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Inspection report for children’s home: SC064050 1 SC064050 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 home is run by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: SC064050 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/08/2022 Full Good 20/10/2021 Full Good 28/08/2019 Full Good 16/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC064050 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in this home are provided with stability and consistency of care. All children have lived in this home since the last inspection. This has allowed the children to build trusted relationships with the staff. Staff ensure that they know each child’s likes and dislikes. They know when the children are struggling and the best way to help them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to attend education. Education attendance has significantly increased for two children while living in this home. One teacher said, ‘They [names of both children] are making amazing progress.’ While one child is currently not in education, the staff continue to encourage and support them to engage in activities that help to increase their independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s wishes and feelings are captured regularly. Their voices are heard. The children were observed to be confident in making requests to the staff. All three children made a request to the manager to increase the time spent with their family. The manager has responded to this. As a result, all children are enjoying more time with their family members and the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from the wraparound care from the organisation’s therapeutic team. This team provides support to the staff to help them understand what is happening beyond the children’s behaviours. Two children are engaging in weekly therapeutic sessions. This therapeutic approach is helping to increase the children’s self-esteem, coping skills and resilience. As a result, incidents in the home have decreased.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large and spacious with different areas for the children to relax and spend time. While children’s bedrooms are personalised and decorated to their taste, shared areas of the home do not have personal items or soft furnishings. Furthermore, children do not have access to all areas of their home. There is a designated staff bathroom that is routinely locked when not in use. One child said, ‘It would be better for me if it was not locked.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to understand the world and what is happening in their life. Children are supported with sensitive issues, such as family bereavement, identity, sexuality and the changes to their body during puberty.

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

Staff are aware of the risks to the children and how best to keep them safe. Risk assessments are clear and up to date. They provide information to the staff of what works best to keep each child as safe as possible. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064050 4 Children are spoken to about things that may be a danger to them or cause them harm. Children are supported to understand different risks and how best to keep themselves safe. Children are educated around the risks in relation to weapons, vaping, online safety, unsafe people and more.

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

Children are supported by an allocated member of staff. The staff ensure that clear and consistent boundaries are in place for the children. This has reduced incidents between the children, and it helps the children to get along well with one another.

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

The staff ensure that essential safeguarding checks are carried out. Children’s electronic devices are regularly checked to ensure that their online content is safe. Children’s bedrooms are checked regularly when risks arise. Unsafe items are removed from the home. If unsafe items or inappropriate online content are found, the children are supported to understand how they can make more positive choices in the future. The manager informs all relevant safeguarding agencies. Appropriate plans are put in place and regularly reviewed.

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

On two occasions, the staff have not been successful in engaging the children and the police have been called to the home. The manager has not thoroughly explored these incidents with the staff and the children. Reflection and learning from incidents help to reduce the risk of unnecessary police call-outs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager clearly cares about the children. She speaks about them with pride and affection. It was evident during the inspection that she knows the children well and they know her. The manager has the children’s best interests at the heart of her practice, and she has high aspirations for all areas of their progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carries out thorough investigations into allegations made by the children. The manager addresses staff practice issues and puts appropriate action plans in place. She has difficult conversations with the staff to ensure that any issues in the team are quickly resolved. Concerns are followed up in team meetings to ensure that all staff are working towards the same goal. This helps to promote an open culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is well supported by a deputy manager who is developing his own role in the team. The manager is equally supported by the organisation’s wider management team, which she says is a valuable support network. This support has allowed the new manager to progress and continue to grow in the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff say that they feel supported by the manager. They speak positively about her and say that she listens to them. One staff member spoke positively about the support that they received during a period of sickness. They said that the flexibility of the manager when devising the rota has helped them to return and remain at work. This is positive for the children as it provides consistency of care by staff who feel happy in work. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064050 5 The manager is continuing to develop her own skills when using management and monitoring tools. These tools are successful in identifying shortfalls in practice and these shortfalls are addressed to ensure that children’s needs continue to be met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064050 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children can access all areas of their home, including all the bathrooms, which should remain unlocked if not in use. 21 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. Children’s homes will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the staff and the children are supported to reflect and learn from incidents to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing the children’s behaviours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.40)

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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: SC064050 7

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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 Child Care Limited, Second Floor, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Jo Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064050 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 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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