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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 1 SC016124 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care and Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children who experience social and emotional difficulties. In November 2022, the home reduced its occupancy numbers to two children, as it was felt that the home could not offer enough communal space for three children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

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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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: SC016124 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2022 Full Good 02/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to move into the home in a positive way. Before children move in, they are encouraged to visit the home and meet the staff team and the children who already live there. The registered manager seeks the views and wishes of the child who is moving in so that their bedroom can be furnished with the things that they like before they arrive. This helps children to feel welcomed and develop an early sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress from their starting points. They are supported to increase their attendance at school. When children are not in full-time education, they are provided with other learning opportunities. The registered manager is clear that the aim for all children is to develop the skills and confidence that they need so that they can successfully participate in formal education in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

However, when several educational providers are involved in the delivery of a child’s bespoke learning package, there is a lack of collaborative working and oversight. As a result, opportunities to support children to actively engage in their learning by coordinating the approaches that are being used are missed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Currently, feedback from children is mixed. One child is positive about living in the home. They said that they get on well with the staff and that staff listen to them and help them. They also benefit from a variety of activities in the community, including playing football, trampolining and going to the skatepark.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Conversely, another child said that at the moment, they do not like living in the home and that they would like to move out. In addition, the range of activities that this child currently engages in are limited. However, the child has made progress since living in the home and staff are supporting them well to manage current worries and anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals confirm that their children are making progress. Children have developed trusting relationships with the staff and are being supported to develop positive relationships with their family members. Alongside this, children are being helped to express themselves more safely and develop healthy routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is warm and homely. It is well furnished and decorated. There are photos of children and adults on the walls, and children have been involved in choosing the wallpaper and colour schemes. A staff room has been converted into a snug area for children. This allows them to spend some time apart while remaining in communal areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s bedroom appeared clean and tidy. However, hygiene concerns that have previously been identified by staff have not been responded to effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 4

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

When staff are challenged by children’s behaviour, they use a variety of strategies to help children to express themselves safely. As a result, the use of restraint is rare. However, when restraint is used, it is necessary and proportionate to prevent harm to children. After the use of restraint, debrief sessions with staff and children encourage them to reflect on what happened, how they felt and what could be done differently in the future. Staff also seek to promptly repair their relationship with the children and check how they are.

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

Children’s care plans are detailed and up to date. They provide staff with an overview of the children’s needs and the strategies required to support children effectively. Care plans are tailored to each child’s needs, which helps staff to provide individualised care.

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

Key-work sessions are used by staff to provide positive messages and advice to children. Topics of discussion are informed by the needs of the children so that they are helpful to them. Key-work sessions are written to the children so that they serve as a nice reminder about the advice and guidance that were provided to them by the staff.

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

Risk assessments help staff to consider risk. They provide staff with clear guidance about how to mitigate risk and support children to keep themselves safe. As a result, staff have a good understanding of how to respond to safety concerns.

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

When children are missing from the home, staff follow the agreed protocols, including looking for the child in the local area, contacting the child’s friends and family and reporting the incident to the police. Concerns are shared with the relevant professionals so that a multi-agency response can be agreed to prevent future occurrences. However, leaders and managers acknowledge when they are unable to keep children safe. In these instances, leaders and managers support the child’s placing authority to identify suitable alternative living arrangements.

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

When concerns about the home or a member of staff are raised, leaders and managers take appropriate action to ensure that children are kept safe. The outcomes from these concerns are robust and, where applicable, development opportunities for staff are identified. In addition, the registered manager provides feedback to the children about their concerns to ensure that they are satisfied with the actions taken. This helps children to feel valued, listened to and protected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses internal and external monitoring to evaluate the quality of care that is being provided to the children. As a result, the registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas for improvement, which are informed by feedback from the children, social workers and educational professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 5 Team meetings are complemented by consultation with the home’s therapist. Team meetings encourage staff to reflect on the needs of the children and the support they provide. Strategies to support children are explored and are accurately reflected in children’s care plans and risk assessments. This helps the staff team to provide consistent and effective care to meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are held regularly and provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their relationships with the children and the care they provide. Staff supervision sessions enable staff to identify their own developmental needs and the training opportunities that they feel would be helpful to them. As a result, the registered manager can source additional training courses that support the staff to meet the individual needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in this home. They say that the children are well cared for, and they can identify the progress that the children have made since living in the home. Staff describe the registered manager as ‘very supportive’ and say that she is always responsive to the needs of the children and the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

As a result, there is a stable staff team in place, with minimal changes since the last inspection. Some agency-employed members of staff have been used to cover staff sickness and annual leave. However, leaders and managers are exploring recruitment opportunities to ensure that children are provided with consistent care from adults they know well. When agency-employed members of staff have been used, the registered manager has used a consistent group of people. Robust safer recruitment checks are carried out. Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment for children. Staff should seek to meet the children’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children may have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff offer caring, curious and effective responses when there are concerns about the hygiene of children’s bedrooms. In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff are creative and aspirational when offering children opportunities to spend time in the community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that appropriate support is given to children to promote positive educational outcomes and learning. In particular, the registered person should ensure that a collaborative and coordinated approach is

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Recommendations

taken by professionals to arrange and deliver learning in a way that is most likely to encourage children’s participation and achievement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13)

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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: SC016124 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care and 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

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC016124 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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