Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: SC386502 1 SC386502 Registered provider: Keys Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager registered with Ofsted in September 2018 and is suitably 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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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: 12 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 for children's home: SC386502 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/06/2018 Full Good 02/05/2017 Full Good 18/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC386502 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality day-to-day care that is individual and sensitive to their needs. This care promotes positive self-esteem and has helped children to develop a sense of belonging. Children are provided with an environment where they have developed trusted and secure relationships with a stable team of experienced, qualified and skilled carers. As a result, children make good progress emotionally and socially.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager understands the importance of carefully matching new children with children already living at the home. However, the manager did not have all the appropriate paperwork in place prior to a child being admitted to the home. This means that children could be placed at the home without their needs being fully assessed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school placements that are appropriate to their abilities. Staff provide transport to support children with travelling to and from respective school placements, and staff seek feedback from their teachers on their progress. This sharing of information helps staff to stay up to date with children’s academic progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear health plans and are registered with the relevant primary healthcare services. Children have access to professional health support, including a therapist who provides training and support to staff, enabling them to implement new and creative ideas in their daily care of children. This collaborative approach helps children to develop their own coping mechanisms and a greater understanding of their own emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear plans in place to ensure that they retain positive links with family members and friends. Staff support these arrangements practically, as well as by providing emotional support for children. These arrangements reflect any restrictions that may be in place to safeguard children and are clearly understood and followed by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During weekly news meetings, key-work sessions and everyday discussions, children have many opportunities to have their say. Staff consult with children, and children influence day-to-day decisions about their care. Children know how to make a complaint. When a complaint is raised, staff respond swiftly. As a result, children feel listened to.

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

Children feel safe living at the home. The quality of relationships between children and the staff is a strength of the home. This enables children to address previous concerning behaviours and to work towards more positive outcomes. Open and Inspection report for children's home: SC386502 4 honest communication is promoted so that children feel able to discuss any worries or concerns. A child told the inspector, ‘The staff actually care about you, it’s not just a job.’

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

Staff follow a range of risk assessments to help them manage the behaviours displayed by children and to minimise risk. Review and development of the plans are ongoing to keep pace with each child’s changing circumstances.

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

Staff are trained to manage children’s behaviour safely and effectively. Staff use physical restraint as a last resort, preferring to use de-escalation techniques. There is good evaluation of incidents, along with reflective work with children and staff that is overseen by the manager.

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

Children’s plans clearly set out known risks and vulnerabilities, and provide good guidance to staff. Staff know what to do when children go missing from home. Following missing-from-home procedures ensures that the correct action is taken to locate children and return them safely to the home. Staff support children well on their return to the home, and this helps children to feel valued and cared for.

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

When appointing staff, the manager follows safer recruitment practice guidelines. This means that only those deemed suitable are allowed to work with children.

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

Regular health and safety checks, along with routine servicing of equipment, ensure that the home is kept safe for children, staff and visitors. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures, and they ensure that children take part in fire evacuation drills so that they understand how to leave the home safely in the event of an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation is keen to equip staff with the skills they need to care for children effectively. The availability of staff training is good and is targeted at meeting the specific needs of the children resident in the home. However, the manager’s training rota is not accurate and does not support the manager when reviewing staff training needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly team meetings and regular, reflective supervision mean that staff are well supported in their roles. Staff feel valued and are motivated towards delivering care that makes significantly positive improvements to children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective working relationships exist with other professionals, such as the police, teachers and social workers. Effective communication ensures that information is shared quickly, which helps to keep children safe. One social worker reported, ‘The home has always been very effective with their communication with me and other professionals that work with [name]. Should there be any incidents, I receive an email. There are always reports on progress and family contact.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been effective. Clear risk management strategies are in place. Appropriate checks are carried out when Inspection report for children's home: SC386502 5 visitors come to the home, and regular reviews are carried out to meet the current guidance. These measures contribute to ensuring that the children remain safe and healthy. Inspection report for children's home: SC386502 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 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

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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the manager’s training matrix is accurate and up to date. 6 May 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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all relevant information is received prior to any child’s admission. 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC386502 7

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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 for children's home: SC386502 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys 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

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC386502 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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