Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC488439 1 SC488439 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

This privately operated children’s home is registered to provide care for up to three young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager in post.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC488439 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/09/2018 Full Good 08/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC488439 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 28/02/2020

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Recommendations

 Ensure that decisions about overnight stays with friends are delegated to children’s home staff by the placing authority for children looked after. The level of delegated authority should be recorded in the placement plan. When children wish to stay overnight with friends, staff should carry out the same kind of checks that responsible parents and carers might make in similar circumstances to seek reassurance that the child will be well cared for and safe. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.9) Inspection report children’s home: SC488439 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most young people make good progress from their starting point. For example, a young person who struggled to go to health appointments now attends. A young person who was out of education for a long time now goes to school full time. Staff have also supported a young person to manage his emotions more effectively. Consequently, the number of incidents and physical interventions has reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to attend education. The registered manager and staff have positive relationships with education staff and communicate regularly with young people’s teachers. This allows additional support to be provided to young people, if and when needed, to maintain their school attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy living in the home and take part in a range of hobbies and interests. Favourite activities include boxing, learning to play the guitar, attending a local farm and playing football. Staff help young people to engage in the local community. One young person is enjoying safe friendships and a good social life due to the range of activities he attends. This could be further improved if staff obtained delegated authority from young people’s placing authorities so that they can make decisions about whether young people can stay overnight with friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A consistent and skilled staff team provides young people with positive child-centred care. Staff and young people have positive relationships built on trust and honesty. Key workers address issues that are relevant to young people and focus on praising positive behaviour to encourage improved outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to see and spend time with their family when appropriate to do so. Young people have advocates to promote their views, wishes and feelings. This is effective and ensures that young people’s voices are heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is well decorated and maintained to a good standard. Young people’s bedrooms are personalised and have a homely feel.

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

Staff respond quickly and appropriately when young people go missing. They follow clear protocols and work closely with the police and other professionals to help return young people home.

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

The registered manager has excellent oversight of incidents that happen and ensures that follow-up work is completed, including key work sessions, return home interviews and debriefs with young people and staff. As a result, the registered manager quickly identifies and responds to any potential concerns. This improves staff practice and reduces future risks. Inspection report children’s home: SC488439 5 The registered manager and staff do not tolerate bullying in the home and respond quickly to such behaviours. This reassures young people and helps them feel safe.

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

The registered manager and staff understand the risks and behaviours of each young person whom they care for. Staff have a good knowledge of the risks associated with gang culture, child exploitation and knife crime. The registered manager and staff take appropriate action to reduce such risks and teach young people about personal safety and potential risks.

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

Staff follow detailed risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These provide guidance for staff, detailing what action they need to take to keep young people safe. Some young people have been involved in identifying how they would like staff to respond in certain situations. This is positive and allows young people to be involved in designing the care that is provided to them. However, on one isolated occasion, staff did not follow a risk assessment and did not take effective action to stop two young people staying in the same room all night. This is currently being investigated by the registered manager who had identified the concerns prior to the inspection taking place and taken swift action to prevent any future reoccurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an experienced registered manager in post. She has a calm and nurturing approach. She understands the young people’s needs and has positive relationships with the young people and staff. The registered manager is supported by a skilled deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with mandatory training in addition to training that is relevant and specific to the needs of the young people whom they care for. Consequently, staff feel equipped to meet the young people’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager supports staff well. Staff have regular supervision and annual appraisals. Young people provide feedback to the registered manager that forms part of the staff’s annual appraisals and helps focus discussions on what matters to young people. The registered manager addresses any practice issues immediately, and support is provided to improve staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed good working relationships with other professionals. This includes the police, local authority social workers and youth workers. The registered manager keeps professionals up to date with young people’s progress. This helps inform appropriate decision-making. Young people’s social workers are reassured by the proactive approach managers and staff take to keep young people as safe as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good monitoring and review systems. This gives her a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the home and enables her to make improvements when necessary. Inspection report children’s home: SC488439 6

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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: SC488439 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

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC488439 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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