Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: SC386505 1 SC386505 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 home is owned by a private company. The provider states in its statement of purpose that this home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2014.

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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: 29 September 2021

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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: SC386505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/09/2021 Full Good 11/03/2020 Full Good 30/01/2019 Full Good 12/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC386505 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel happy living in this home and say that staff are like family. They say that they are able to talk to staff about their worries and that staff listen to them. Children trust staff to care for and advocate for them. One child said, ‘Staff are kind; when something happens, they sit down and talk to us about it. They never shout, just talk about what went wrong and what we could do differently next time.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in all areas, including education, social and emotional well-being, and mental and physical health. Staff support children to attend school. Children are involved in decision-making concerning their education. They are provided with activities in the community and are asked to contribute to ideas for new activities and outings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care plans reflect children’s views on what they wish for their future. Children are assessed on their ability to care for themselves in different ways. Staff use these assessments to support children in developing their independence skills at a level that is right for each child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In key-work sessions, staff help children understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff use resources in these sessions that are easy for children to understand and that help keep children interested. Staff identify when children need more support in certain areas. However, it is not clear whether this additional work has been carried out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are not aware of the local offer setting out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is a missed opportunity to access additional resources for children.

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

Children said that they feel safe living in this home. They understand why rules and boundaries are in place. Staff understand how to keep children safe. They follow safeguarding processes when children are missing from home and after any disclosures of harm. Staff educate children in how to keep themselves safe. Children know how to make a complaint and how to raise concerns if they need to.

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

Risk assessments and support plans are detailed, with clear strategies to help children recognise when they are unsafe. They are updated as children develop and when risks change. However, the support plans do not include children’s views on how they prefer to be supported when upset. This means that staff are less likely to be able to help children feel less anxious. Inspection report for children’s home: SC386505 4 External professionals say that staff communicate well and let them know if they have any concerns. Professionals believe children have made good progress since moving in. Professionals have seen positive relationships between children and staff.

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

Children’s progress and achievements are celebrated and shared with their family and their professional network. Children are given a lot of positive rewards and few negative consequences. When consequences are given, the manager evaluates them to decide if they were fair and helpful.

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

The home is clean and spacious, with a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. There are photos of the children around the home and children are encouraged to personalise their own bedrooms. Visitors must sign in and show their identification.

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

Safer recruitment and health and safety checks mean that children live in a clean and safe environment, with people who are safe to care for them. The manager recruits staff who genuinely want to care for children and bring energy and fresh ideas.

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

Staff are passionate about their jobs and want children to do well. Staff are clearly committed to the children. For example, the week is planned so that each child is supported by their key worker at important events and meetings. This ensures that children’s views and best interests are represented and provides consistency in the child’s care. Staff understand the impact that trauma can have on a child. Staff show empathy and compassion when talking about the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers place the well-being of children at the heart of their work. Managers support staff to understand children’s needs and respond in a nurturing and calm way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home has a consistent and long-standing manager and team. This enables children to have stability in the adults around them and allows staff to get to know the children well. One member of staff said, ‘I love my job. We feel like a family here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by the manager. They have opportunities to develop their own learning and have completed all mandatory training, which is refreshed regularly. Staff are offered additional training courses to meet children’s individual needs, such as training to support children with epilepsy and asthma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision and team meetings, which help them to reflect on their practice as a group. However, the manager does not bring regulations, legislation and current research to team meetings. This is a missed opportunity for staff to improve the care provided on a day-to-day basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All permanent staff in the team are qualified. The manager has clear plans to develop the staff’s skills and the care provided to children. The manager has not Inspection report for children’s home: SC386505 5 always received supervision with his line manager. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to receive support, and to reflect and learn.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes use of internal and external monitoring to make improvements for children. He regularly seeks feedback from children and people who are important to children. This feedback is used to improve the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: SC386505 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, the 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(g)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that managers discuss research and developments with staff, to inform their practice. 5 December 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that managers and staff are aware of the local offer setting out the support available for children with special educational needs or disabilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s views are clear in their support plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that children have additional resources and opportunities. Specifically, that staff follow up any further needs identified in key- working sessions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC386505 7  The registered person should ensure that supervision is carried out in line with

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Recommendations

the workforce development plan. (‘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, 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: SC386505 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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Inspectors

Aislinn Cooper, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC386505 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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