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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC433286 1 SC433286 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

This home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to three children, aged up to 18 years, with social and/or emotional difficulties. The registered manager has been in post since March 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 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: 14 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: SC433286 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2021 Full Outstanding 24/07/2019 Full Good 26/02/2019 Full Good 31/10/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC433286 3

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outstanding

Children make exceptional progress from their starting points. The stable and consistent staff team builds trusting relationships with the children sensitively and successfully. Before moving to the home, settling and making progress, the children experienced extreme trauma and multiple moves.

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outstanding

The staff understand the importance of carefully considered moves in and out of the home. A strength of the home is that the children remain long term, often for many years, making progress at their individual pace and benefiting from the family feel of the home. Before children move to the home, the manager carefully considers whether the needs of the child can be met by the skills and experience of the staff and if they will get along with existing children.

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outstanding

Since the last inspection, one child successfully moved on to independent living in accordance with his plan. One child moved to the home and is beginning to make progress. Another child is in the process of moving back to live with his family, due to the exceptional progress that they have made. The staff understand the importance of keeping in touch and maintaining relationships with children when they have left the home.

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outstanding

The quality of the individualised care and support is excellent. The children thrive in a home where there are clear boundaries, high aspirations and rules that help them to feel safe and secure. There is also plenty of love, nurture and fun. Children are expected to participate in the daily routines of the home. They learn to value their home and gain a sense of pride and belonging. Consequently, any destructive behaviours diminish.

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outstanding

The children thrive from being encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities, both in and out of the home. These activities help them to channel their energy positively and build their self-confidence and self-esteem. For example, the children enjoy wild camping, judo club, rugby club, fishing and playing games in the home with staff.

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outstanding

The staff support relationships between the children and their families effectively. The staff successfully build positive relationships with children’s families. For example, due to the restorative relationship-building work undertaken by the staff with one family, a child was able to return to live with their family.

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outstanding

The emotional and physical health needs of children are fully met. The home has access to the company therapist, who regularly supports the staff and children, offering effective strategies and advice. The staff benefit from training that equips them with the necessary skills and information to support the children with specific needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC433286 4 The staff understand the importance of education. The children benefit from bespoke educational placements and are making progress from a starting point of refusing to attend school before coming to the home. The staff have high aspirations for the children and encourage them to reach their educational potential. For example, one child reports that they have applied to college to gain the vocational qualifications they need so that they can pursue their chosen career.

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outstanding

The staff are vigilant. They know the children well and keep them safe. Children report that they feel safe and can speak to all members of staff if they feel worried or upset.

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outstanding

Staff demonstrate a high level of professional curiosity. For example, the staff work proactively and effectively with safeguarding professionals and families if a child is deemed to be at risk when visiting family members.

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outstanding

Behaviour is exceptionally well managed. Routines run smoothly in the home, and the expectations of the children are clear and consistent. They are supported to learn from their mistakes and are praised and rewarded for positive behaviour and their achievements. The staff sensitively and comprehensively talk through any incidents in the home with the child involved. This helps children to understand the reasons for their actions and learn to make positive choices in the future.

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outstanding

Incidents reduce as the children settle in the home and positively respond to a firm but fair and nurturing behaviour management approach by the staff. If an incident does happen, the manager provides a comprehensive oversight. Any learning from an incident is discussed in team meetings and during individual staff supervision sessions.

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outstanding

Risk is very well managed. Children develop skills and self-confidence through being trusted and supported to take age-appropriate risks, for example spending time with their friends in the community and taking part in sports.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The experienced and skilled manager demonstrates strong leadership. He is respected by the staff, who report that they are very well supported and supervised, and so in turn, they can support the children effectively. The manager ensures that the staff are the tenacious and motivated ‘pushy parents’ that the children need to help them make progress and obtain the services they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home provides the children with a very homely and well-decorated environment that meets their needs. The children report that they really like their bedrooms, which are personalised with photos of their family and contain many toys and games. One child has successfully learned to care for fish in a tank in their room, Inspection report for children’s home: SC433286 5 when previously they were not kind to animals. The children enjoy playing in the large garden, where they each have their own section, and they can plant vegetables or flowers or build dens of their choice. This helps the children to develop a sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The children benefit from being cared for by a consistent, well-trained and supervised team of staff that has built excellent trusting relationships with the children. The staff are trained in all topics they need so that they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide good-quality care. The staff are encouraged to have a ‘can-do’ attitude and implement creative strategies that support the children to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from the children, professionals, staff and families is entirely positive. Placing social workers value the home and are very impressed with the progress the children are making following their many moves out of homes where their needs were unable to be met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Records and plans are clear, concise and provide the staff with all the information they need to care for the children. Management oversight is evident. A comprehensive quality assurance system informs the home’s development plan, which outlines the areas for development for the home over the next 12 months. Inspection report for children’s home: SC433286 6

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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: SC433286 7

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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, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC433286 8 regulates and inspects 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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