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

Inspection report for children's home: SC064428 1 SC064428 Registered provider: Keys Active 8 Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home cares for up to four children who may experience emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 12 January 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

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

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/01/2022 Full Good 28/02/2020 Interim Not judged 17/09/2019 Interim Not judged 07/02/2019 Interim Not judged Inspection report for children's home: SC064428 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out. One child is currently living at this children’s home. Children receive individualised care and support that meets their needs. Staff have the understanding and skills to build positive and trusting relationships with children. Staff take an interest in the things that are important to children, including caring for animals, making music videos and learning how to cook. Children and staff enjoy having fun together.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff are attuned to children’s needs and level of understanding. They consult with therapists to work out the best ways to support children. For example, staff use knowledge from therapeutic parenting training to engage with individual children. Staff undertake frequent direct work with children in an engaging and child- centred way. This work is relevant to children’s needs and their development.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before children come to live at the home, managers make sure that staff can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. Managers and staff support the children to move into the home smoothly. Children usually have the chance to meet staff and visit the home before they move in. Children feel involved in their move and welcomed at the home. For example, a child’s daily routines are based on what worked well for them where they were living previously.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children stay in touch with the important people in their lives. Staff make sure that children enjoy safe and positive experiences while spending time with their families. A social worker said, ‘The home are very supportive of the child maintaining her family links and this is a real positive in my view.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff had not been in close contact with one child’s school and the headteacher of the virtual school to know the plans for her education for the autumn term. This means that the child was not being prepared for her return to school. In addition, there may be a risk of delays in the child having a suitable school placement that meets her learning needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to be healthy and to have their emotional needs met. Staff make sure that children get medical attention when they do not feel well or have a concern about their health. However, staff do not fully understand the plans for supporting a child with a hearing impairment. The child was not receiving ongoing encouragement and support to understand the benefits of wearing hearing aids.

p.3

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

Children are protected from harm. Managers and staff identify and reduce risks to children’s safety. Inspection report for children's home: SC064428 4 Following a fire at the home, leaders and managers have put in place appropriate precautions against the risk of fire. This has included reviewing the fire safety arrangements, making sure that the fire alarms and equipment are in good working order, and that staff have renewed their fire safety training.

p.3

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

Children feel safe and have trusted relationships with staff. When children have raised concerns, staff have responded quickly and appropriately. This makes children feel valued and confident that their concerns are taken seriously and resolved.

p.4

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

Children rarely go missing from home. When children do go missing from home, staff follow clear plans to find children and they return home safely.

p.4

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

Staff support children to keep themselves safe, including how to use mobile phones and social media safely. Staff encourage children to contribute to safety plans. This helps children to understand risks and find ways to protect themselves from harm.

p.4

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

Staff understand how to respond when children are upset or having a difficult time. They listen to children’s views about how best to help them. Staff follow well-thought- out strategies consistently to help children learn to manage their feelings safely. This means that children are supported in line with the home’s nurturing ethos.

p.4

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

Records of physical intervention do not always provide a detailed picture of what happened or for how long each measure was used. This impedes the manager’s ability to evaluate the use of physical intervention, identify effective practice and respond promptly to any issues of concern. This is necessary to ensure that the registered manager can identify any patterns and change practice to make sure it meets children’s needs safely.

p.4

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

Leaders and managers follow careful recruitment processes. They make sure that staff are the right people with the necessary skills and experience to care for vulnerable children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is permanent, experienced and suitably qualified. The manager provides effective leadership. She has high expectations for the standard of care that children receive. Managers aspire for children to be safe and happy and to enjoy nurturing relationships with staff. This ethos and culture are evident in every aspect of children’s care and the running of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by enough staff with suitable experience and skills to safeguard and promote their needs. Managers always make sure that children receive continuity of care from staff who they know, and who know how to care for them safely. This is helping children to build trusting relationships with staff and develop a sense of emotional security.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home and are positive about the support they receive from managers and colleagues. Staff receive relevant training that provides them Inspection report for children's home: SC064428 5 with the essential skills and knowledge to meet children’s needs, including approaches to therapeutic parenting, attachment, and caring for children who have been sexually abused.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective management oversight identifies shortfalls and leads to improvement in staff practice. The manager uses team meetings creatively to develop staff’s skills and practice. For example, training around recording has improved the quality of how staff write about children’s experiences and capture children’s wishes and feelings.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. However, managers are not using staff supervision effectively to evaluate staff’s learning and development. They are not providing opportunities for staff to reflect on their learning from training, how they are using new skills and knowledge and its impact on the children that they care for. Inspection report for children's home: SC064428 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(vi))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the manager contacts the local authority and the child’s school to confirm the arrangements for the child’s education for the start of the autumn term. 2 September 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.6

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)) 2 September 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC064428 7 Specifically, that staff encourage and support children with a hearing impairment to understand the benefits of using hearing aids.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that —

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes —

p.7

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the measure.

p.7

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to making sure that accurate records are kept of all measures used, and each record includes all relevant information outlined in this regulation and is evaluated effectively. 2 September 2022

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff supervision meetings provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their learning from training and its impact on the children in their care, and that managers evaluate staff’s learning and development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children's home: SC064428 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Active 8 Care Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspectors

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Amie Anders, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC064428 9 to 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.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9