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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1249031 1 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited Full 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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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1249031 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care that meets their complex needs. This standard of care provides children with stability and structure, which enables them to enjoy positive experiences and make measurable progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are developing their social and communication skills. They are taking in and retaining information, expressing and managing their feelings and enjoying a wider range of activities in the community. Staff support children to become more independent with their personal care. For example, children are learning to get dressed, wash their hair and brush their teeth with limited support from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff have the skills to communicate with children successfully and this was observed throughout the inspection. The staff understand how the children communicate their feelings through their behaviour and preferred methods of communication. Staff respond appropriately to children’s wishes and enable them to make meaningful choices about their daily lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that spending time with family members is an enjoyable, positive and safe experience for children. For example, staff and health professionals have supported a parent to understand the best ways to engage with their child, which has improved their relationship.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health outcomes continue to improve. Staff follow guidance from health professionals to make sure that children have healthy and nutritious diets and are physically active. Staff understand children’s medical needs and make sure that they get the help and support they need to be healthy. Staff use social stories to help children understand what will happen, for example when they go to the dentist or to see a doctor. The arrangements for children’s medication are safe and ensure that children get the necessary treatment to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy going to school and are making progress. For example, a child has moved successfully into a class with other children and now is engaging in an academic curriculum. Staff understand the children’s special educational needs and help them to achieve their learning objectives as set out in their education, health and care plan. This includes staff encouraging children to explore a wider range of sensory activities, for example messy and water play at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to learn informally and have new experiences. Children take part in a wide range of enjoyable activities. These activities help each child to follow their personal interests, understand about the world around them and develop their social and communication skills and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are shortfalls in the standard of accommodation and resources available to children. The decoration of the home is showing signs of wear and tear, including Inspection report for children’s home: 1249031 4 marks on the walls and damage around a light switch in the lounge. Many of the children’s toys, books, puzzles and sensory equipment are damaged or have pieces missing.

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

Children are protected from harm in this safe and supportive environment. Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and risks and know what they need to do to keep children safe.

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

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

Staff know how to protect children from the risks associated with medical conditions. Staff monitor children’s health carefully and recognise the possible signs of harm. When staff have concerns, they take effective action to safeguard children’s welfare.

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

The manager reviews and acts on any known risks to children, including self- injurious behaviour. Improvements in the recording are providing a better understanding of how any injuries are caused and the events that led to the incident. This is helping staff, parents, teachers and social workers to develop the best ways to support children to communicate their feelings safely.

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

Staff have the skills and understanding to help children to manage their feelings and cope with difficult situations. Staff’s calm, nurturing and consistent approach and clear communication help children to feel safe, making positive choices and reduce any unwanted behaviour.

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

Staff use physical intervention appropriately to protect children from harm. Detailed records provide a clear picture of what happened so that the measure can be evaluated thoroughly by the manager and inform future practice. The manager always spends time afterwards with children to understand their feelings about what had happened. The manager uses non-verbal communication techniques and observations of children’s interactions with staff to check on children’s welfare.

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

Thorough safer recruitment checks minimise the risks to children’s safety. The manager carefully selects people to work at the home and makes sure that they have the right skills and qualities to support vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is confident, experienced and qualified. She is ambitious for children to be safe and reach their potential. She has high expectations for the standard of care and support that children must receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes sure that staff have the right support, training and guidance to provide children with high-quality care and protection. Staff complete relevant Inspection report for children’s home: 1249031 5 training to make sure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet children’s complex and additional needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are enthusiastic, caring and resilient. They enjoy spending time with the children and seeing them make progress. Staff share the ethos of the home in providing a positive, nurturing and safe place for children to live. Staff have a detailed understanding of each child’s needs and plans. They work together as a team to provide children with a high standard of consistent care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual use monitoring systems effectively. They have an accurate picture of the quality of care and protection children receive and make necessary improvements to make sure that children receive the best possible support. For example, the home’s improved working relationship and communication with schools ensure that everyone has the information they need to support the children’s education and welfare. In addition, the manager is introducing new research-based strategies to support children to reduce the risk of self-injurious behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home continues to experience staff shortages. Nevertheless, the staffing arrangements are well organised and provide continuity of care for children and ensure they are supported by people who know them well. There is always enough suitable staff available to provide children with the right level of care and protection. However, on occasions, staff use the communal lounge area as a sleep-in room. This is not appropriate because it potentially restricts children’s access, and staff do not have suitable sleeping accommodation and facilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249031 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 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

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

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person making sure that the wear and tear to the decoration of the house is addressed. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person making sure that children’s books, toys, puzzles and sensory equipment are replaced when they are damaged or have pieces missing from them. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1249031 7 The registered person must ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21 (b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person providing staff that sleep in the home overnight with appropriate accommodation, and ensures that staff do not sleep in any of the communal areas of the house. 9 June 2022

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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: 1249031 8

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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 for children’s home: 1249031 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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