Children's home run by Keys KIN Ltd in Wealden

Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 1 Registered provider: Keys KIN Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to five children. It provides support for vulnerable children who may be learning to cope with a range of social and emotional difficulties. There are currently five children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2019.

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 May 2023

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people, taking into account good

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 May 2023

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 May 2023

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 May 2023

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 May 2023

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 May 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2022 Full Good 26/05/2021 Full Good 10/09/2019 Full Good 06/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop secure and trusting relationships with the staff. Inspectors observed staff to be attentive and nurturing in their approach when meeting children’s individual needs. Children are well cared for, have fun and enjoy activities with staff who pursue their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are sought regularly and are valued. Staff listen to children and support them to influence the way they are cared for. Children have access to an advocacy service and attend regular children’s meetings. The meetings are diverse and fun in the way they are conducted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make a complaint, and their complaints are treated seriously and are responded to. Children have been supported by the registered manager to use an advocacy service to make a group complaint about the poor internet in the home. The registered manager communicates with the children and keeps them updated regarding their complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted with and prepared before new children move into the home. Children who move into the home are generally well prepared. They visit the home and have opportunities to meet the staff and children before they move in. On one occasion, one child moved in at short notice. The moving-in process as detailed in the statement of purpose was not followed. Leaders have learned lessons and updated their moving-in procedures as a result. Staff prepare children well when they move out of the home, and plans are individual to each child’s needs. All children leave with a memory book and a chronology of their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are achieving at school and are helped by staff to go into further education. Most of the children receive full-time education. Those who currently do not attend school are supported by staff to complete home learning. Staff communicate well with the virtual schools to progress education for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to understand the importance of self-care and acceptable behaviour through regular discussions. These discussions are creative, child-focused and written in a way that is easy for children to read and understand. Staff involve the police by inviting them into the home for informal discussions with children about keeping safe in the community to reinforce positive behaviour.

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

Staff know and understand children’s risks. Risk assessments are updated following significant incidents and provide guidance for staff to follow. Children are supported to take risks appropriate to their age and level of understanding. Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 4 Staff advocate for children in multi-agency professional meetings to ensure that children’s views are heard and understood. Children are encouraged to use an independent advocate to promote their voice in meetings and when making a complaint. Some of the children have an independent visitor who they see each month.

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

Staff consistently promote and reward the children’s positive behaviour. Targets are set for children to promote independence and positive behaviour. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques and creative strategies to promote positive behaviour, such as distraction and humour, which is well received by the children.

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

Staff only restrain children when necessary to keep children and others safe. All incidents are well recorded, reviewed and monitored by the registered manager and her deputies. Children are given the opportunity to have reflective discussions afterwards. Leaders ensure that staff are provided with support, and their conversations show evidence of empathy and professional curiosity.

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

Leaders and managers take appropriate action when an allegation is made against a member of staff. Incidents are notified to all relevant parties, and a thorough investigation is completed, including reflections and lessons learned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified. She has an active presence in the home and strong relationships with the children. The deputy managers and responsible individual competently support the registered manager. The management team has a clear ethos for the care of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained and supported to carry out their roles. New staff have good planned-out inductions and probation reviews that prepare them for their roles. Staff have regular, structured and good-quality supervision sessions. The registered manager holds frequent team meetings where safeguarding practices and the children are discussed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has improved oversight of the quality of care. She has used reports from the independent person and external audits to improve oversight of care. The registered manager has a clear development plan in place for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Maintenance tasks are not promptly addressed. There has been a delay in completing urgent actions from an electrical test. Additionally, inspectors found that some tasks, such as assembling a shed and a child’s play kitchen, had not been completed. The registered manager has plans in place to improve the home environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s plans are not always up to date. There was little evidence that leaders had escalated this to the local authority to ensure that they had an up-to-date care plan for one child. This was addressed during the inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 5 Overall, the registered manager regularly notifies Ofsted of serious incidents. However, inspectors found two missed opportunities to notify Ofsted of serious events. There was no impact on the care or safety of children. Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 6

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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, The 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 registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have a copy of the care plans prepared by the child’s placing authority. 6 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (2)(c )(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that health and safety check recommendations and general maintenance issues are resolved in a timely way. 6 July 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that Ofsted is notified of any incidents that are likely to be considered serious and that may affect the welfare of a child. The home must assess each case individually, and the list of examples provided in regulation 40 (4)(a)-(d) is not exhaustive. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.11) Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 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: 1226495 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Part 2nd Floor, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

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Inspectors

Faye McCarthy, Social Care Inspector Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1226495 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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