

The use of sanctions and rewards in an attempt to change young people’s behaviour was ineffective. Several sanctions were repeated despite their not having any positive impact on the undesirable behaviour. This approach has recently improved with better oversight by the current manager.

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improvement to be good

Young people have been missing from the home, sometimes frequently. Leaders and managers have not confirmed that independent return home interviews were completed following all of these missing episodes. Information collected independently from children following their being missing has not been requested consistently by the home. This lessens opportunities for staff to understand the child’s actions, and to develop a plan to reduce missing from home incidents.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers are now taking action to prevent weak practices from happening again. Assessments of whether the home can meet the needs of young people are now more thorough. Matching assessments are now detailed and designed to avoid young people who are incompatible from living together. This improvement has yet to be tested in practice.

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improvement to be good

For the most part, identification of risk is well considered, and support plans are instructive about how to avoid unnecessary risk. However, risk assessments do not contain sufficient detail about how to respond to the threats associated with young people who may be sought by those who have exploited them. This lack of consideration has the potential to put young people and staff at risk.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not know how to check fire doors safely. During the inspection, several fire doors were found to be defective, and yet records show that staff have checked them every week and not identified these defects.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

An interim manager is currently in charge of the home. In a short space of time, she has overseen several improvements. Notably, the environment has been refurbished and decorated. It now offers homely and comfortable surroundings. Planning and records have also improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

This home has improved since the recent changes in the leadership and management of the organisation. Since the previous inspection, and prior to these changes, shortfalls in Inspection report children's home: SC363393 6 the assessment and matching of residents, care planning and record-keeping adversely affected the lives of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

New systems, analysis of need and a carefully planned move in to the home has recently benefited the current resident. However, several aspects of the improvements made to records and practice have yet to be tested.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The statement of purpose lacks clarity in some areas. The manager has identified that it needs review and improvement to bring it up to date and make it more user friendly. Monitoring systems have identified other shortfalls, and important stakeholders including Ofsted have been kept up to date with some of the difficulties the home has faced until recently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Training and induction programmes for staff are suitable and include specialist training when required. The majority of staff have a childcare qualification. Staff morale is high, and there is optimism for the future of young people and a positive feel about the new leadership and management structure in the organisation. Regular supervision and appraisal remain a positive feature, as does work with other agencies and regular reporting to stakeholders and support agencies.

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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: SC363393 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Broadwood Education Services

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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

Janice Hawtin, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC363393 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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Inspector

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