Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 1 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children aged between 10 and 18. The home specialises in providing therapeutic care for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in June 2023. A new manager has been appointed.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2022 Full Good 09/02/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 3

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improvement to be good

This inspection was brought forward in order to address specific concerns received by Ofsted.

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home. For two children, this has been a long-term and stable home. However, since the last inspection, five children have moved into the home and three children have moved out. Staff struggled to manage the needs of two of the children who had moved into the home, and the effect that they had on the other children living at the home. Managers identified that these children were not well suited to living together, and caused each other harm. Both children moved on from the home at short notice.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not support children to eat a healthy or balanced diet. They do not provide children with suitable direction or monitoring at mealtimes. There are no accurate records for children who are known to be at high risk of poor eating habits. Staff do not encourage children to eat healthy snacks or discourage them from snacking around mealtimes. This means that, on occasion, children do not want to eat their main meal. Additionally, most meals provided are not nutritionally balanced.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently encourage or offer children activities. The children spend lots of time online with, at times, minimal adult supervision. One child accessed unsuitable content for their age, unbeknown to the staff. Although children have limits to screen time, the staff do not adhere to these consistently. Staff do not offer alternative social activities in order to encourage children to exercise and play. The children who have lived at the home long-term enjoy their local community, and participate in lots of activities outside the home. Staff enable them to access sport and leisure activities, and social events. Staff capture these events in picture books as a valuable record of children’s life experiences.

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improvement to be good

The quality of the outdoor areas have declined. These do not provide an inviting place for children to play. The garden has not been well maintained, and has become overgrown with thistles and weeds. Some garden toys are broken. The garden contained litter, and the seating area was unusable. It is unclear whether the staff regularly check whether the swimming pool water is safe for children to swim in.

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improvement to be good

The three children who are in education are making good progress. The manager is working with the headteacher of the virtual school to identify a school place for the child who is out of education. Children have made friendships groups with other pupils at school. This has extended their social opportunities outside of their school day. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 4 Most of the children are happy living at the home, and they feel safe. One child is unhappy living at the home. The responsible individual is investigating concerns raised by a child. Staff are working at building relationships with new children who have moved in to help them to settle.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not always vigilant enough when children move into the home. One child moved in without their belongings being appropriately checked by staff members. Staff were not curious about the risks in this child’s care plan. This meant that the child had access to items that could have caused them serious harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff did not update a child’s risk assessment with important new information following a missing-from-care episode. Therefore, actions to mitigate risks were ineffective, and had not been reconsidered.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently encourage children’s positive behaviour. The use of consequences is inconsistent. These are not always proportionate to the behaviour or the children’s age and understanding. The records of consequences are not always clear. Staff do not always help children to understand why consequences are given. This was previously identified in October 2022, and practice has not consistently improved.

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improvement to be good

Staff have, when necessary, used physical interventions to keep children safe. These interventions have been proportionate and justified. However, they have not always been recorded appropriately. Some of the staff members involved in physical interventions are not debriefed. The manager sometimes records debriefs, despite them being directly involved in the intervention. There is a lack of independent oversight. Staff are missing out on learning from these events when debriefs do not take place.

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improvement to be good

Staff are consistent in their responses when children go missing-from-care. Staff follow the home’s safeguarding policy. They keep in regular contact with children, and welcome them home. This response helps children to feel cared for.

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good

The registered manager left the home in June 2023. The new manager started the day before this inspection. Due to the short time in post, the new manager has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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good

Changes to the leadership team have meant that management oversight and monitoring have not been effective. The manager has not ensured that basic tasks have been carried out as expected. Managers have not been aware of changes to the quality of care provided for children. There has been an overall decline in children’s experiences since the last inspection. Direction from leaders and managers Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 5 fails to ensure that staff support children positively, model good behaviours and nurture children’s development and independence.

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good

The responsible individual implemented a management transition plan to provide continuity for staff and children. The responsible individual had identified some of the shortfalls found at this inspection. However, these shortfalls have not yet been addressed.

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good

The home is adequately staffed. Generally, staff are suitably qualified. However, one staff member has not achieved a relevant qualification within the required time frame.

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good

Staff receive regular good-quality supervision, appraisals and training. This supports them in their roles. Staff said that they enjoy working at the home, and that managers are approachable. Professionals report good communication between the staff and manager. The staff provided positive feedback about managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the garden and play equipment is well maintained and safe, and must ensure that the repairs and refurbishment of the home are not delayed. 25 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to— 25 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 7 achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff help children to eat a balanced diet and monitor children’s nutrition. The registered person must also ensure that records to monitor children’s food intake are accurate.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)) 25 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 8 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)) 25 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h)) 25 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 22 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 9 if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home;

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. In particular, ensure that when the manager is involved in an incident of restraint, another suitable person is identified to complete debriefs with staff and children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 10

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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: 2596476 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Care Limited, Second Floor, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspectors

Jamie Cousins, Social Care Inspector Rebecca Hannell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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