Children's Home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC033817 1 SC033817 Registered provider: Keys Direct Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who have complex needs and require specialist support.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2018.

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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 good

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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: 28 September 2021

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC033817 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/09/2021 Full Outstanding 23/07/2019 Full Good 05/06/2018 Full Good 25/04/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC033817 3

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outstanding

Two children have moved out and two children have moved into the home since the last inspection. Three children are currently living in the home. They are all making excellent progress in this calm and happy home.

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outstanding

The children make significant academic progress from their individual starting points. Children’s education is highly valued by staff and communication with education providers is strong. Some children who were previously not attending school now do so, and this is a significant achievement. Staff encourage children to be ambitious for their future and they celebrate all children’s achievements.

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outstanding

Research-informed practice, embedded in the daily running of the home, is very effective. Individual conversations between staff and children are meaningful. Staff help children reflect on their past experiences, present worries and future aims. Regular therapeutic guidance from a clinical team enhances the staff’s practice. This approach supports the children to develop a positive self-view and it increases their emotional resilience.

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outstanding

Parents are positive about the relationships that the staff have with their children. A parent said, ‘I cannot fault them. The staff are very caring and kind. My child has made great progress. I couldn’t be happier with the care provided.’

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outstanding

The manager is imaginative and committed to helping the children develop a greater sense of belonging. Two children have completed a charity walk on Mount Snowdon and one child has raised money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. This innovative practice helps children to develop an awareness of some of the issues affecting wider society.

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outstanding

Staff support children to participate in a wide range of hobbies and activities. One child plays football for a local team and another child regularly attends a boxing club. Other activities include swimming, gymnastics and going to the cinema. These hobbies and activities increase children’s social skills and self-esteem.

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outstanding

Any moves into or out of the home are exceptionally well planned. The manager visits children prior to them moving in and helps them prepare for the move. This helps children settle in quickly. The two children who have left the home successfully moved to foster care. The significant progress they made while in the home enabled them to better regulate their emotions, which in turn enabled them to achieve these moves.

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outstanding

The atmosphere in the home is welcoming and positive. Staff involve children in all aspects of the running of the home. Children’s bedrooms are personalised. Children say they like their home and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. Inspection report for children's home: SC033817 4

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

Children feel safe and have confidence in the staff who care for them. Staff ensure children have good daily routines that provide structure to their lives. Strong and trusting relationships are evident between children and staff. A child said, ‘The staff are very nice and have taught me lots.’

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

Children’s individual risk assessments are comprehensive, detailed and updated promptly. These high-quality risk assessments provide staff with the necessary strategies to minimise potential dangers and protect children.

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

Staff are skilled at de-escalating incidents. Staff have only used physical intervention once, as this was necessary to prevent injury to a child. Staff have regular meaningful conversations with the children to discuss their feelings and gain their views. These conversations help staff to understand how to support each child in times of distress.

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

There have been no complaints or safeguarding incidents since the last inspection. All staff spoken with have a very thorough understanding of safeguarding procedures and the whistle-blowing policy. Effective safeguarding procedures, implemented consistently in the home, help to keep children safe.

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

Some of the children have significant histories of going missing before moving to this home. Once settled, incidents of children going missing reduce. However, more recently, external events in two of the children’s lives have led to them going missing more frequently. Each child has an individual plan, and when they go missing staff make every attempt to ensure that they are located promptly. The manager is proactive in ensuring that the children receive return home interviews, and reflective conversations are held with the children who go missing to reinforce the importance of making safe decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is aspirational and leads by example. A committed deputy manager supports her. Both clearly want the best possible outcomes for children. They are strong advocates for the children and ensure that the children’s needs are paramount.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is exceptionally well organised. This enables the staff to work consistently together to prioritise the day-to-day needs of the children. The staff continually seek the children’s views, informally and formally, through conversations and regular house meetings. The children flourish in their surroundings, knowing that their wishes and feelings are heard and respected and acted on where appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The dedicated staff demonstrate that they have an in-depth understanding of each child, and they take great pride in providing nurturing care. The children benefit greatly from a stable team of staff who are fully attuned to their needs. Inspection report for children's home: SC033817 5 The manager maintains excellent relationships with social workers and other professionals. A social worker described the manager as ‘going over and above’ to improve children’s lives. Another social worker said, ‘The level of support has been amazing. I cannot fault it.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular staff meetings, clinical meetings and training sessions help staff to fully understand individual children’s needs and to enhance their skills. The staff receive regular reflective supervision and yearly appraisals from the knowledgeable managers, who offer practice advice and guidance. This ensures staff consistently provide high-quality individualised care for each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal and external monitoring of the home is comprehensive. The manager recognises the home’s strengths and has systems in place to evaluate any area for improvement. The manager reviews the home’s statement of purpose and updates it promptly with any changes. The staff are very knowledgeable about the home’s objectives and are positive role models to the children.

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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: SC033817 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Direct Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Lynne Drage, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC033817 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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