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

Inspection report children’s home: 1249031 1 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a large national provider of children’s homes. It provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 22 July 2020.

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Inspection date: 22 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 22 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1249031 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has addressed the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Consequently, the quality of the care and experiences that children receive has improved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are settled and happy. They have a strong sense of belonging and are making progress. Children are developing their social and communication skills. They are absorbing and retaining information, managing their feelings and enjoying a wider range of activities in the community. Children’s records now provide a detailed picture of children’s experiences, measurable progress and achievements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. The staff understand how the children communicate their feelings through their behaviour and preferred methods of communication. Staff have the skills to communicate easily with children. They listen to children carefully and respond appropriately to their wishes and feelings. The manager and staff encourage children and parents to share their views about the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Before agreeing to care for a child, the manager now fully considers staff’s abilities and experience to be able to respond effectively to the child’s complex needs. Likewise, the manager considers the compatibility of the child with the children already living at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two children have moved into the home successfully. They are settled and are making progress. They had gradual introductions to the home. The children received information in ways that were tailored to their communication needs and their capacity for understanding.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff used social stories effectively to help the children understand why they were moving to live at the home, what it was like living there, and to help them cope with this significant change in their lives. The children spent a lot of time at the home with staff and the other child before they moved in. Staff also used social stories to help the child already living at the home prepare for sharing their environment with other children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s health outcomes have improved. Staff follow guidance from health professionals to make sure that children have healthy and nutritious diets and are physically active. Children are now up to date with any outstanding immunisations. Staff help children to feel less anxious about health appointments. They help Inspection report children’s home: 1249031 3 children to understand the importance of the appointments and what will happen in ways that the children can understand.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are protected from harm. Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and risks. They know what they need to do to keep children safe and when they have concerns about children’s welfare.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff follow the guidance in risk management plans to protect children from harm. Effective management oversight makes sure that these plans are up to date, effective and continue to promote children’s safety and welfare.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff’s nurturing and consistent approach and clear communication help children to feel safe, manage their emotions and make sense of the world around them. Staff help children to reduce any unwanted behaviour. Children’s records now show the steps that staff take to avoid the use of physical restraint when children are upset. However, some records use the term ‘distraction techniques’, without describing what staff did to support the child. This lack of detail does not help the manager to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are enthusiastic and resourceful. They share the ethos of the home in providing a positive, nurturing and safe place for children to live. The manager provides staff with the support, guidance and training to develop their confidence and skills. Staff receive regular supervision sessions that enable them to understand their responsibilities, reflect on the children in their care and to identify any further training that they need to support their continued professional development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although there are some staff vacancies, there are enough suitable staff working at the home to meet the needs of three children. Unexpected staff absences due to the pandemic have been managed flexibly to make sure that children have continuity of care and are supported by people who know them well. Inspection report children’s home: 1249031 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/06/2018 Full Good 08/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1249031 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should make sure that the language used in records of restraint, control and discipline describes what happened clearly to enable the event to be evaluated thoroughly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 1249031 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249031 7 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

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

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