Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 1 SC487488 Registered provider: Keys Child 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 one of several homes owned and managed by a limited company. The home provides care and accommodation for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. 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. We last visited this setting on 18 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered at the home since July 2021.

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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: 26 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2020 Full Good 18/09/2018 Full Good 08/05/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take their time to get to know children, thus establishing positive and trusted relationships with them. The child currently living at the home told the inspector that she felt extremely safe and secure in the home. She said, ‘I can talk to all the staff, and they help me with my anxieties.’ Decision-making about children moving into the home is well considered. The manager makes extensive checks and liaises well with other agencies. This ensures that he has a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the child in advance of their arrival at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are well structured, and children are encouraged to reflect and record their views, wishes and feelings within the plans. This means that they are actively able to contribute to the quality of care that they receive. However, the plans focus a lot on the child’s anxieties and how they manifest in their behaviour. There is little information about the positive aspects of a child’s behaviour, personality, or abilities, for example being able to listen and copy music on an electric piano, or whether they have an empathetic nature. This does not give a balanced view. In contrast to this, children receive rewards for good behaviour, such as trips out, beauty treatments or accessories for their bedrooms. Children have completed home schooling throughout COVID-19. After formal education, children are encouraged to attend college. A child said, ‘I go to college, and I would like to eventually study criminology.’ A child has recently sat their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

English exam and is eagerly awaiting the results. Children know how important education is, and they respond well to the education incentives in place. Consequently, the children’s outcomes have improved. However, the home’s education plans do not highlight children’s academic levels. This does not ensure that staff can support children with their homework or study.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the children to adopt healthy lifestyles by encouraging them to eat a healthy diet and to engage in physical exercise. Children are supported with their individual health needs, and they have good access to local health services when they need them. In addition to this, the children engage with a therapist to discuss their emotional health. As a result, the children have been able to explore ways of coping, and they have strategies to help them. A therapist also provides guidance and support to the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Extensive key-working sessions help children to make sense of their world. They are focused and support children to understand issues, such as being safe, being independent and making good choices. For example, a child is working on their independence and social skills. The key-working sessions focus on set targets, linking them to practical work and assessing their understanding of these tasks. As a Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 4 result, the child said that they were confident that that when they leave, they will be fully prepared for their adult life.

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

Staff know and understand children’s histories and support children to develop an understanding of risks. Overall, children are supported to reduce risks in most areas of their lives. Risk assessments are of a good quality. They are reviewed regularly and read by staff. Risk assessments reflect that staff have a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities. Other agencies, such as therapists, are closely involved in the risk assessment processes. The manager works closely with a range of safeguarding professionals. A chronology of ongoing investigations is kept and is updated regularly. As a result, safeguarding practice at the home is good and it keeps the children safe from harm. In addition to this, children understand that safeguards are needed to keep them safe, such as the need for two-to-one staffing and restrictions on internet use. A child said that staff do their very best to safeguard them and ‘help them with coping strategies’.

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

All staff have received safeguarding training and additional supportive training, such as in child sexual exploitation, county lines and safer recruitment, which are refreshed regularly. This means they have the knowledge to support children and that they can identify early signs of involvement.

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

The child at the home is not currently presenting risks of missing from care. Similarly, they have not been held for their or others’ safety. However, staff understand their roles and responsibilities in these areas. Safe recruitment and health and safety practices at the home ensure that only the most suitable staff work at the home and that it is a safe place to live. Records show that children, staff and visitors are taken through the emergency evacuation procedure. Likewise, all visitors’ complete checks for COVID-19. This means that everyone is kept as safe as possible .

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good range of experience to care for the children and staff. He is due to complete his leadership and management qualification soon. Leaders, the manager and deputy manager work well together and have a good balance of skills, knowledge and experience. Most of the members of the staff team have a relevant childcare qualification. Two members of staff are registered on the childcare qualification. The manager has taken appropriate steps to address the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection. The manager and deputy manager have made significant improvements to the home’s paperwork. As a result, children’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 5 records are much clearer. For example, the records are signed and dated, and they are free from jargon or stigmatising statements. Staff attend regular team meetings and have received monthly supervision. Staff said that this has continued to help to improve practices in the home, and has

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

provided an opportunity to talk about what is working well and what needs to change. Staff feel empowered as the registered manager listens to their suggestions and provides them with the opportunities to test out new ways of working. However, the workforce plan does not stipulate the timescales for supervision, introduction and probationary periods for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a wealth of training and development opportunities to support their continuing professional development. Staff have researched and have had training in trauma bonding, attachment difficulties and adverse childhood experiences. This has helped staff understand the complexities that these issues can have on children’s emotional health.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are excellent joint-working arrangements with other agencies and good lines of communication. The manager challenges local authorities and other services effectively to provide children with the support that will meet their needs. The home’s statement of purpose and development plan are up to date. Monitoring and review systems at the home help the manager to identify the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The manager is then able to alter his practice when necessary in order to make improvements that are in the best interests of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that the location risk assessment is considered when accepting new referrals to the home. 31 January 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that measurements of educational progress and achievements are recorded in the child’s education plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.2)  The registered person should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour. Specifically, the aspects of the child’s good behaviour should be recorded within their plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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, Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 7 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 for children’s home: SC487488 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Care Ltd, Maybrook House, Second Floor Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 9 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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