Children's Home run by Keys Stepping Stones Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 1 SC005567 Registered provider: Keys Stepping Stones Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a large private provider and offers care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2013.

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: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2023 Full Outstanding 19/01/2022 Full Outstanding 05/02/2020 Full Outstanding 25/04/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place children at the centre of their practice. Children living at this home are supported by a strong and nurturing staff team. Children benefit from structured routines and boundaries, which helps them to develop a sense of permanence and belonging. Children have trusted and secure relationships with the staff, who invest time in them and know them well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make a complaint should they need to. However, on one occasion, staff did not respond in line with complaints processes. The response to the child’s complaint was recorded using language that is stigmatising for children. This does not support children to understand their journey and demonstrate that complaints they make are taken seriously. On this occasion, the opportunity to review, evaluate and improve staff practice has been missed.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education for children. Staff have liaised effectively with the headteachers of the virtual school and school when a child has been excluded. Children are supported to continue their learning with support from an in-house tutor. Staff support additional activities throughout the day, such as yoga and arts and crafts.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Significant achievements are celebrated, and children are rewarded. Staff have celebrated a child successfully passing their school exams. A member of staff said, ‘One of my proudest moments was when [name of child] passed their exams and attended their prom.’ This supports children to experience a sense of value and success.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have daily opportunities to experience enjoyable activities. Staff recognise children’s individual talents and interests. Children take part in a range of activities, such as going to police cadets, undertaking Duke of Edinburgh awards, going for walks and on holidays. Staff ensure that memories are captured and recorded. This is important for children and will allow them to understand their journey into adulthood.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious. Children have access to various parts of the house and can have their own space if they wish. However, there are shortfalls in the environment, specifically children’s bedrooms, where damage needs to be addressed and redecoration is required.

p.3

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

Children trust staff. It is clear from children’s interactions with staff that they can talk about any issues affecting them. One child living at the home said, ‘I feel safe, trust the staff and have a fantastic relationship with the team and can speak to all the staff.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 4 Staff support children to understand risk. They take time to help children to understand how to keep themselves safe in relation to issues such as self-harm and emotional health. These discussions are planned but also happen when incidents and concerns arise. Children have access to specialist support when required. As a result, incidents of self-harm for one child have reduced.

p.3

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

Children are supported to understand the risks associated with use of the internet. Risk assessments detail how children’s use of the internet will be monitored. When children have not used the internet safely, staff have reviewed plans and put in place clear actions to help children to be safe. Children are helped to understand any restrictions and the reasons for them.

p.4

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

When necessary, children are held to keep them safe. This is done as a last resort. Records of these incidents are clear, and children are supported to understand the reasons why they are held. There is clear management oversight of incidents and discussions take place to help to review staff practice and consider if any changes to children’s individual plans are required.

p.4

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children. Risk assessments are individualised and carried out with children, parents and professionals involved in their care. However, when an allegation was made, it was not immediately responded to in line with safeguarding policies. This allegation has now been reviewed and has resulted in further staff training to ensure that they are clear about and follow procedures for responding to concerns about the safety of a child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. The manager has addressed staff vacancies and used safer recruitment processes to recruit staff and ensure that they are suitable to work with children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team have gone above and beyond to ensure that any changes to staffing have not affected the consistency and care for the children. They have ensured that any gaps on the rota have been covered by the manager and permanent staff team. This supports their commitment to the children and offers stability in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses feedback from children, family, staff and external professionals to continually improve the home. Staff enjoy working at the home and view this as a second family with a strong and nurturing environment. Professionals such as social workers and independent reviewing officers involved with the children say that all children receive the best possible care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal monitoring systems have failed to identify the quality of some children’s case records. Opportunities to learn from and improve this practice have not been fully understood so that staff can improve and develop their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 5 The staff team is provided with opportunities to attend training that is specific to the needs of the children, such as training in subjects such as autism and child sexual exploitation. However, effective monitoring is not in place to evidence the impact that staff practice has had on individual children’s progress and life chances.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 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, The 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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;

p.6

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)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must have systems in place to ensure effective oversight of all aspects of children’s care. 25 March 2024

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful and clear recording, ensuring that handwritten records are legible. In particular, records should not be stigmatising for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive and meets children’s basic day-to-day needs. In particular, damage to the property should be repaired in a timely manner and children’s bedrooms Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 7 should be decorated to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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: SC005567 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Stepping Stones Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Thomas Cappleman

p.8

Inspector

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC005567 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

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9