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

Inspection report children’s home: SC363393 1 SC363393 Registered provider: Broadwood Educational Services Limited Interim 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

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be 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

Since the last inspection, several changes to the structure of the staff team, including the registered manager, have taken place. Consequently, children and young people living in the home have experienced an unsettling time.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A newly appointed manager has brought some stability to the home and has played a significant role in identifying poor staff practice. However, because of a high volume of investigations and suspensions of staff, the staff team has periodically changed, which means that children and young people have not been able to form trusting and meaningful relationships.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people have been placed at risk because some staff have failed to Inspection report children’s home: SC363393 2 prevent them from engaging in risky behaviours. Several serious incidents involving children and young people have taken place. Since the last inspection, one child has moved from the home because the manager and staff team could not keep him safe. Another young person is due to move out shortly.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some staff make good attempts to de-escalate situations and calm the children and young people when they are upset. Nonetheless, there has been a high volume of physical interventions since the last inspection, extensive damage to the home and, on one occasion, the need to draw on the skills of three registered managers and the responsible individual to bring calm and reduce risk within the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has repeatedly gone missing from the home. Staff have failed to prevent the young person from leaving the home. In addition, they have been ineffective in helping him to understand the risk that he places himself in. The manager has asked for this young person to move as they accept that they cannot keep him safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a complaint by a member of the public. In addition, several allegations and counter allegations made by staff have been and continue to be investigated. Members of the senior leadership team have undertaken investigations into all of these incidents, and the local area designated officer has been involved. They concluded that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate some of these concerns and some remain ongoing. One incident involved a member of staff dealing with a child heavy handedly. Poor staff practice has been endemic in the home. The inspection process and internal investigations by senior leaders identified some staff failing to follow protocol, follow instruction, produce a risk assessment for an activity or provide consistent, structured boundaries for the children and young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager has worked hard to bring a sense of stability to the home during what has been an extremely challenging period. The core team of staff having been provided has enabled positive relationships with the children and young people and fun and interesting activities to take place. For one young person, this is positive and has helped them achieve small steps.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and key members of the staff team have supported the children and young people well when they move on. Their moving out is managed in a considered and well- planned way.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Senior managers and leaders recognise the impact that this turbulent and challenging period has had on the children and young people. Several reflective discussions have taken place at a senior level, and an action plan to address these serious shortfalls is being produced. Although it is recognised by the inspector that the one remaining young person is due to move-on, several requirements are made to ensure that there is significant improvement in the operation of the home and the safety of children and young people that move into the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children’s home: SC363393 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/11/2017 Full Good 18/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 29/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC363393 4 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h)) The protection of children standard

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

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 29/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC363393 5 harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(c)(d)(e)) The positive relationships standard

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive 29/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC363393 6 relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(ix)(xi))

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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 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: Broadwood Educational Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Post vacant Emma Patch Inspection report children’s home: SC363393 7

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Inspector

Linda Bond, 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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