Children's home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Rossendale

Inspection report for children's home: SC020606 1 SC020606 Registered provider: Keys Nhcc Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. The home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and appropriately 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: 13 December 2022

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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: SC020606 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2022 Full Outstanding 20/07/2021 Full Good 11/12/2019 Full Good 20/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC020606 3

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outstanding

Three children are living in the home. Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home, and two children have been welcomed into the home. There is exceptional planning when it comes to children moving to and from the home, including a detailed assessment of how each child’s needs can be met. Thorough moving-in plans support the children in developing relationships with adults and the other children living in the home before they move. This is the same for children moving on. Positive and sustained relationships between the staff and children’s foster carers have meant that two children have moved to foster homes that are already known to the staff.

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outstanding

Children make progress in all aspects of their health, education, and social and psychological well-being. One child has benefited from living at the home for a considerable time. This stability has helped them to settle well into a new educational provision where they have made significant progress, including applying for an apprenticeship and securing part-time employment. Another child has been supported to participate in various clubs, reunite with family and develop ways to express their emotions positively. A child who has recently moved into the home has settled well and is making marked progress, especially with their reading, which has increased multiple levels since arriving.

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outstanding

Staff are excellent ambassadors for children’s learning. Two children are settled and achieving educationally. When children are not in school, staff ensure that the children access a full-time educational timetable at home. The staff are creative in their approach to ensuring that the children are engaged in and enjoy their learning. One child who is awaiting a suitable educational placement is fully engaged in their learning at home. The advocacy of staff has resulted in the appointment of a tutor to offer additional support with English and mathematics. This is helping to ensure the child is ready for school.

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outstanding

Staff support children to have hobbies and interests. The children take part in clubs and activities such as swimming, pool, football and basketball. Children benefit from doing activities together and enjoyed a summer holiday together last year. Two children have been involved in charity events where they raised money for their selected charity through a bake sale and a climbing challenge. Children also enjoy themed nights and quizzes to celebrate events such as Chinese New Year, Diwali and St Patrick’s Day. Consequently, children have a good understanding of difference, culture and religion.

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outstanding

Children are supported and encouraged by staff to spend quality time with their families. Family members are welcomed into the home and build trusted relationships with staff. Family members are positive about the care that their children receive. One parent said that they are thankful to the staff for treating their Inspection report for children's home: SC020606 4 child ‘like a daughter’ and ‘supporting her to make progress’. The dedication of staff in supporting children to develop relationships with their family members has resulted in plans for one child to move back into the care of a parent.

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outstanding

Research informs staff practice, and managers and staff are innovative in understanding how they can improve children’s experiences of living in the home. For example, the staff have reached out to children who have previously lived at the home to gather their feedback about what it was like to live in the home. Having considered the feedback and recent research about how language can improve children’s experiences, staff have made changes to the language used in the home.

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outstanding

The home is beautifully decorated and is warm, welcoming and homely throughout. There is ample space inside and outside of the home for children to be together or spend time alone. Children enjoy the garden, including the opportunity to play on the swing and climbing frame. Each child’s bedroom reflects their individual tastes. There is a real sense of pride in the home, and staff work hard to ensure that the children have a safe and nurturing environment to flourish in. One child said, ‘It’s more than just a care home. It’s a big family.’

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outstanding

The staff have a detailed understanding of children’s needs. Individually tailored in- house care plans are kept under regular review and incorporate the guidance and recommendations from the appointed therapist. The staff support the children to participate in their care planning, including setting goals and preparing for their looked after child reviews. Great care is taken to celebrate children’s progress and to increase their confidence. As a result, children feel involved and valued, and they have a clear understanding of their care and the progress they make.

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outstanding

The emotional safety and well-being of children are a priority. Creative research- based practice helps children to feel emotionally safe. A therapist supports the staff to explore, implement and review the best model of care to support each child’s needs. Feedback from the staff is collated by the therapist, who reviews and evaluates the progress children make to tailor their care. The children are central to these reviews and share their reflections on the emotional progress they have made.

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outstanding

Children are safeguarded. The staff know the children and their associated risks well. Each child has an individual support plan that outlines their support needs. Clear and robust risk assessments give staff clear guidance to help reduce risk and enhance children’s safety. As a result, there has been only one occasion where a child has been missing from the home and one incident that required a child to be held by staff. One allegation made by a child was thoroughly investigated and resolved. Supervision and team meetings provided valuable opportunities for the issues raised to be reflected on to support staff learning and development.

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outstanding

Staff encourage children to increase their independence skills, including supporting them to take age- and developmentally appropriate risks. For example, one child has Inspection report for children's home: SC020606 5 been supported to use a smart phone safely and to spend time in the community with friends. Individual and group work enhances children’s understanding of risk and how to keep safe. Children have access to their own version of the organisation’s learning hub and undertake courses about safety, receiving certificates for the work they do.

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outstanding

Children are well supported and are fully involved in the decisions about the home and their care. Staff ensure that children have a voice and capture this well through regular children’s meetings and feedback. The children contribute towards the development plan for the home and collectively make decisions about the home. The children have regular discussions with the staff to explore their thoughts and feelings, and as a result of their feedback, sensory boxes, emotion trackers and positive affirmations are used to support children to express themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly skilled and experienced. She has been committed to the home for nearly 20 years and continues to be ambitious for the children and the progress they make. The registered manager and deputy manager share the same values and ethos and are excellent role models for the staff and children. The staff team is child-focused and dedicated to ensuring that the children achieve the best they can. As a result, the children receive outstanding care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager knows the children well and understands their lived experience and how this impacts them. She develops trusted relationships with the children, who value her efforts to support them and their interests. This approach is also shared by the staff, who make sure that they are available to celebrate birthdays and special events for the children. This means that the children feel valued and speak highly about the relationships that they have with staff and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager works effectively with professionals and parents to the children’s benefit. Parents and professionals are extremely complimentary about the registered manager and the staff team, especially about how staff advocate for and involve children to make sure decisions are in their best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from care from a long-standing core team of staff who feel appreciated. New staff are safely recruited and complete an induction and probationary period. Staff receive regular and reflective supervision and have clear development plans. Managers ensure that there is a clear focus on staff welfare, and extensive work has been done to incorporate research into practice to maintain staff well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a learning culture. Managers are diligent in ensuring that the training available to staff reflects the needs of the children and that it supports the staff in developing their practice. Staff take responsibility for the development of themselves and the team, and they often find and present learning and research to each other as an aspect of the continual development of the service. Inspection report for children's home: SC020606 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: SC020606 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC020606 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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