Children's Home run by Keys ACE Limited in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC366002 1 SC366002 Registered provider: Keys ACE 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in January 2008.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: SC366002 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/11/2022 Full Good 02/03/2022 Full Good 17/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC366002 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive consistent personalised care from a child-focused staff team. Day-to-day experiences for children are positive and they respond well to the structure and routines offered in the home. Children have developed trusting relationships with staff who understand their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly and are making progress in education. One child who was not receiving education prior to moving to the home has been supported into a school where they are thriving. The registered manager ensures that any barriers to learning are quickly identified and support is in place to encourage continued engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health and are supported by staff to develop their understanding in the importance of leading healthy lifestyles. For one child who struggles to eat a varied diet due to their sensory needs, staff offer encouragement and are creative in their approach. As a result, the child has felt supported to try new foods.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to engage in activities which are age-appropriate and promote their individual interests. Children have participated in boxing, football and trampolining and there are plans for children to have a caravan holiday with staff in the summer. One child has recently started to attend a local youth group, which has promoted their engagement with peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff nurture children’s relationships with their families and support them to see the people who are important to them. When children have experienced challenges in their relationships, staff have been supportive and have advocated on children’s behalf to ensure that their views are shared.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a homely environment in which they have been able to personalise their own space. However, some communal areas would benefit from a refresh in decoration to enhance the positive feel of the home further. In addition, there is damp in one child’s bathroom following a leak in the home which needs further attention.

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

A psychological model of care underpins staff practice, which means that specific risks faced by children are assessed and a clear individual support plan is developed.

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

Staff have developed strong relationships with children and know them well. As a result, staff can de-escalate incidents of challenging behaviour, which means that children are rarely physically held. When incidents do occur, staff manage these well and use strategies that require minimal physical intervention. The registered manager has clear Inspection report for children’s home: SC366002 4 oversight of these incidents and she provides staff and children with opportunities to reflect and learn from these.

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

Positive behaviour is promoted in the home and supported by clear and consistent boundaries. Staff use positive reinforcement that highlights children’s achievements. Consequently, children feel valued and worthy of praise.

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

The registered manager and staff liaise consistently with other agencies to ensure that children are safeguarded in all areas of their lives. Staff’s approach to multi-agency working has ensured that all those working with children have clear and up-to-date knowledge of their circumstances and support needs.

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

Risk assessments consider all known areas of risk and provide clear actions for staff to support children and promote their safety. The registered manager has ensured that risk assessments are regularly reviewed, which means that staff are aware of any developments to presenting risk factors. However, the registered manager has not identified when stigmatising language has been used in some recordings, which detracts from the support offered to children.

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

Fire evacuation drills take place regularly in the home. Both staff and children engage in these. However, one new staff member had not engaged in a fire drill within a reasonable time of starting work in the home. This leaves both staff and children vulnerable in the event of a fire when staff have not experienced the procedure of a fire drill.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an enthusiastic registered manager, who is child-centred in her approach and models good practice. The registered manager has worked hard to develop a positive culture in the home. She has recruited staff members who share her motivation to ensure that children receive consistent and predictable care. Since the registered manager has been in post, there has been a significant improvement in staff morale. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working in the home and they feel supported by the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and provide staff with a thorough update on children’s progress and areas for development. These meetings are well attended by staff, who are encouraged to actively participate. As a result, staff are confident that their views are heard and considered by the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which is reflective and evaluative. The registered manager provides constructive challenge to address shortfalls in staff’s practice. Staff say that this directly supports their professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed good working relationships with professionals, who are complimentary of the quality of care that is provided to children in the home. One education professional said that the positive progress one child has made is Inspection report for children’s home: SC366002 5 ‘testament to the hard work, kindness, compassion and nurture’ that is provided by the registered manager and her staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff engage in a range of training, including subject-specific training that relates to the needs of the children. However, the registered manager failed to identify when one staff member was due to complete a refresher course in de-escalation techniques. As a result, this training went out of timescales, meaning the staff member’s certification was no longer valid. Inspection report for children’s home: SC366002 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that fire drills take place as soon as practicable when new staff members are inducted into the home. 18 September 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are able to experience living in a home that is homely and that all areas of maintenance are addressed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all staff are up to date with their training, including the completion of refresher training within recommended timescales. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Incident records should not include stigmatising language and records should be of sufficient quality so that they are helpful to a child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC366002 7 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: SC366002 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Thomas Cappleman

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Inspector

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC366002 9 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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