Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC386522 1 SC386522 Registered provider: Keys Education Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who are unable to live in their family homes.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted on 24 March 2015.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 28 November 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC386522 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2017 Full Outstanding 12/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Outstanding 22/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC386522 3

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their specific training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is welcoming. It resembles a family home. Staff support children to choose the colour and design of their bedrooms. This has resulted in the children taking pride in their rooms and keeping them tidy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have made positive relationships with the children in a short period of time. The children enjoy the company of the staff. Children said that they are ‘happy’ in their home. Children are making excellent progress with their education and with their social and emotional development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff know the children extremely well. They understand how the children’s history can impact on their ability to make and sustain healthy relationships. Staff encourage and support children to attend local youth clubs and Girl Guides. These community activities are helping them to make and sustain positive friendships. This has resulted in the children having friends home for tea and joining in activities with their friends, which has in turn helped to increase the children’s self-confidence and self-esteem. A child said, ‘We do lots of things here and I’m going to the youth club tonight.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff consistently use their skills to support children to have fun and to ensure that there are clear age-appropriate boundaries and routines in place. There is a good balance between the two. Staff help children to understand why they are unable to live with their families. They work together in a consistent way to ensure that children feel stable and secure in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are highly creative and support children to engage in individual key-work sessions that are interactive and are led by what the children want to talk about. Children reported that the sessions are ‘fun’ as staff spend quality time with them, ‘listening’ to and ‘helping’ them. Children said that staff really ‘care and want to help us’. Inspection report children’s home: SC386522 4 The staff ensure that the children’s voices are consistently heard. They use a ‘You spoke, we listened’ folder to capture the children’s views, thought and feelings. Staff are highly creative and have supported the children to choose things that they value and are important to them. The children have chosen the values ‘love’ and ‘kind’. Staff have helped the children to explore their own culture, for example by translating their values into Romanian. The children have completed artwork to reflect each of their values. This

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

artwork will be placed in photograph frames and displayed throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff consult children on their care. Children’s care plans reflect the input that they have had in helping the staff to plan their care. Staff are upbeat and highly encouraging and supportive. This provides a happy, family environment where children feel empowered to achieve their goals. A child said, ‘I love, love, love the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff promote the children’s talents and interests, such as gymnastics and art work. Staff are extremely proud of the achievements the children make. Staff give the children lots of praise and encouragement. This has resulted in children being awarded medals for their achievements in these activities.

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

Staff give the children’s safety top priority. High levels of staff supervision mean that children are safe in their home and in the community.

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

Managers and staff are innovative in the work that they do with children. Staff create a variety of scenarios about keeping safe. This helps to enhance the children’s understanding of how to keep safe in the community and online. This interactive tool is highly effective. It is a fun and creative way to help children remember situations that may be unsafe.

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

Staff are highly motivated and use research to source fun and innovative ways of working with the children, for example by creating interactive games that allow the children to learn about ‘stranger danger’. This method gives staff a good idea of whether children have understood these dangers, and whether they need further discussions on this subject.

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

Staff design thorough risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These documents highlight the children’s individual needs and risks. Staff seek the children’s views and opinions on how best to help them to manage their frustrations and anxieties.

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

Since the last inspection there have been three incidents when staff have used physical intervention. The techniques applied are low level, and are used to guide children away from harmful situations. Staff use distraction techniques and keep children busy. They use rewards to promote positive behaviour. The children enjoy choosing a small gift from a ‘lucky-dip box’. This is also effective in reinforcing to the children how well they are progressing. Inspection report children’s home: SC386522 5 Sanctions are rarely used. The children’s risk assessments identify that the use of sanctions with these children is highly likely to result in them feeling worthless. The use of praise and rewards is proving successful and every small achievement is celebrated and praised.

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

Children don’t go missing from the home. Staff show the children that they care about them. They give the children their full attention when they are in the home. The inspectors observed that on arrival home from school the children were eager to see the staff. Children and staff greeted each other with hugs and the children were delighted to see the staff and to tell them about their day in school. Staff listen to them and are interested in what they have to say. This gives the children a sense of belonging and self-worth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2015. The manager is inspirational and leads by example. The manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager, who assists her in the running of the home. The leadership team has established a culture of positivity. Managers have excellent oversight of the home and the exceptional progress that the children continue to make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff are confident in their roles. They have a clear vision of what they want the children to achieve and enjoy. Staff say that they are well supported by managers and are confident in their roles. They have an excellent understanding of the children’s complex needs. Staff support and encourage the children to reach their full potential in school and in their activities. This has increased the children’s self-confidence and self-worth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive training that is specific to the children’s individual needs, such as those relating to self-harmful behaviour. A section of this training was information in respect of ligatures. Staff would benefit from attending a separate training session on ligatures. This would further enhance their knowledge and understanding of the methods used to ensure that children are safeguarded. A recommendation has been made to reflect this improvement. This has not impacted on the safety and progress of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers recognise the need to continuously look for ways to improve staff practice. A monthly monitoring audit tool helps them to identify any shortfalls. The staff team works well with other agencies, such as placing social workers, and education and health staff. A child’s personal education plan and review minutes have not been received, despite the managers’ numerous requests for these documents to the placing authority. The manager is keen to escalate this to a higher level. A recommendation has been made to reflect this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision and appraisal are regular and of good quality. This was confirmed by staff. Staff meetings are regular and the manager often uses these for group supervision. Staff have high aspirations for the children and the home. They said that they like working in Inspection report children’s home: SC386522 6 the home and they ensure that the environment is homely and warm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff provide a nurturing home for the children, which enables children to enjoy and achieve their goals. Staff and managers are highly thought of by other professionals who are involved in the children’s daily lives. They commended them for their hard work and care that they provide for children. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘The staff are caring and supportive. They work hard with [name] as well as the social worker to ensure that [name] receives the best care possible. They [staff] have a good working relationship with the school and work collaboratively.’

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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

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: SC386522 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Jo Hornby: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC386522 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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