Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Southampton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC389180 1 SC389180 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to six children with learning and physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection, six children were living in the home, including one young person who had recently turned 18 years old.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2023 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC389180 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2023 Full Outstanding 26/01/2022 Full Outstanding 13/11/2019 Full Outstanding 05/03/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC389180 3

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outstanding

The staff provide highly effective support to children with very complex health needs and a range of disabilities. Staff ensure that the children’s varying needs do not prevent them from enjoying their childhood experiences and making excellent progress. The children have scrap books detailing all the fun that they have, the parties celebrated, and messages from staff to celebrate their achievements.

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outstanding

The children communicate effectively with staff. This is because the staff spend time getting to know the children and support them to use their preferred communication method to expand their interaction. One child was able to express that they feel safe and cared for, and that staff are kind. They also expressed that they could communicate if they were feeling sad or unhappy.

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outstanding

Staff respond quickly to children’s health needs. A registered nurse also works in the home to give support and guidance to the staff and children. On one occasion, staff took swift and effective action following a rapid decline in a child’s health, which saved the child’s life. Staff are attending the hospital daily to provide consistent care and nurture for this child.

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outstanding

Children are administered their daily medicines in line with their health plans. When there have been errors in administration and practice, learning has been completed with staff and training has been provided. Systems have been changed to improve processes and prevent further errors from occurring.

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outstanding

Children’s sensory needs are met and explored through the staff and children’s imagination. For example, sensory stories are read with children using touch, smell, sound, and sight. These immersive experiences bring stories to life for the children and provide an enriching and engaging activity.

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outstanding

All the children in the home attend school. This is tailored to support each child and ensure that their needs and preferences are taken into account. For example, one child expressed that they are no longer happy at their school. The staff are working with an external professional to look alternative options for this child to ensure that their days are meaningful and provide purpose. Another child has their education provided in a hospital setting from staff while they are being cared for there. This provides consistency and ensures that the child does not miss out on educational learning.

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outstanding

There are comprehensive care and risk plans to support children’s complex needs. This includes their tailored communication plans. The staff ensure that plans are regularly updated following changes to children’s needs. However, some plans for external professionals to refer to, for example, if a child uses a healthcare service, Inspection report for children’s home: SC389180 4 have not been updated as rigorously as the children’s internal plans. This means that they do not contain the most-recent updates about children’s health.

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outstanding

The home is large, spacious, and furnished to provide a warm and nurturing environment for the children. There are arrangements in place to oversee the maintenance, and regular checks to ensure that the environment is well managed and meets safety requirements. Children who require fire evacuation plans have these in place, and they are regularly reviewed by the registered manager.

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outstanding

The registered manager has taken appropriate action to report any safeguarding concerns to the local authority designated officer. All actions from in-house learning have been implemented within the team. Senior staff have been provided with enhanced safeguarding training and feel confident to report any concerns in the absence of the registered manager as part of their role.

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outstanding

The staff use inventive techniques to minimise the risks that the children may face, such as using creative strategies and distraction techniques to support children who harm themselves. This has been effective in reducing incidents. The staff have spent time getting to know the children and how they communicate; this means that the children can let staff know when they feel unhappy or in pain and staff can help them.

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outstanding

The staff support children to enjoy active and adventurous lives and encourage positive risk taking as part of their development. Care plans are updated to reflect children’s progress. The staff team offer the children consistent boundaries and care, and they support children to understand their behaviours to create a positive environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has established highly effective monitoring and oversight of the children’s care. Senior leaders are passionate and dedicated; they work together and constantly strive to make improvements to expand children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager feels supported by her senior manager. She equally supports staff, providing supervision, regular reflection and appraisals. Staff are well equipped to perform their care tasks for the children, including delegated healthcare tasks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from external professionals who are involved with the children is overwhelmingly positive about children’s care and experiences. One professional said, ‘I refer to them as family as that’s what they are to the children.’ This echoes the strong relationships that children and staff share, which are filled with love, kindness and affection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC389180 5 Team meetings take place regularly. These meetings give staff an opportunity to be updated on each child and what needs to be done to ensure their safety in the home. Discussions take place regarding how the home can be improved, as well as available development opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff enjoy working in the home; they support each other and take pride in the children’s progress and achievements. They are positive about the manager. One staff member said that the registered manager ‘goes above and beyond to make sure you are supported’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has completed the periodic review of the quality of care of the children. However, the reports have not been sent within the required timescales to the regulator. This has not impacted on the quality of care provided to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC389180 6

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Recommendations

 The registered provider must ensure that all care plans are always up to date when the health needs of the children change. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered provider must ensure that the periodic review of the quality of care of the children is submitted to the regulator within the expected timescales. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.3)

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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: SC389180 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

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Inspectors

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC389180 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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