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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 1 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home providing care for up to four children aged from 12 to 17. The home aims to support children’s social, emotional and mental well-being.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in education. When children face challenges or setbacks in education, the staff and manager proactively advocate for them. Staff encourage children to persevere with their education. This means children access education with support tailored to their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in activities they enjoy. They say they would not change anything about the home. When asked what they like about the home, one child said, ‘My bedroom and the games room.’ Another child said they like ‘everything’ about the home. Staff promote and support children to develop age-appropriate independence skills. Positive relationships with the staff have contributed to the progress that the children have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are very comfortable in the company of the staff and have built trusting relationships with them. Children said that they can talk to staff if they are worried or upset. Positive, warm and nurturing interactions were observed between the children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive personalised care. Children’s bedrooms are decorated to their taste and liking. The children also influence the decoration of the home with the decor of the games room and staircase being chosen by the children. Where safe and appropriate, the staff support children to maintain links with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from professionals and families is extremely positive. One parent said they were happy with the care their child was receiving and the staff were helping their child to progress. Another professional said that their child is thriving due to the quality of care and support they receive from the staff.

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

Staff have completed the organisation’s safeguarding training. Staff are confident in their roles of reporting and escalating any child protection concerns and they understand the whistle-blowing policy.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children and risks posed to them. They are sensitive in how they approach and support children to identify and understand these. External professionals said they are happy with how their children are safeguarded and had no concerns. When asked about their views on how children are safeguarded by Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 4 staff, one social worker said: ‘I commend them for their safeguarding practices, I have no concerns at all.’

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

The children’s guide is child-friendly and gives children a sense of what it is like living in the home. The guide also contains information to help children understand who to speak to if they are worried or if they need support outside of the home.

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

Incidents of physical intervention are rare. When they have occurred, they have been appropriate, proportionate and necessary and managed well.

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

The children are protected by the organisation’s safe recruitment practices. Staff are assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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

Missing-from-care incidents are managed well by staff. However, on some occasions children have not been offered return home interviews and on other occasions these have not been completed within 72 hours of children returning home. This means opportunities may be missed to understand why children go missing and help them to reduce incidents and the risks posed to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023. She is suitably qualified and experienced. They are child-centred and ambitious for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported and valued by the manager. The staff benefit from annual appraisals of their performance and regular one-to-one formal supervision. One staff member said: ‘I am incredibly grateful to the management team; they have supported me with my job role and progression as well as given me support personally.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works closely with and is supported by the responsible individual. However, there are gaps in supervision records for the manager. This means it is difficult to ascertain and review how the manager consistently and regularly reflects on their own practice with senior management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that staff are provided with training opportunities to meet the children’s emerging needs. The manager also empowers staff and ensures that they feel a part of the development of the team. For example, some staff have key roles in the home, such as an education lead who is responsible for monitoring children’s educational progress and reporting any issues to the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are fully invested in the children’s progress and benefit from the manager’s support and experience. The manager leads by example and models strong advocacy for the children. One professional said: ‘I am impressed with the home. They always have the children’s best interests at heart.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 5 The manager has a good auditing system in place, which means that concerns or issues that arise are identified quickly. The manager is prompt in evaluating shortfalls and putting systems and plans in place to address these and prevent reoccurrences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has regular meetings with professionals, including social workers, education staff and health professionals. All families and professionals complimented the communication from the home. This collaborative working means that the care provided to children is kept under review. Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are routinely offered return home interviews after missing-from-care incidents. The interview should be carried out within 72 hours of the child returning to their home or care setting. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being

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Recommendations

delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). In particular, the manager should ensure that they keep recorded evidence of their own supervision sessions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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: 2720366 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 8 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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