Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 1 SC386505 Registered provider: Keys Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people who are not able to live at home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2014.

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: 30 January 2019

p.1

Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2019 Full Good 12/07/2017 Full Good 13/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a friendly, nurturing and very comfortable home. Young people feel at home and are able to be themselves. They are treated with warmth, understanding and affection. Young people who struggle to trust adults have developed healthy and very positive relationships with the registered manager and staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of parenting and support provided has brought stability to young people’s lives. Young people are making important progress in their education, health, emotional well-being, personal safety, social skills, managing their feelings and in building positive relationships.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A key strength of the setting is the outstanding work carried out with young people who are to become parents. Staff work tirelessly to help the young people and their partners to prepare for the next stage in their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A young person said that they have learned what it is to be a good parent from the staff. Another young person, who has recently left the home, said that they could not thank the staff enough for all that they did for them and continue to do.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people said that they are listened to and are treated fairly by the staff. They are confident to talk to staff about any issues that are concerning them because they know that the staff will help them to resolve this.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are in full-time education and are doing very well. One young person is delighted that they have made so much progress that they are moving to a mainstream senior school in September.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s emotional health and well-being is very well supported. A young person explained that they were a ‘xxxxx’ when they first came to live here. However, the young person said that they have changed, and they no longer feel the need to be missing from home or harm themselves. They are proud that they are in college and are doing well and said that this was because of the support that they received from the staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to play a role in looking after their own health. Staff help young people to recognise the importance of healthy lifestyles, a nutritious diet and being active. Young people receive good health advice and guidance. This means that they can make informed choices about their own healthcare needs and support. Staff make sure that the young people always get the treatment and help that they need to be healthy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are very aware of the importance for young people to spend time with their family and friends. This is carefully and sensitively supported to ensure that this is a positive experience for the young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 4

p.3

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

The manager and staff have created a home where young people feel safe. Young people have a strong sense of safety and well-being. They see the staff as people they can trust. They talk to staff when they are worried or have a problem. Importantly, staff recognise when young people are upset and help them. An independent reviewing officer (IRO) said that their young person has ‘come on in leaps and bounds since living here’. Staff work tirelessly to help the young person to turn things around. As a result, the young person is thriving.

p.4

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

The quality of care that young people receive from staff protects them from harm. Staff understand young people’s vulnerabilities. They identify and manage risks to each young person very well. Since coming to live at this home, young people have become increasingly safer. The risks to young people from abuse, neglect, alcohol, exploitation, self-harm and going missing from home have reduced significantly.

p.4

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

Staff help young people to have positive relationships with other young people and make friends. They help young people to understand what makes a healthy and supportive relationship. The registered manager and staff try to get to know young people’s friends and their parents so that positive relationships can be supported. Staff spend time talking with young people to understand the things that they like about their friends and the nature of these relationships.

p.4

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

Young people enjoy secure and consistent relationships with the staff, which are helping them to become resilient. Staff know the young people very well and how best to help them to manage their feelings and frustrations. Staff are calm and patient. They help young people to develop the skills to understand and manage their emotions safely.

p.4

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

The home is a warm, nurturing, and safe environment. The home is decorated to a good standard and the young people’s bedrooms reflect their uniqueness. However, door alarms are routinely activated on each young person’s bedroom door at night. This has become custom and practice and would benefit from being reviewed as to the necessity of this. The young people’s bathroom has damp patches on one wall and the tiling grout needs attention.

p.4

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

Recruitment and vetting processes are secure and help to protect young people from harm.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. He has just stepped down from managing another children’s home and feels this is a positive move as he will be able to concentrate solely on this home. He understands the strengths and areas for improvement identified at this inspection.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff do very well in providing young people with a safe and motivational environment where there are good levels of care and support. The staff team is diverse. Staff have a range of life experiences and qualifications, are skilled in working with the young people, and are passionate and compassionate. An IRO said Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 5 that the staff are ‘really significant adults in the young people’s lives’ and that they always act in the best interests of the young people.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend regular team meetings and have received monthly supervision. Staff said that this has continued to help to improve practices in the home and provided an opportunity to talk about what is working well and what needs to change. Staff feel empowered as the registered manager listens to their suggestions and provides them with the opportunities to test out new ways of working.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training opportunities have improved. However, staff have not received face-to-face safeguarding training, as per the company’s policy, for some time. This was actioned during the inspection. Staff have completed online safeguarding training.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring by the independent person is sound and provides a critical overview of the service and areas for the manager and staff to develop. However, the manager’s 6-monthly monitoring report does not provide a critical analysis of what the home does well and areas for development. This is because the report is too descriptive about what the home does rather than what it has done and does not reflect the views of young people, staff and professionals.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the quality of record-keeping has improved, especially the young people’s care plans. However, they are not consistently maintained to a good standard. Key- worker records do not always reflect the actual discussions taking place with the young person or the decisions that have been agreed. Records relating to episodes of missing from care, impact risk assessments and room searches are not sufficiently detailed. Records also need to be signed by the author of each entry.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective collaborative working with professionals is a strength of the setting. Feedback from professionals is positive, praising the management and staff’s commitment to the young people and the progress that they make.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are strong advocates for young people. They challenge professionals effectively to ensure that each young person receives the right care and support. Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 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 registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 08/05/2020

p.6

Recommendations

 Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation. However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional feel. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, that the use of door alarms is carefully assessed, and that the issues in the young people’s bathroom are addressed.  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Also, that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraphs 14.4 & 14.5) In particular, that records are signed and dated by the author, and that key- worker records, missing from care records, impact risk assessments and room

p.6

Recommendations

searches are sufficiently detailed.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 7 In particular, ensure that the staff receive face-to-face safeguarding training as per the company’s policy.

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 children’s home: SC386505 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Education Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Chris Scully, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC386505 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 children looked after, 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 http://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: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9