Children's home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Rossendale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 1 SC020610 Registered provider: Keys NHCC Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and who are vulnerable to exploitation.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is suitably managed by an experienced and qualified manager, who registered with Ofsted in May 2015.

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: 17 November 2021

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/11/2021 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Good 20/12/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three children have successfully moved on from the home. Two children transitioned back into the care of their families and the other child transitioned into their own flat. Staff supported the child to secure their own property and ensured that it was suitable and well presented as part of the transition. Positively, this child remains in regular contact with the home and sends updates on their progress and achievements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living in the home. Staff have welcomed two children since the last inspection, and they are showing good progress. The staff team has adapted well to the challenges that come with new children arriving and changes to the home dynamics. The staff team is trained and skilled in providing children with individualised care. The staff team welcomes support and guidance from other professionals and agencies to help to devise support plans.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have had mixed success in ensuring that all children access the required education. One child is attending full-time education and is making academic progress. However, the other two children have reduced timetables and do not always attend their education provisions as required. Limited work is undertaken by staff to promote children’s education and learning outside of school time or to prepare children for when they are past the statutory school age. This means that children are not reaching their full academic potential. Furthermore, none of the three children have an up-to-date education, health and care plan, although the registered manager has taken steps to address this.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team encourages children to find hobbies and interests. One child is enjoying horse riding and dance, and they have been supported to engage in part- time employment. Staff ensure that children engage in weekly activities, which are decided in children’s house meetings that are held weekly. The house meetings are an opportunity for children to share their wishes and feelings and any concerns that they may have. The feedback from these meetings is considered by the registered manager and influences decisions the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have family time and, positively, all children are living in their home county. Feedback was obtained from a parent of a child who is currently living in the home and from a parent of a child who has now left. Both parents provided positive feedback about the home, staff team and the progress that their children have made.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children at the home say that they feel safe and are happy with where they are. Observations were made between children and staff at the home that evidence the positive relationships that children are developing with the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 4 The staff provide the children with a safe and well-presented home that is warm and welcoming. The children have good-size bedrooms that have been decorated to their individual taste. The children have communal spaces that are child friendly and have personal touches, such as toys and photos. There is also a dedicated workspace for children to engage with online learning. The registered manager has a plan for a new kitchen to be fitted and to make better use of the garden space for the children. Children are being consulted on the development of the home.

p.3

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

The staff team uses a therapeutic approach when responding to children’s changing and challenging behaviours. Staff use verbal and written praise to encourage positive behaviour. Children respond well to this and, as a result, their behaviour is settled, and staff rarely need to use negative consequences. Staff help children to understand their behaviours using debriefs and direct-work sessions.

p.4

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

Staff rarely use physical interventions to manage children’s behaviours. Staff did need to use physical interventions for one child when they first moved in to the home, but this has now significantly reduced.

p.4

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

The staff team responds appropriately to children who go missing from the home. One child, who had a history of going missing from home, has not gone missing since July 2022. Another child has been able to go missing from the home on three occasions without staff’s knowledge. The responsible individual and registered manager have been proactive in investigating this and action has been taken to reduce the likelihood of this happening again. The action taken includes individual safety planning, updated risk assessments, alterations to the home, and additional staff training.

p.4

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

The registered manager and staff team were prompt with their actions in response to one child who became pregnant. The child was nurtured and supported by staff and partner agencies throughout the short pregnancy. The staff team has also been supporting a child who is currently struggling with their mental health and associated behaviours. The staff team has responded appropriately, and the child is being supported accordingly and is making progress.

p.4

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

There have been some instances when staff have not accurately recorded the administration of medication. The registered manager has taken action to address this with those staff involved. However, inspectors identified that staff are still not using recording systems correctly to document their administration of medication.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified, experienced and passionate about the care, progress and achievements the children make in the home. Her work ethic is clearly seen in the progress and development made by herself and the expectations for her staff, who are encouraged to progress their careers. This is also seen with the progress that children are making now and by those who have moved on from the Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 5 home. The registered manager has an ‘open-door’ policy with the children, and this was evident throughout the inspection. This encourages children to engage and develop positive relationships in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has positive working relationships with professionals and partner agencies, and will challenge as and when required to ensure that the children get the right care and support. The registered manager also has good working relationships with families, and this has been confirmed through feedback from parents.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that staff are attending mandatory and additional training opportunities. She has good oversight of her staff team’s strengths and weaknesses and how to best utilise their skills in the home and for the children. Supervisions are completed monthly and are to a good standard. Staff say that they feel supported and encouraged by the registered manager. The registered manager has completed annual appraisals; however, the staff are failing to complete and return their sections of the report. This means that staff are not taking responsibility for their continued professional development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good oversight of systems used in the home. They ensure that these are updated accordingly and all staff are aware of changes made. Team meetings are productive and evidence reflective practice from learning and guidance from other professionals, such as the home’s therapist, who offers regular support that is tailored to each child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 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 that staff—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(iii)(ix)) 17 March 2023

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 7

p.6

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: SC020610 8

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspectors

Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC020610 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 looked after children, 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