Children's home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Rossendale

Inspection report children’s home: SC020608 1 SC020608 Registered provider: Keys NHCC Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. The home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and appropriately qualified.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC020608 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2021 Full Good 08/10/2019 Full Good 12/11/2018 Full Good 22/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC020608 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before a child comes to live at the home, the registered manager completes a detailed risk assessment to assess their suitability. This assessment considers reports and discussions with parents, professionals, staff and the children. The process of finding and supporting the right child to move into the home is also informed by the registered manager critically reviewing previous placements. For example, a child who recently moved into the home visited the home and had tea with the child already living there. This practice supports existing children to be reassured and feel listened to and new children to settle quickly.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take time to listen and get to know the children well. This helps the children to form positive relationships with staff and to develop an improved sense of self. For example, the children are helping to prepare meals and eating healthily. They are engaging with other professionals, such as therapists. They are active members of clubs and groups. One child is a member of a football club, attending regular training sessions and playing matches. Another child is attending drum and guitar lessons. This caring ethos supports the children to make good progress in many areas of their lives and develops lifelong skills and interests that improve their confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the children to understand how important education is for their future. One child has started at a new school and is making good progress. Another child successfully increased his school attendance prior to the summer holiday but is now struggling to return and not attending. Staff are working closely with school staff to look at strategies to encourage his return and continue his education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager continues to develop the home environment with the input of the children and staff. Overall, the home feels welcoming and homely, and the children’s bedrooms are personalised. There are photos displayed around the home that have been taken by one of the children. There are plans in place to continue to develop the home by refurbishing the kitchen and staff’s sleep-in rooms.

p.3

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

The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures through induction, training and supervisions. This ensures that the staff practice is based on a good safeguarding culture where the children are helped to understand how to protect themselves, feel listened to and respected, and are confident that their views matter.

p.3

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

The staff are sensitive in supporting the children to live together. They encourage the children to discuss the impact that their behaviour can have on each other. Inspection report children’s home: SC020608 4 When appropriate, staff work closely with the children’s family members to help them maintain positive relationships with their children.

p.3

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

Staff can manage and defuse most incidents and support the children to make informed decisions to keep themselves safe. As a result, the number of incidents, physical interventions and episodes of going missing from care are currently low for the two children living at the home.

p.4

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

The number of negative consequences given to the children are currently low. However, staff do not give enough consideration to alternative age-appropriate strategies. For example, children are not provided with the opportunity to identify their negative behaviours and change or remove a consequence through positive behaviour. The registered manager and the deputy manager acknowledged this and plan to use scheduled refresher training to discuss behaviour management with the staff team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is skilled and experienced and is well supported by a deputy manager. They both know the children well and have a good understanding of the home and staff team’s strengths and areas for development. The company has invested in providing training for the registered manager and the deputy manager. This is positive and improves their skills and knowledge.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Until last month, this home has had a very stable and experienced staff team. Recent staff changes have been well managed and there is a clear plan in place that will ensure all staff vacancies will be filled by permanent staff by 1 October 2022. This promotes consistency and continuity of care for the children and provides them with a stable home environment.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel valued because the managers support the right environment for practice to be developed. Staff receive regular supervision sessions and training that are focused on their practice and the needs of the children. As a result, each staff member can reflect on their practice and develop their skill base.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff work well in partnership with clinicians, social workers and schools. All are positive about the care the children are receiving and the progress they are making. Inspection report children’s home: SC020608 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

help a child who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(viii)) 30 November 2022

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that 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)

p.5

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 children’s home: SC020608 6

p.5

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC020608 7 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.6

Inspector

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7