Children's home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 1 SC016124 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private national organisation. The home can care for three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post and registered with Ofsted since March 2018.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 21 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2020

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/09/2019 Full Good 13/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Three children live at this home. Their house is clean, tidy, cosy and welcoming. Children are comfortable in their environment and are at ease with their staff team.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children receive nurturing care from staff who know them well. Relationships between staff and children are warm and caring and children receive hugs when they need them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff ensure that they make a record of important memories for children. Lovingly created books containing photos and memorabilia are made for each child. Alongside this, staff maintain a diary for children where they write positive messages to each of them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Since the monitoring visit in January 2021, one child has flourished in his vocational placement. However, participation in education for the other two children is poor. Activities provided in the home do not adequately supplement the lack of education or demonstrate to children how important school is. This will have a negative impact on their opportunities later in life. In addition, for one of these children, having very limited school provision has meant that progress they previously made with developing social skills and independence has decreased.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child said that she felt that the children in the home were ‘not a good match’. Relationships between children are not always good. More needs to be done to achieve more harmonious interactions between the children.

p.3

improvement to be good

Parents are positive about the care and support that their child receives at the home.

p.3

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

Safeguarding incidents are well managed. Matters of concern are promptly referred to the relevant agencies. Leaders and managers work well with other agencies when there are safeguarding concerns, they share intelligence and agree safety plans. The approach is transparent and efficient. When internal investigations are required, these are carried out comprehensively. Learning from significant events is identified and action points are implemented.

p.3

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

When children are missing from home, staff respond quickly to find children and to return them safely home.

p.3

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

There has been one incident of physical restraint since the monitoring visit in January 2021. This was an appropriate response in the circumstances. Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 4 When children are involved in self-harming behaviours, staff respond quickly to keep them safe. Staff receive training to underpin their practice in this complex area. After incidents of self-harm, the team receives a briefing from company ‘experts’ to discuss that incident and about any changes to their approach.

p.3

good

The registered manager has recently been taken away unexpectedly from work. The company is organising support for the team in her absence. Feedback from staff about the support that they receive from the registered manager is positive. This is reflected in staff supervision notes, which provide evidence of comprehensive support to team members and to the registered manager by the responsible individual.

p.4

good

Care planning information is extensive. As a result, it would be difficult for any new staff to gain a good overview of how to deliver care to children. Care plans are not always updated to reflect the current situation for children. Additionally, care plans lack a drive and focus to ensure that staff consistently pursue targets that ensure that all children thrive and achieve positive outcome, rather than take a step backwards.

p.4

good

Leaders and managers have failed to meet the requirement set following the monitoring visit. This relates to regulation 8, ensuring that educational attendance for children is pursued. Currently, two of the three children do not receive sufficient educational opportunities.

p.4

good

Leaders and managers monitor incidents. However, in some cases, they have failed to identify specific points or taken follow-up action.

p.4

good

Staff, including agency staff, are suitably vetted.

p.4

good

Currently, staffing levels have not been adversely affected by COVID- 19. The team is one member short due to a promotion. The organisation is actively recruiting for a replacement.

p.4

good

Fire safety checks are up to date. Leaders and managers take proactive action when concerns are raised about fire. Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(viii))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that leaders consistently pursue education attendance. 28 January 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop and benefit from relationships based on—

p.5

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practice skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iv)) 17 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 6 Specifically, to provide additional support to promote positive, respectful relations between the children living in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person inspires, enables and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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)(h)) 28 January 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is to ensure that care plans are up to date, accessible and contain targets for staff to follow that pursue the best possible outcomes of children. 28 January 2022

p.6

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 for children’s home: SC016124 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Michelle Oxley, Social Care Inspector Paula Lahey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8