Children's home run by Keys KIN Ltd in Adur

Inspection report children's home: 1226266 1 Registered provider: Keys KIN Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned by a national organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered since 2016.

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Information about this children's home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children's home

We last visited this setting on 6 May 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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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 outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: 3 December 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1226266 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 21/08/2019 Full Good 02/08/2018 Full Good 04/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 1226266 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive relationships with the staff that enable them to feel safe living at the home. These trusting relationships give the children confidence to confide in staff. The children listen to the staff and respond to the advice and guidance given.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-working sessions help children to develop effective coping strategies. This has supported the children to improve self-regulation of their emotions and significantly reduce aggressive outbursts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s meetings are used effectively to address any concerns with the dynamic in the group. These meetings have helped children to find their voice. Staff facilitate the meetings in a way that encourages children to participate in developing a positive living environment. This ensures that children actively contribute to the management of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to lead healthy lifestyles. Children attend routine medical appointments. Children engage with specialist professionals to address concerns with alcohol and substance misuse. Specialists help the children to develop a positive outlook for their futures. Staff use short-term targets as stepping stones to reach children’s long-term goals, ensuring consistent progress. Consequently, children have improved their self-regulation skills. Children develop well in all aspects of their lives and are beginning to realise their full potential through their positive attendance in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff’s ambition for children to succeed in education has supported children to re-engage with learning. Staff spend time with the children to develop their confidence in literacy skills. As a result, children are succeeding with their educational targets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide specific support in order to prepare children as they move towards adulthood. Through using individual targets, children develop their independence skills and learn to take care of themselves. One child has been supported to use her passion for cooking to prepare healthy and nutritious meals for both children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop their interests and extend their social networks through a variety of individual and group activities. Some children use their free time to meet with friends in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children successfully reconnect with their birth families through effective support and planning by staff. Staff advocate on the children’s behalf and work with other professionals to devise plans which focus on building family relations. As a result, children improve their relationships with their families in a planned way. Children are Inspection report children's home: 1226266 4 supported to gain an understanding of their pasts and to develop a sense of belonging with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s records are completed to a high standard and focus on the children’s individual experiences. Children have individual journals where they can document their memories.

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outstanding

Children live in a home that is exceptionally well maintained. They thrive in a nurturing environment that replicates a good family home. The children take pride in keeping their personal living spaces clean and they contribute to the daily upkeep of the communal living areas.

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outstanding

The children recognise the home as a safe place to live. They form trusting relationships with staff and as a result they feel comfortable and secure. One child stated that she really enjoys living at the home because she is allowed to be a child. Another child said if she wanted a hug or a little bit of love, she knows she can ask any member of staff.

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outstanding

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs. They use risk assessments effectively, which support children’s safety inside and outside of the home. Members of staff are aware of the risks children take and why. Therefore, children receive an empathetic, balanced and child-centred response from adults. Children engage positively in key-worker sessions that help them to understand how to keep themselves safe when they are not with an adult. These sessions are recorded exceptionally well and highlight any issues raised by children or members of staff.

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outstanding

Sanctions and positive consequences encourage the children to think about their actions. Children learn about the impact of their behaviour on others and how to make positive choices in the future. Sanctions are proportionate and relevant to the children’s behaviour. Children learn to understand and take responsibility for their own behaviours.

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outstanding

Physical intervention is rare at this home. The staff exhaust de-escalation techniques before resorting to physical interventions. When restraint is used, it is recorded appropriately.

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outstanding

Children rarely go missing from the home. When this does happen, members of staff are proactive in their responses. They follow each child’s missing-from-home protocol and share information with all relevant agencies promptly.

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outstanding

All staff take part in safeguarding training that enables them to respond to concerns effectively. Safeguarding records are clear and demonstrate an efficient response from the registered manager. Inspection report children's home: 1226266 5 The organisation follows safe recruitment procedures when employing members of staff. Staff qualifications and skills are thoroughly checked for suitability. This ensures children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified registered manager who is highly regarded by children, staff, professionals and parents alike. One social worker stated that the manager offers a nurturing home that any parent would be happy for their children to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is effectively supported by two experienced deputy managers. The management team has an excellent insight into the children’s history and needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff at the home want to achieve the very best outcomes for the children. They are committed to improving the children’s lives and are aspirational about the children’s futures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular consultations with the staff and children and the use of the external monitoring reports ensure that the managers have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Managers and staff used the organisation’s specialist advisers to effectively reflect on their practice and to gain advice to guide and inform their future strategies. Managers are confident in challenging social workers and advocating on the children’s behalf to ensure that children receive high- quality support to help them progress with their care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good communication across the whole team ensures that all team members are aware of any changes to children’s plans. This promotes a consistent approach to the care children receive. As a result, the children know what to expect and they understand the boundaries in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff team meetings provide effective support for staff. They are used as a forum to discuss individual children. Managers ensure that staff’s individual skills and expertise are used effectively for the benefit of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One-to-one staff supervision is effective at identifying children’s individual progress and for analysing staff members’ performance and how this can be improved. Strategies to support the children are continually reviewed to ensure that staff practice evolves and remains effective in helping children to develop and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers are aware of the strengths and weaknesses at the home. They have worked effectively to address shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. Monitoring and auditing processes have been strengthened. However, this is an area that requires further improvement to ensure that managers have clear oversight of all recording. Inspection report children's home: 1226266 6

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated from the last inspection. 30 July 2021

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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: 1226266 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Part 2nd Floor, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

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Inspector

Paul Thomas, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1226266 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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