Children's Home run by Keys Educational Services Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC363422 1 SC363422 Registered provider: Keys Educational Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a new manager who was appointed in February 2022. The manager is registered with Ofsted.

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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: 17 November 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: SC363422 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/11/2021 Full Good 25/06/2019 Full Good 14/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/04/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC363422 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy living in this home. They feel safe. One child said, ‘I feel really supported, I love it here.’ Children are provided with a feeling of stability and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have provided good support to help children to rebuild relationships with their families. One parent said, ‘We do not know what we would have done without the home.’ Children have developed a sense of identity while experiencing trusted relationships with adults who look after them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults working in the home recognise that children flourish from positive reinforcement. Incentives and rewards provide children with a sense of achievement. One child said, ‘I earn my stars so I can buy things I like.’ This has encouraged children to express their views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Currently, some children do not have adequate education or training in place. The manager understands the importance of children having good-quality education provision, and remains focused on identifying provisions that are able to meet the needs of the children. The manager is working with agencies to identify suitable provisions as soon as possible. In the meantime, managers and staff explore creative ways to support educational activity throughout the day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are generally met. However, children under the age of 18 years have had regular access to buy cigarette vapes. This does not promote the health and well-being needs of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff are strong advocates for the children. This means that children have prompt access to specialist health services that they need.

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

Staff’s approach to behaviour management is consistent. The use of restraint is minimal, and children rarely receive consequences. After incidents, children receive positive reflection letters from staff, supporting the home’s therapeutic model. This approach has been successful in strengthening relationships between staff and children in the home.

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

Missing-from-care protocols and safety plans are well written and provide detailed guidance to staff on how the child should be supported and safeguarded. However, despite clear direction in this document, there have been occasions when staff have not reported children missing, in line with the protocol. This document is therefore ineffective and fails to ensure that the child’s safety and well-being are maintained. This has not impacted on children’s safety but has the potential to do so if not put right. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363422 4 Managers take a robust approach to managing allegations. They are reported promptly and appropriately to the relevant authorities. They have been investigated in line with procedures and are satisfactorily concluded.

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

The staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities and safeguarding training is reviewed annually. The home has a safeguarding champion who updates staff with current issues. Staff’s knowledge and skills are reviewed and updated in other forums, such as team meetings and staff supervision meetings.

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

Staff carry out regular health and safety checks to ensure that the home is physically safe. The home has a location risk assessment. However, it does not consider up-to- date data about criminal activity in the local area or identify risks, such as local water ways. This is a missed opportunity to reduce risk and to fully review the home’s location.

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

New staff are recruited safely, and appropriate checks are completed. There are no concerns in relation to safer recruitment practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff report excellent management support. One staff member said, ‘We are well supported, and this is the best manager I have worked with.’ Another staff member said, ‘She [the manager] looks after our mental well-being, which is so important in this role.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training and development opportunities are a strength within the home. The manager ensures that comprehensive training is in place for staff. She has arranged additional bespoke training to support the team to meet the needs of children. One member of staff said, ‘It is amazing, training is adapted to the requirements of the young people.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular reflection-based supervision. The manager supports and challenges staff in a caring way to support their development. She completes lessons-learned analysis after incidents, supporting the staff to continuously develop practice and improve the lives of children. This helps staff to progress with their learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have good oversight of updates to children’s behaviour support plans and risk assessments, which are good quality. When there is an incident of concern, the staff and managers reflect on the risks and update plans if required. This ensures that children’s plans accurately reflect children’s risks and vulnerabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers take pride in children’s achievements, and always have time for them. Children who transition from the home are supported to do so. This demonstrates the enduring nature of relationships and attachments that children develop with the managers and staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363422 5

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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 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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and 22 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC363422 6 that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities, and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children not accessing full-time education.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff members facilitating children under the age of 18 years to access vapes. 22 December

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff members not reporting children missing, in line with their missing-from-care procedures. 22 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the review of premises is kept up to date with current information and identified risks of the local area. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, Page 64, 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: SC363422 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: SC363422 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Educational Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Linda Mason, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC363422 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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