Children's home run by Keys Education Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: SC386502 1 SC386502 Registered provider: Keys Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for three children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC386502 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2023 Full Good 04/01/2023 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Inadequate 22/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC386502 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care from supportive and child-focused staff. Children benefit from positive relationships with their key workers, who understand their individual needs. Staff sensitively manage moves for children into and out of the home to ensure that their experiences are positive.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s education and work with schools to identify any barriers to learning. The registered manager has been proactive in sourcing suitable education for children who have not attended school for a considerable length of time. As a result, all children in the home are now engaging in a level of education. The registered manager has advocated strongly to ensure that children can access appropriate learning that meets their individual needs. Staff support children to engage with education in the home when they are unable to access a school setting.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s individual identities are well promoted in the home. Staff ensure that children have opportunities to engage in activities that promote their interests. Children have attended the gym, sporting activities, horse riding and conventions with staff. Staff encourage children to personalise their bedrooms to reflect their individual tastes and provide them with a sense of ownership.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to meet their health needs. In-house therapeutic advisers regularly provide professional guidance. This enables staff to provide an informed approach to support children’s emotional well-being. Staff have developed positive working relationships with external agencies, which enhances the support for children who are receiving specific therapeutic interventions.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage with independence plans that help them to develop age-appropriate life skills. Staff actively promote children’s engagement with the community, for example by encouraging them to get involved in local charity events.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff regularly seek children’s views. Staff provide support to children in sharing these views when decisions are being made regarding their future. As a result, children are confident that their voices are heard and valued.

p.3

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

Staff have an understanding of the risks faced by children and provide safe care that meets children’s individual needs.

p.3

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

The registered manager promotes children’s positive behaviours and highlights their achievements. Children are supported to reflect on negative behavioural choices by engaging in restorative discussions with staff. This allows children to identify alternative responses and promotes self-reflection. Children regularly engage in direct-work sessions Inspection report for children’s home: SC386502 4 that are tailored to their needs. As a result, children develop their understanding of risk and how to reduce any areas of vulnerability.

p.3

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

Staff have the skills and knowledge to de-escalate situations, which means that physical intervention techniques are rarely used and are only ever used as a last resort. When incidents occur, the registered manager carries out a comprehensive review and seeks liaison with therapeutic advisers to identify any learning on how to better support the children.

p.4

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

Children understand how to make a complaint. Updates are provided to children throughout any investigation, which ensures that they feel confident their voices are heard. The registered manager responds effectively to any allegations or disclosures and acts in a timely manner so that children are safe. However, on occasion, there has been a delay in notifying the regulator regarding significant events.

p.4

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

The registered manager has ensured that all children have missing-from-home plans in place. Although there has been a significant reduction in instances where children have been missing in recent months, this has previously been a significant area of concern for the home. Children’s missing-from-home plans are clear and are reflective of childrens individual needs, which supports a consistent staff response.

p.4

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

The registered manager reviews children’s individual risk assessments, which are reflective of children’s known behaviours and identify the level of risk they face. These assessments equip staff with an understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and provide actions to take in response to any incidents. However, on one occasion, a non- permanent member of staff did not follow the actions in place.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a dedicated registered manager, who leads by example and models a child-centred approach. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive from the registered manager and have good experiences of working in the home. Staff say that the registered manager values their views and opinions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has recruit new staff so that there are sufficient staff to care for the children. On occasion, non-permanent members of staff have supported in the home. Where possible, the registered manager has ensured that these staff members are known workers and are familiar to the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses reflective discussions in team meetings, which are regular and well attended. In-house therapeutic advisers regularly attend the home and encourage reflective analysis with the staff team. This promotes a consistent and informed approach to the support provided to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular, good-quality individual supervision sessions with the registered manager or a senior worker. These sessions consistently focus on the children’s needs and experiences, as well as on staff development, which is actively encouraged. Staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC386502 5 access a range of mandatory training in addition to courses which are based on the individual needs of the children in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good oversight of the home. She uses monitoring tools consistently to support her to promptly identify strengths and any areas for development. The registered manager has carried out a comprehensive reflective assessment in response to one child moving on from the home. This assessment identified training needs for staff to enhance their practice and build their confidence in responding to specific incidents.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager reviews the care provided to children in the home on a day-to- day basis. However, there was a delay in the registered manager providing the regulator with an evaluative report on the quality of care during this review period. Inspection report for children’s home: SC386502 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving consistent care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should provide a review on the quality of care provided in the home at least once every six months. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

p.6

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: SC386502 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Education Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC386502 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8