Children's Home run by Keys Cwc Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: 2568010 1 Registered provider: Keys Cwc Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home provides care for a maximum of four young people with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 13 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021. A virtual monitoring visit was carried out on 3 March 2021. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first full inspection since registration.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2568010 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2568010 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences living in this home because their relationships with staff are strong. The relaxed atmosphere in the home helps children to feel comfortable. They like spending time with staff and seek support from them. The home itself is welcoming and comfortable with photographs of the children and their achievements on display. The home has chickens for the children to look after; this encourages them to spend time outside and learn how to care for others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers advocate for creative education solutions to keep children engaged. Staff are supportive of children and help them to make good progress. For example, all children are in school, they attend regularly and staff help with homework.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend meaningful time with their family and significant others. Through careful and sensitive planning, staff help children to develop their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a variety of activities and short breaks away from home. Children pursue individual interests, and staff support them to join together for outings. Staff promote children’s friendships, inviting friends home or on leisure activities. Children spend time at their friends’ houses, enjoying sleepovers and parties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are generally met, and staff use creative strategies to help children manage their own health needs. One child manages their own medication. There is no system in place which enables leaders and managers to assure themselves that the child is taking the medication.

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

Children report that they feel safe. Staff achieve a good balance of managing risk and allowing age-appropriate development. Regular review of safety plans and precautions helps children to see the progress they are making. Children feel trusted by staff and this, in turn, fosters open relationships. Staff skilfully use one-to-one time with children to discuss worries and address concerns in an open manner.

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

Staff appropriately manage risks around exploitation and substance misuse. This includes working as part of a multi-agency approach to manage and reduce specific risks. Staff show awareness of risks associated with the internet, and support children to be safe online. Staff consult effectively with specialists within the organisation to inform their practice and support for children they are worried about.

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

Any allegations made are appropriately referred to safeguarding authorities. Complaints from children are thoroughly investigated and clear findings are shared with them. Inspection report children’s home: 2568010 4 Children and staff know how to exit the building in case of a fire. Staff undertake regular checks and tests, including fire drills. However, the risk assessment in place does not fully explore the risks posed by the use of window restrictors in the building.

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

Permanent staff are recruited using safer recruitment processes. However, there are gaps in the oversight of employment history for agency staff used in the home.

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good

The home is led by an experienced manager, who has fostered a consistent and stable staff team. The manager is well liked by the staff and children. The manager supports staff to be responsive to the children’s needs.

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good

The manager is not sufficiently aware of the weaknesses in the home. Leaders and managers have some understanding of how the home is performing and the progress children are making. For example, the manager uses data to identify patterns and explore triggers, but this is not yet embedded in practice and does not lead to clear action. Management oversight of incidents lacks critical reflection and does not seek to explore how practice can be developed.

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good

Behaviour management and risk assessment documents lack clarity. Individual risk assessments are completed for every identified risk, which results in numerous documents. This is confusing and, as a result, it is not always clear where to find key information about risk.

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good

Relationships with external professionals are good. The manager works closely with social workers and other professionals to progress plans for children. Professionals stated that there is good communication and a real sense of working together. Inspection report children’s home: 2568010 5

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should critically review behaviour management practices, and review the quality and length of risk assessments. 3 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that the fire risk assessment corresponds with the physical environment. 8 November 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 3 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2568010 6 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that a full employment history is obtained with relation to any agency staff used in the home.

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Recommendation

 Children who wish to keep and take their own medication should be supported to, if they are able to do so safely. Staff should be mindful that children holding their own prescribed medication must only use it for themselves in accordance with the prescription. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.16)

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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: 2568010 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Paula Lahey, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: 2568010 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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