Children's home run by Keys Child Care Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2737731 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 is owned by a private provider and is part of a cross-regional project with four local authorities. The home aims to provide a safe, caring and nurturing environment for children aged 11 to 17 experiencing emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted at the same time as the home in August 2023.

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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: 2737731 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. No children have moved on since the home registered. Children are welcomed with individualised hampers and made to feel valued from the point of moving in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. They benefit from a warm, nurturing and positive environment. Staff know the children well. Children are cared for by consistent staff, who use a therapeutic approach. Staff respond to children in a playful and empathetic way that helps children to make progress. Internal therapeutic consultation and support are provided to help staff to understand the impact of trauma on children’s lives and the ways in which to help children move forward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported in education at local mainstream schools, colleges and alternative provision. The manager consistently communicates with other professionals regarding plans for education provision. Staff were quick to respond when a child who attends a boarding school needed to return to the home. Staff worked closely with the school to ensure a positive return for the child after the school holidays. One education professional said, ‘The home, when I visited, was immaculately clean and [the child] was happy. The home is working really well with the school and keeping me in touch.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Highly personalised key-work sessions are written to the child, and children benefit from this individualised approach. A range of topics are discussed such as the children’s guide, birthday ideas, substance misuse and self-harm. These sessions are used to build self-esteem and confidence and ensure that children feel listened to. One child said, ‘I know deep down [the staff] really care. I get on well with my key worker most of the time. I'm looking forward to my birthday and seeing my cousin.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff praise children when they have made positive choices. They use a range of age-appropriate rewards that help children to build self-esteem and confidence. On the occasions when consequences have been used, they have been well considered. This means that children learn from mistakes and make better choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is set in a rural area. The provider places great emphasis on ensuring that children feel valued through the quality of furnishings and decor. The home is spacious, clean and modern which creates a cosy and extremely homely feel. The home has been lovingly furnished and children’s needs have been very well thought out in respect of the layout of the home and the resources. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised. Plans to develop the garden are in place to enable children to spend time outside in the summer months. The manager addressed the removal of a broken mirror during the inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2737731 3

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

There is a strong and proactive response to children going missing from care. Staff search for the children, inform the police quickly and work intensively to ensure that children are returned safely. For one child, there was a delay in return home interviews being carried out by the placing authority. The manager challenged this appropriately. For another child, incidents rapidly reduced because they quickly became settled at the home.

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

Safeguarding notifications have been reported appropriately and promptly. Swift consultation has taken place with the local authority designated officer when required and actions taken as a result of a complaint and an allegation. There is a strong safeguarding culture.

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

There have been no restraints since the home registered. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of de-escalation and using trauma-informed responses to children who may be distressed.

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

Strong responses and an effective safety plan have helped to keep a child safe from online and mobile phone risks. Staff spoke very confidently about this and the necessary checks using a traffic light system to assess content both viewed and posted by the child. Appropriate rewards are linked to the safe use of the internet.

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

Risk assessments are robust and updated regularly with new or emerging risks. Documents and a child’s plan from one placing authority were delayed in being provided to the home. The manager challenged this appropriately to ensure that all information was known.

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

Internal health and safety audits are undertaken frequently. Due to a complaint, additional checks were made in respect of the fire doors and contact was made with the local fire service, which will offer ongoing advice and support to the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and appropriately qualified to level 5. She leads the home and staff team in a competent and supportive way. Professionals gave positive feedback and said that they appreciate the consistent approach of the manager, who is present at the home throughout the week. A new deputy manager has been recruited which will provide an additional layer of support to the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very positive about their roles. One member of staff said, ‘As a team, we are still developing and finding our feet but there is already good progress for children. The manager is great and takes onboard feedback and any concerns.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides staff with regular, reflective and well-documented supervision. Team meetings have a focus on quality standards. Creative ideas help staff to understand the quality standards. In addition, the introduction of champion Inspection report for children's home: 2737731 4 roles was discussed in a team meeting to enable individual staff to take more responsibility and have more autonomy in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they have a high-quality induction with shadow shifts in addition to ongoing training that is prioritised by the manager. A combination of online and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

face-to-face training is in place. Workshops facilitated by the internal professionals on trauma-informed practice and therapeutic models of care are prioritised for new staff joining the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A good-quality review of the quality of care provided for children was undertaken by the manager and submitted in the relevant timescales to Ofsted. However, it lacked feedback from children, parents or professionals. This was a missed opportunity to gather those views. Inspection report for children's home: 2737731 5

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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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(b) (5)) 1 April 2024

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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: 2737731 6

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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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Inspector:

Emily Stevens, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2737731 7 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:

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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