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

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 1 SC454901

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Registered provider: Keys Child Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to five children who may experience emotional and social difficulties. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was not present at the time of this inspection. An interim manager is in place.

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Inspection date: 12 January 2024

Date of last inspection: 14 November 2023

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Inspection date: 12 January 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 12 January 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s relationships with staff are generally good. The child living in the home at the time of this inspection is well supported by staff to enjoy a variety of activities. These include ice skating, a martial art and dance. The child has said they are excited to try new activities. This helps to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to share their wishes and feelings. One-to-one sessions between children and staff are held regularly, with a focus on children’s individual needs. Where children make requests, action is taken by the manager and staff. This ensures children feel listened to.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff recognise the value of continued family relationships for children. They support children to spend time with family and other people who are important to them. This helps children to maintain important family relationships and promotes their identity.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s risk assessments are comprehensive. They help staff understand how they can help keep children safe. One member of staff said, ‘The implementation of change in paperwork is more efficient. The new risk assessments are very straight to the point.’

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Findings from the inspection

When children make a complaint, managers provide a written response in a timely way. However, responses do not always use child-friendly language. This limits children’s ability to understand the actions taken by managers in response to complaints.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is reflective about the care provided to children. She is keen to implement changes where areas for improvement are identified. There are shortfalls in some staff’s knowledge and experience. The manager is focused on developing staff skills. Experienced staff from other homes in the organisation are to provide support to less experienced staff in this home. However, this is not yet embedded. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/11/2022 Full Good 30/11/2021 Full Good 27/08/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 4

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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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; 8 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 5 are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are supervised and supported to build positive and safe relationships with peers. This also relates to ensuring that prompt and effective action is taken where there are concerns relating to bullying.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 8 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that sufficient and experienced staff are in place and develop a culture of positive morale.

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Requirement Due date

If children make a complaint, the responses provided need to be child-friendly in language and focused on the complaint.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that Ofsted is notified of serious events. 8 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 7

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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: Keys Care Ltd, Second Floor, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC454901 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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