Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC063997 1 SC063997 Registered provider: Keys Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since August 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 15 September 2021

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC063997 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/09/2021 Full Good 12/06/2019 Full Good 06/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC063997 3

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outstanding

Children live in a well-decorated home that has a family feel. One child commented, ‘It doesn’t feel like I am in care; it feels like one big family.’ Staff have decorated children’s bedrooms according to children’s individual preferences and choices. As a result, children have their own unique living space. Children are surrounded by personal and meaningful items that reinforce their sense of self and identity.

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outstanding

Children receive exceptional standards of care from staff. Observations of staff interacting with children showed that staff cherish and nurture the children. Staff appreciate that each child is unique. Staff provide tailored support that reflects the individual needs of each child. This helps children to flourish and develop their own personalities.

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outstanding

Staff plan individual key-work sessions that consider children’s views and their current needs. Staff use relevant research to inform their sessions with the children, and they ensure that the sessions are meaningful and engaging for the children. Staff are patient and spend time working through relevant topics with children. Staff then reflect with children to ensure that the key-work sessions are having an impact by improving children’s safety and well-being. If they are not, staff provide more support until the impact is evident.

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outstanding

Children continue to make excellent progress in all aspects of their lives. Alongside staff, children review their achievements each month. Staff capture and celebrate children’s achievements. When staff and children identify additional support needs to help children progress, staff promptly implement plans to enable this to happen. Staff continually focus on enabling the children to move forward and achieve their dreams.

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outstanding

Staff fully recognise the importance of children keeping in contact with family members who are important to them. They support children to have positive family time, and physical distance is no barrier to enabling this to happen. This helps promote children’s sense of identity.

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outstanding

The relationships that children and staff have are respectful, meaningful and akin to family relationships. Trust is a key element of their relationships. Staff have worked tirelessly to build these relationships with children. The outcome is that children feel safe in their home because they have committed and trusted adults who they know they can approach.

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outstanding

Safeguarding is at the heart of how staff support the children. Discussions about children being safe are part of individual key-work sessions. Additionally, staff weave Inspection report for children’s home: SC063997 4 safety issues into daily chats. Over time, children become equipped with the knowledge of how to keep safe in and outside the home and online.

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outstanding

Detailed and individualised risk assessments for each child are implemented by staff to keep children safe. Staff fully understand the presenting issues for each child and what they must focus on as part of children’s care plans. Managers and staff regularly review risk assessments and update them if circumstances change or if risks increase or reduce. As a result, staff have up-to-date information about each child and the best way to respond to their needs and keep them as safe as possible.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing and are not involved in any criminal activity. Proactive behaviour support plans are very effective. Staff have not used physical intervention for some time. This is a testament to the staff’s skills and the positive relationships they have with children. Staff are playful and use humour to de-escalate situations and the children respond well to this. This creates a calm environment and reduces anxiety for children. The consistent approach to care that staff provide means children know what to expect from their carers and this helps them feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly respected by children and staff alike. She is passionate about providing the very highest standards of care for children. The children naturally gravitate towards her when they come into the home. They want to tell her all about their day and they seek her out to simply give her a hug when they are leaving home. The home is full of laughter and happiness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has high aspirations for the children living in the home. To ensure that children reach their full potential, she has developed a staff team that is skilled and knowledgeable. Staff have extensive training and development opportunities. The manager also uses research and reflective practice to develop her team. Regular, good-quality, reflective staff supervision contributes to staff learning and development. Having a skilled and knowledgeable team means that children receive good-quality support, which gives them the best opportunity to achieve in life and fulfil their dreams.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working and communication with external partner agencies are strong, with a shared commitment by all involved to meeting every child’s needs to a high standard. Feedback from professionals is very positive. One professional spoke about how intuitive the manager is when she works with children, saying she is always focused on ‘wanting the best for the child’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Records are sensitively written and kept up to date by managers and staff. Staff promptly read updates and share any relevant new information with key professionals. The leadership team has developed a system to ensure that there is robust management oversight within the home. When necessary, the manager challenges local authorities if children’s needs dictate this, for example if key documents relating to children’s needs have not been provided to the manager and staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063997 5

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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: SC063997 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o Pinsent Masons Llp, The Soloist Building, 1 Lanyon Place, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT1 3LP

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Inspector

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC063997 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

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