Children's home run by Keys Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2539752 1 Registered provider: Keys Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a group of homes that make up the Cross Regional Project (CRP), which has been set up between Keys Group and four local authorities: Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. The home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2020 when the home was opened.

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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 24 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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: 24 February 2021

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not judged Inspection report children’s home: 2539752 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: 2539752 3

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outstanding

Professional practice consistently exceeds the standard of good to keep and sustain improvement in children’s lives. Children make exceptional progress in all areas of development. All children attend education, achieve well and have a high attendance rate. One professional said that this was the first placement in which the child had ‘really engaged positively in education’. The experience of living in the home completely enhances life chances for children.

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outstanding

Staff have the skills and knowledge to enable them to build strong and trusting relationships with vulnerable and traumatised children. Staff know the children exceedingly well and adapt their care to meet their individual needs. As a result, children experience increased levels of stability and they feel more secure. A professional stated, ‘The home has provided the child with stability and a sense of belonging.’

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outstanding

Children’s emotional and behavioural progress is tracked via quarterly therapeutic assessments. The assessments ensure that children are provided with the highest level of care specific to their individual needs. Areas of further development are identified and plans of action over the next quarter are child focused and clear. The home clinical team works alongside staff in delivering a therapeutic model of care for the children. This model is embedded in practice. Children overcome the impact of negative experiences and manage the intensity of their emotions more effectively, which is clear across all areas of children’s progress.

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outstanding

The sense of security and stability for children is of the highest priority in the home. Impact risk assessments in considering new admissions are exceptional and detailed. Advice is sought from external professionals, staff and children in completing these. Leaders advocate for the needs of the children in the home if they feel that an admission is not viable. Feedback from all children spoken to was extraordinarily positive about the relationships they share with their peers. Children feel safe and settled with one another in the home. One child commented that they considered the other children like their ‘siblings’.

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outstanding

Staff are extremely proactive in supporting children to ensure that their voice is heard. Children access their own advocate and know how to complain. They feel empowered and supported in expressing their views.

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outstanding

Staff successfully encourage children to take part in new interests and hobbies. Children’s individual achievements are recognised and celebrated by everyone at the home. Activities include cadets, cricket, keyboard lessons and kayaking. Children talked enthusiastically about these activities. These new and exciting experiences help children build confidence, make new friends and develop their unique talents. Inspection report children’s home: 2539752 4 Children who are preparing to transition are supported sensitively. The home promotes positive endings for children. If care plans change, staff are flexible to adapt their focus to ensure that this is meeting the child’s needs. The carefully planned work undertaken with children prior to them moving increases the potential for them to settle well when they move to their next placement.

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outstanding

The manager is proactive in identifying areas of development to improve practice. Research-informed practice is evident in the care of the children. The delivery of research in practice is creative and collaborative when involving children. Therefore, children benefit from evidence-based practice which is relevant to their specific needs.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks faced by children in their care. Staff know each child’s vulnerabilities and potential to behave in ways that could result in them coming to harm. Individual risk assessments are up to date and provide very clear strategies for keeping children safe.

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

There have been no missing episodes for children during this inspection period. The number of safeguarding incidents is low. Management oversight is reflective and recorded within the relevant timescales. Children reported feeling safe in the home. External professionals reported that children are safeguarded.

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

The use of physical restraint is extremely low and short in duration. A playful and nurturing approach is used by staff to promote positive behaviour. This is a huge strength of the home and testament to the techniques used and positive relationships formed with children.

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

Children live in a home that is generally well maintained. However, one child’s bedroom door, which is a protective fire door, was reported as faulty for two weeks without remedial works taking place. This door was fixed shortly after the inspection. However, the child had continued to use their bedroom without any additional checks and oversight in place while the door was awaiting repair.

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

The use of window restrictors in children’s bedrooms has not been risk assessed. For example, the impact of the addition of the restrictors in the case of a fire has not been evaluated. This lack of a comprehensive risk assessment of their use means that there is a potential risk in case of a fire or emergency. Further, all children are subject to a restrictive measure without a clear system to monitor and review whether the restriction remains necessary for individual children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a highly effective leader who over the past year has created a culture where the children are valued, and the staff are motivated to Inspection report children’s home: 2539752 5 provide the highest standards of care. The registered manager has completed a level 5 diploma in leadership and management in residential childcare and is also a qualified intermediate Team Teach instructor. He is supported by a highly skilled and committed team of deputy management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are extremely well supported. They have several forums where good practice is shared and where they receive support to manage the personal impact of the work. Staff receive regular, very good-quality supervision. Appraisals have all been completed for this year and are of excellent quality. The organisation provides a comprehensive training programme. The manager is proactive in following up relevant training for staff if there is a need within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders show a highly developed sense of advocacy for the children they care for. They are willing to challenge and fight for children to get the best outcomes and life chances possible. For one child, the manager proactively followed up on why a service was being discontinued. The ending of this support was clearly unsettling for the child, and the manager’s actions focused on the best interests of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Equality and diversity are a regular topic for conversation with children. Themed Greek and Jamaican nights have taken place. Work is currently ongoing to support children with issues about their identity and sexuality. This has enhanced children’s understanding of the issues and the importance of inclusion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders work hard to maintain effective working relationships with external partners. Comments from professionals are extremely positive. Serious incidents are reported to relevant external safeguarding agencies as required. However, there has been one instance when Ofsted was not notified of a significant self-harm incident involving a child. This compromises the regulator’s ability to oversee the safeguarding practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At the previous inspection, a recommendation was made relating to the workforce plan and staff training. A workforce plan is in place and has been reviewed. The associated training document has been updated to reflect the most up-to-date training records. Therefore, the recommendation is met. Inspection report children’s home: 2539752 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 13 August 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded, and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: 2539752 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Pinsent Masons Llp, The Soloist Building, 1 Lanyon Place, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT1 3LP

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Inspector

Skye Frain, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2539752 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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