Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 1 Registered provider: Keys Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company and was registered in January 2020. The home cares for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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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This monitoring visit

On 18 and 19 October 2021 a full inspection was carried out and the home was judged inadequate. This visit was to monitor the provider’s progress towards the compliance notices which were issued in relation to regulation 11 (the positive relationship standard), regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice issued in relation to regulation 12. However, they had not fully met the compliance notices for regulation 11 and regulation 13, therefore these were reissued. The notice restricting accommodation, which was issued on 21 October 2021, remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector did not review the other requirements and recommendation from the last full inspection. These will be reviewed at a future inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, two children have left the home. The remaining child Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 2 is receiving care from staff who are consistent and committed to improving the quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have implemented an action plan that details the steps they need to take to progress towards meeting the compliance notices and requirements issued at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have now had training in supporting children who go missing and those who access social media. However, the provider still needs to undertake a review of incident and behaviour management records, to review staff responses and to identify any gaps and shortfalls in their practice. As a result, the training and development needs of individual members of staff remain unknown.

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This monitoring visit

The provider does not currently have sufficient staff to care for the number of children the home is registered for. However, they have undertaken a recruitment drive and are interviewing staff for positions at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have now reviewed the children’s risk assessments and behaviour plans to ensure that they inform staff of the actions they must take to protect children. Staff have also undertaken work with children to help them understand their behaviours and the impact they have on others. This has also helped one child explore how the behaviours of others have impacted on him.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed new systems which will enable the manager to better monitor progress of children.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, the inspector saw improvements in the overall appearance of the home. The home has been redecorated, repairs undertaken and new furnishings are in place. The home is now much more welcoming and homely.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been proactive in developing and implementing an independence package for the child living at the home. This includes buying him a bicycle, which he uses to travel to college. As a result, the child taking on more responsibility for himself.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have promoted education. The child is now attending college regularly, has passed his mathematics exam and is due to sit his English exam. He is aspirational about his future.

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This monitoring visit

Feedback from the social worker for the child living at the home was positive. She felt managers had made significant changes which have improved the care given to the child. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vi)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the home environment is suitably furnished and decorated.

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Requirement Due date

Also, to ensuring that staff appropriately support children with their independence work and prepare them for adult life. 15 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

*The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— 9 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 5 mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider undertaking a review of incident and behaviour management records to review staff responses to these, to identify any gaps and shortfalls in their practice and to use this information to inform a targeted training plan for the staff team.

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the provider ensuring there are sufficient numbers of qualified competent staff employed in the home to care for the number of children the home is registered for. 9 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 15 December 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 6 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must only admit children whose needs they can meet. In addition, the provider must ensure that children have planned admissions and discharges from the home.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to staff supporting children to access and contribute to their records and plans.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that they provide Ofsted with an updated statement of purpose within the required timeframe. 15 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that regular audits of medication take place and any concerns with medication are thoroughly investigated. 15 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— 15 December 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 7 the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that risk assessments are in place for the use of bedroom door alarms and that these are regularly reviewed.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all staff achieve the relevant qualification within the required timeframe. 15 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The provider should ensure that all staff receive regular supervision. 15 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 15 December 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 8 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the register or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that the registered manager completes a full review of any physical intervention within the required timeframe.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the staff rota shows planned and actual hours worked by all staff. 15 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the registered manager notifies Ofsted of all incidents considered to be serious. 15 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 9

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 10

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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

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2513340 11 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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