Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in West Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2692062 1 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted on 26 June 2023, and this is the first inspection of the home. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 26 June 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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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2692062 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home opened in June 2023, two children have moved into the home in a planned way. This included visits to the home, video calls to get to know each other and a thorough assessment by the registered manager to ensure that they could provide the right care and support for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager ensures that staff have comprehensive guidance to support them to care for the children and provide consistent care. The staff confidently explained how they care for the children and help them to meet their goals and make progress. The children are making progress; this ranges from developments in facing their fears, such as going to fireworks displays, to building on family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and children share fun, kind and nurturing relationships. The children can confidently challenge the staff and express their views if they are unhappy about something. The registered manager reflects on this with staff and the children to encourage positive relationships and an open culture.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have regular discussions and informal learning opportunities through key- working sessions with children to support their development. This is linked to children’s goals and aspirations and these sessions are written in a child-focused way for the children to understand.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are supported to attend routine health appointments and annual health reviews. The staff encourage children to be active and have a healthy lifestyle and attend community clubs, such as the local football club and basketball court.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Neither of the children are in formal education. There has been a significant delay in finding the right school for the children. However, senior leaders have raised their concerns formally to the local authority and advocated for the children to stress the vital education that the children are missing. In the interim period, a timetable has been put in place to support the children in the home with a daily education planner and virtual tutoring where appropriate.

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

The registered manager has taken appropriate action to escalate any safeguarding concerns to the local authority safeguarding team and notified Ofsted when needed. This has been followed up with additional work with children and staff were identified to promote a positive safeguarding ethos.

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

There are comprehensive risk plans linked to children’s known risks which support the staff to manage the children’s times of difficulty. The registered manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2692062 3 regularly updates the plans and following any incidents, to ensure that staff are fully aware of children’s support and care needs and they can respond appropriately.

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

The staff role model positive relationships between the children to support them to live alongside each other. This has helped the children to build on their relationship and respect each other’s culture and diversity.

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

Staff support the children in their times of difficulty and physical intervention is always used as a last resort to keep children safer. However, while the staff and children are always spoken to following an intervention, this is sometimes recorded out of the required timescales.

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

The home is large and spacious and provides a homely, warm environment for children to grow up in. The staff ensure that routine health and safety checks are carried out daily to maintain a safe home.

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

Senior leaders ensure that there is a good selection procedure when recruiting new staff. However, checks to ensure that original Disclosure and Barring Service certificates are verified are not in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager supports the staff to embed the statement of purpose and shared values and ethos into the home, with a vision of providing a safe and stable home for the children and staff. The registered manager promotes an open culture with the staff and children, and there is a proactive response to keeping children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager feels supported by senior leaders. The staff have regular supervision, reflection time and support as part of their induction when they join the team and as part of their ongoing development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have the skills to support and care for the children. This includes tailored training provided by the in-house clinical team that is individual to each child’s needs, such as autism and supporting children with appropriate relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One child’s social worker was very positive about the care provided to a child living in the home and how the staff have advocated for the child, especially around their educational needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders have developed effective monitoring systems to ensure that there is management oversight of the day-to-day care for children and this is regularly reviewed. Where staff practice may need to be developed, this is supported by the registered manager to improve the care provided for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2692062 4

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice and should ensure that guidance relating to Disclosure and Barring Service checks is followed to verify the original certificate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 60, paragraph 13.1)  The registered provider should ensure that discussions with adults and children following any physical intervention are recorded within the required timescales. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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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: 2692062 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

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Inspectors

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector – Lead Michelle Payne, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2692062 6 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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Inspectors

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