Children's home run by Keys Care Limited in Belfast

Inspection report children’s home: 1242216 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

The home is owned and operated by a large national provider. It provides care for up to three children aged between seven and 17 who may experience emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

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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.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 9 October 2020 to carry out an assurance 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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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: 19 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1242216 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/12/2018 Full Good 22/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1242216 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff ensure that the environment is that of a family home. For example, children and staff are encouraged to wear slippers and comfortable clothes around the house. This creates a calm atmosphere, which particularly helps children who have had challenging or unsettling experiences in their lives. Children enjoy playful and happy interactions with staff. One child described the home as ‘amazing’ and said, ‘I love being here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated, maintained and furnished to a very high standard. It is warm and welcoming. A planned refurbishment of the kitchen and bathroom areas will further enhance the home and mean that children continue to enjoy their time there. Staff take particular care to ensure that children’s bedrooms reflect each child’s tastes and preferences. This ensures that children feel valued and take pride in where they live.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made progress from their starting points when coming to live at the home. For example, one child is now in full-time education. Another child is engaging with a part-time educational timetable. This signifies good progress and attainment for these children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff prioritise children’s health and well-being. Children are encouraged and supported to eat healthily and exercise regularly. Staff provide good advice and guidance on healthy lifestyles and choices. This helps children to develop healthier lifestyle habits that will benefit them now and in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can express their views, wishes and feelings to the staff. Regular meetings, called ‘family meetings’ and ‘table talk’, take place. These facilitate good conversation and help children to raise any concerns they may have. Children also speak to involved professionals, such as social workers and independent reviewing officers. Children are helped and encouraged to contribute to their care plans and risk assessments. As a result, children are fully part of the life of this home and the decisions being made about them.

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

Children feel safe and supported. They do not leave the home unauthorised because they feel understood, trusted, and are helped to take responsibility for their decisions and behaviour. Staff place their trust in children and, because of the strong relationships, children do not want to let the staff down.

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

Staff practice is informed by a preferred therapeutic model. Staff know the children very well and are quick to recognise any changes in mood or demeanour. The culture of reflective practice in the staff team means that any concerns or worries about children’s behaviour are quickly identified and acted on by staff. Inspection report children’s home: 1242216 4 Staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. They are confident to report any concerns they may have to managers or the appropriate agencies. They are skilled at providing support to children who have experienced difficulties in their lives. Staff respond very well when children share information of concern. This ensures that prompt and effective action is taken to safeguard children.

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

Staff manage behaviour well. The children respond well to strategies adopted by the staff to manage behaviour. The staff maintain clear behavioural boundaries, and children understand what staff’s expectations of behaviour are. This has resulted in a period of stability without the need for sanctions or physical interventions. This is very good practice.

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

Strategies to manage risks to children are robust. Each child has a specific risk assessment and behaviour management plan which take account of their vulnerabilities. As a result, staff know how to protect the child and act proactively to minimise any area of risk or vulnerability.

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

Complaints are managed well. The manager responds to complaints in a very open and transparent manner. Effective working arrangements with other agencies ensure that any issues that arise are quickly and thoroughly addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a confident and experienced registered manager. She is passionate about her role and providing the best possible care for children. She is well supported by her own manager. She has high aspirations of the children and she knows them very well. The manager leads a culture which puts the children first. She has made a conscious decision not to impose negative sanctions but to resolve behavioural issues through discussion and guidance. This has led to a calm atmosphere, which benefits all.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s main challenges, particularly staff retention and recruitment. Several members of staff have recently left. The recruitment of new staff is underway. The manager has decided not to admit any new children until she feels confident in the sufficiency, skills and knowledge of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training is good. All staff are trained to a high level to meet the needs of each child. When new needs emerge for children, such as a diagnosed health condition, staff are quickly provided with additional training. This provides assurance that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet these needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported and receive regular, professional supervision. One member of staff said that the home feels like her second home and does not feel like work. Team meetings are used well to share information about children’s emerging needs and to develop strategies to support children. The manager reviews the Inspection report children’s home: 1242216 5 effectiveness of these strategies and updates staff at subsequent meetings. This ensures that staff are fully involved in decision-making and can share their expertise. A qualified therapist offers support and guidance to staff to help them to meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight is rigorous. The manager monitors each child’s progress and the effectiveness of their care plans. She welcomes feedback from the home’s independent visitor and acts quickly on any recommendations. She ensures that the culture of the home is open and reflective. Inspection report children’s home: 1242216 6

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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: 1242216 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

Pradip Panchmatia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1242216 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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