Children's home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 1 Registered provider: Keys NHCC Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a large private company. It is registered to care for up to four children with a variety of complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and is qualified to level 5 in health and social care management.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2022 Full Good 22/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home into adult supported living and two children have moved into the home. At the time of the inspection, two children lived in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive nurturing care and support. This helps them to have positive day- to-day experiences of living at the home. Staff make sure that children’s care plans are reflective of the aims and objectives set by the child’s placing authority. For the most part, children receive coordinated and effective support. However, there is a missed opportunity to help the children understand and be curious about their cultures and those of others. The registered manager is in the process of exploring how best to achieve this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children effectively to make good progress. Children lead healthy lifestyles. They eat nutritious food and participate in physical activities. For one child, this is supporting him to lose weight. Children have good attendance in education. When they struggle at school, staff work in close partnership with education professionals to address concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a wide range of activities and are members of local clubs. One child attends a boxing club, while another trains with a local rugby team. Children are in regular contact with their families. Parents stated they found staff approachable and supportive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff successfully support the children to develop age-appropriate independence skills, for example, gaining employment, travelling long distances on public transport independently and budgeting. Staff understand the excitement and anxieties experienced by the children moving into adulthood and leaving the home. They sensitively support them to navigate their feelings and emotions and to continue to make good progress. The support provided by staff ensures that moves from the home are successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming. The registered manager and staff team are continually developing the home, which ensures that it is maintained to a good standard. The registered manager is currently planning how to develop the garden, based on ideas and a drawing by one of the children.

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

The manager and staff ensure that the children are safe. They understand the children’s vulnerabilities and the importance of having safeguarding measures in place to reduce the likelihood of incidents. Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 4 Since, the last inspection there have been no significant safeguarding or missing- from-care incidents. There have been two complaints. Both have been independently investigated and appropriate processes followed. Relevant parties have been informed of the outcomes.

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

Children enjoy positive relationships with the staff, who know them well. Staff are well equipped to support the children to feel safe because they are given clear guidance on how best to respond to the children in certain situations and settings. There has been one appropriate low-level and short physical intervention, and consequences are rarely used.

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

The registered manager ensures that all recruitment checks are carried out for staff coming to work at the home. This means that children benefit from having staff working with them who have been safely vetted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good overview of the operation of the home and outcomes for children. She uses external and internal auditing and monitoring tools to identify and address areas for development. For example, the head of organisational development is running a series of team-building sessions. The staff have found these valuable and feel they are supporting them to become more cohesive as a team and deliver a more consistent parenting style.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that team meetings and supervision sessions are regular and reflective. They feel that the registered manager provides good support and talk positively about the development and direction of the service. They feel actively involved in initiatives and that their ideas are listened to and incorporated into plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a range of mandatory and additional training, virtual, online and face to face. This training is relevant to their roles and ensures practice is informed by the provider’s new initiatives. The staff team is currently undertaking a series of three training sessions on the organisation’s new therapeutic approach. Training is also provided to support the staff to meet the specific needs of individual children, for example, the registered manager has recently sourced training on coeliac disease, which the staff have found informative.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff work in close partnership with the provider’s psychological and therapeutic services. There is usually a therapist linked to the home. This post had been vacant since February 2023, however, a new appointment has now been made. Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. This specifically relates to ensuring staff and children are supported by the provider’s clinical team while the therapist post linked to the home is vacant. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that children are able to maintain and develop their cultural or religious beliefs as far as practicable and where appropriate, through participation and instruction, and by observing religious requirements including dress and diet. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.22)

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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: 2570535 6

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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

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 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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