Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC421063 1 SC421063 Registered provider: Keys Care Limited 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. At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2020.

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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: 27 February 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: SC421063 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2023 Full Outstanding 28/09/2021 Full Good 26/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC421063 3

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outstanding

Children have made excellent progress from their starting points. They thrive because they receive high-quality support from a dedicated staff team.

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outstanding

Children’s health outcomes improve because staff ensure that they receive effective support. Children access therapy without delay, and the organisation’s therapist also provides expertise and professional advice to staff to help them work with children in a trauma-informed way.

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outstanding

Children’s school attendance and achievements improve when they come to live at the home. One child receives individualised learning opportunities from staff as part of their education plan. This flexible approach has improved the chances of the child achieving in education.

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outstanding

Children have extremely strong relationships with staff who know them well. They can identify a range of adults who they trust and can approach when they need additional help. Children appreciate the support that they receive from staff and have a strong sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Children’s independence is fully promoted, and staff are committed to preparing children to live more independently in the future. Teaching practical and self-care skills to children is embedded into practice. Children are taught important life skills in an age-appropriate manner that takes account of their individual plans. The focus on independence increases at key stages in children’s lives, such as when they are preparing to move on from the home.

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outstanding

Children are offered a wide range of activities. Staff take great pride in capturing these positive opportunities in memory books for children. The quality of their experiences enhances children’s lives.

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outstanding

Staff understand the importance of helping children to learn about diversity and difference and do this in a variety of ways, for example through informal conversations, key-work sessions and children’s meetings. Staff demonstrate an exceptional commitment to enabling children to explore and develop a sense of their own identity.

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outstanding

Children’s wishes and feelings are valued and respected. Staff and managers make the most of all opportunities to seek children’s views. When children ask for changes to be made to the way that they are looked after, their requests are carefully considered and promptly acted on. One social work professional said, ‘T hey really are a fantastic organisation, and the difference it has made to [name of child] is amazing. [Name of child] continues to face their challenges, but remains safe, heard, understood and supported by the care and love given to them.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC421063 4

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outstanding

Children experience stability, which helps them to feel safe. The environment is homely, and it contributes to children’s protection and sense of security. For example, there is no staff office, which means that children benefit from staff spending all their time engaging and interacting with them.

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outstanding

Children rarely go missing from home; there has been one missing-from-home episode since the last inspection. Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and are clear about the procedure to follow to ensure that children return safely when they go missing.

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outstanding

Sensitive support from staff helps children to learn how to manage their feelings and emotions. Staff receive training about how to work therapeutically with children. This equips them to provide children with safe opportunities to explore their early life experiences.

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outstanding

Staff demonstrate sustained curiosity about children’s lives. Children benefit from a significant number of key-work sessions every month. These sessions are well planned and regularly reviewed to ensure that they are addressing children’s most significant vulnerabilities. Staff also provide instinctive support to children when unforeseen circumstances arise. Consequently, children feel able to approach staff for help and advice in all areas of their lives, including sensitive topics.

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outstanding

All staff complete mandatory safeguarding training as part of their induction. Staff also receive bespoke training linked to the presenting needs of the children living in the home. This means that staff, including less-experienced staff, are well informed and feel confident to provide individualised support to children.

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outstanding

Positive behaviour and achievements are noticed and rewarded. Staff are good role models and recognise the importance of helping children to learn to have kindness and empathy. Staff routinely praise children for demonstrating personal insight and helpfulness.

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outstanding

Safe recruitment practices are understood and implemented by the manager and staff who are responsible for this area of practice. All necessary checks are in place to reduce the risk of unsuitable people working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is dynamic and innovative and continuously seeks ways of improving children’s experiences and support for staff. Staff morale is high, and all staff report highly effective support from the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children and staff have developed excellent relationships within the local community, and the home is a beacon of community engagement. For example, Inspection report for children’s home: SC421063 5 staff and children undertook fundraising to purchase a defibrillator for the local community. They also engaged with the community to raise awareness about how it should be used. Additionally, the staff team regularly distributes educational resources to develop the community’s understanding of topics such as safeguarding children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular, meaningful supervision and a wide range of training that is relevant to the needs of the children that they are looking after. Managers have instilled a strong learning culture within the staff team. They make routine use of surveys following training to support staff to reflect on the way that learning will enhance their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers are fully involved in the children’s lives. They are very clear about the progress that children are making and have high aspirations for what they can achieve. They are passionate in their efforts to be trusted figures for the children. This makes them good role models for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers’ oversight and scrutiny of children’s plans are extremely thorough. As a result, they have an exceptionally well-rounded view of the experiences of the children and the impact that the care is having on their outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Working closely with other professionals is given high priority by managers. One education professional said, ‘They are a wonderfully supportive, thoughtful and progressive staff team who work in complete partnership with the school. They strike a careful balance between boundaries and bond-building approaches to the betterment of the child. They should all be very proud of the work that they do.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been made. Inspection report for children’s home: SC421063 6

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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: SC421063 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o Pinsent Masons Llp, The Soloist Building, 1 Lanyon Place, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT1 3LP

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Inspector

Ashley Edwards, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC421063 8 regulates and inspects 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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