Children's Home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC020607 1 SC020607 Registered provider: Keys NHCC Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company that operates a number of children’s homes across the country owns this home. This home is registered to provide care for up to three children who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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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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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

Date of last inspection: 13 November 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC020607 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2019 Full Good 12/12/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/09/2018 Full Good 20/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC020607 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are two children currently living in the home. One of these children has lived there for over 18 months. Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a high standard. Soft furnishings and photographs of the children and staff create a warm and homely feel. Children’s rooms are personalised to their individual taste and are kept clean and tidy. This helps children to feel valued and to settle into the home well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress and have developed positive relationships with staff and each other. A child’s social worker told the inspector that the support and guidance from the home has been fantastic.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy in the home. One child told the inspector that the home was perfect, and another child stated: ‘I like it here and I like all the staff.’ The inspector observed a lively discussion and banter over the dinner table, which is typical of the quality time that children spend with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Given their starting points, children have made great progress with their education. This is because staff have worked closely with education providers to ensure that children receive the right support. For example, one child wishes to join the armed forces and staff have been important in supporting him through every step of the process. Furthermore, staff have supported one child to return to school following a period of absence. This level of support means that children can reach their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to partake in activities outside of the home. For example, one child has an interest in fishing and will go most weekends with staff. During the inspection he was eager to show the inspector his fishing equipment. Another child has a passion for keeping fit. Staff have purchased him a gym membership. In addition, children have experienced other enjoyable activities such as swimming, horse riding and trips to the seaside. These activities provide children with a sense of enrichment and enjoyment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of family relationships and will support children to have meaningful time with their families. For example, staff have arranged and facilitated weekly time between one child and their sibling. In addition, staff have developed positive relationships with children’s family members. A parent told the inspector that the staff are ‘amazing’, and said, ‘They really care for my child.’ As a result, children have enjoyable experiences with those who are most important to them. Inspection report children’s home: SC020607 4

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

Staff work hard to keep children safe. They have a good understanding of children’s risks and behaviours. Clear and detailed behaviour support plans provide staff with guidance on how to keep children safe.

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

Children told the inspector that they felt safe at the home. They are able to identify someone who they can share their worries and concerns with. Children feel that staff take their concerns seriously. A child told the inspector: ‘I know I can talk to staff. They are there to help me.’

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

The manager and staff work with the children to help them develop the skills to keep themselves safe. When appropriate, children are given opportunities to put their learning into practice, and are supported to take measured risks. For example, one child is now having overnight stays outside of the home with his peers. This approach allows children to safely develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff support children to manage their feelings. They respond to children with reassurance, and work closely with them to help them understand the triggers for their feelings. This has enabled children to manage their feelings effectively and in a safe way.

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

Staff promote and reward positive behaviour. They are intuitive and use a calm approach to de-escalating challenging situations. In addition, staff attend regular consultations with the in-house therapist, who provides them with techniques and ideas for how to support children with their behaviours. As a result, incidents of physical restraint are increasingly rare.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. However, during the inspection, the inspector identified an isolated incident where a child was able to leave the home without the staff’s knowledge. Poor oversight by staff created in a delay in reporting the child missing. Following the incident, the manager completed a full investigation and changes to the home’s missing-from-care process have been implemented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The previous registered manager has returned to the home. She is in the process of submitting her application to Ofsted. The manager knows the children well and is committed to helping them make progress. She is supported by an experienced and skilled deputy manager. Staff feel supported by the management team and spoke highly of the managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager monitors the home effectively. She understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She uses this knowledge to inform her development plan, which in turn improves the quality of care. Inspection report children’s home: SC020607 5 Staff receive regular supervision sessions. Supervision records are detailed. When supervision takes place, it is beneficial and productive and supports staff to develop their skills and knowledge. This creates opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice, and ensures that staff understand how to best meet the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff appraisals are completed by the manager. Staff engage in their appraisals and are keen to develop their own skills and practice. Appraisals are thorough and support the manager to monitor and develop professional development within the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff have the training they require to meet the needs of the children living in the home. Most staff hold a level 3 qualification. This equips staff with the level of knowledge and skills needed for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team ensure that children are involved in decisions in the home. For example, they read and review children’s meeting minutes and will provide feedback to ensure that children know their voices are heard. The children know how to complain and although complaints in the home are rare, when they do occur, they are dealt with effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are positive about the home and the support provided for children. A social worker told inspectors: ‘Staff are very nurturing in their approach.’ Another social worker informed the inspector: ‘Everything about the home is positive.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC020607 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that procedures are followed when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission, and that when the child returns to the home, the staff support them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45 paragraph 9.28)

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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: SC020607 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC020607 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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