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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 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 privately owned home provides care for up to four children aged between 10 and 18. The home specialises in providing therapeutic care for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: 2596476 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/06/2022 Full Good 09/02/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved on from the home. All four children were spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a trauma-informed approach. This helps new children settle in well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to eat healthily. Meals are home cooked by staff who encourage children to extend their food choices. There is always fruit on offer and the children regularly choose salad as a supplement to their main meal. Healthy snacks are offered alongside treats that help children to understand how to make good food choices. One child has learned to cook for himself as part of his independence plan. He said that cooking was something he really loved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children enjoy an exciting variety of activities. The manager and staff encourage children to try out activities to help them broaden their experiences. Two of the children have enjoyed a five-day fire service course that helps them experience what it is like to be a first responder. One child is a member of the local scouts and is supported by staff to attend scout camps. Staff are supporting a child to have a holiday at a seaside resort. One of the children enjoys going to a cat-themed cafe, where he can spend time with his favourite animals. The children are all building relationships in the community, which supports social connections and friendships outside the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a large garden area that has a trampoline, a football area and a well-maintained lawn. One child is playing for a local football team. The staff provide resources to help increase his ball skills. The child enjoys playing football with the manager and staff. Staff have made the garden inviting and appealing for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend education. One child has just received three awards at their school’s end-of-year presentation including ‘most improved pupil’. He accepted his awards in front of a large audience, overcoming his fears. The executive principal said, ‘The staff attend school events for the child and they really care.’ One child has been unsettled due to leaving school and getting ready for a college course in September 2024. Staff spend time managing the child’s anxiety about the changes. This support has helped the child talk with enthusiasm about his new course. Staff prepare children for change by introducing the topic slowly and with care.

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

The staff use restraint reasonably, proportionately and only when necessary. The staff have conversations with children about how restraint can help to reduce harm to themselves or others. Therapeutic conversations with children take place after restraints. These help to restore relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 4 Managers develop good-quality individualised risk assessments. These are detailed and followed by staff, who have an excellent understanding of the vulnerabilities of the children they work with. Trauma-informed training helps staff to consider the developmental stage and individual needs of each child. This helps staff to assess risk dynamically and to support children when they feel anxious or upset.

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

Staff show children that they have high expectations of them. They set clear boundaries that are applied with consistency. If children fail to meet these boundaries, staff help them to explore what has happened using calm responses and non-blaming language. This helps children to understand their behaviours and make better choices.

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

Staff are supported by regular supervision sessions with the manager or deputy manager. Team meetings are well attended, and staff say that they value the opportunity to meet with the therapeutic team as a reflective group. The team uses scenario-based training to develop strategies that support staff to respond to children’s behaviour. Team meetings are used to embed the model of care and share good practice.

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

All children take part in planned key-worker meetings and conversations about important subjects. These are based on topics that are meaningful to the children. When children use the internet, staff help them to understand online safety. Key-worker sessions are written to the child using illustrations to personalise the subject. These sessions are collated and bound in a folder for children to take with them when they move from the home. This helps children to keep lasting memories as they move to adulthood.

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

During the inspection, one fire door did not close properly. This had not been identified by staff checks. However, managers responded to the seriousness of the fault by organising a priority repair.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and a confident leader. He is dedicated to working with children. The manager organises life-enriching experiences for children. A headteacher said that the manager and staff really go the ‘extra mile’. This was in reference to the progress a child has made in attending school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective working between the manager, staff and the wider professional network helps to create positive working relationships. Managers attend multi-agency risk and safeguarding meetings supporting good communication between agencies. One social worker said that this is her favourite home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager follows safer recruitment processes. All staff receive an induction that follows a clear and systematic programme. The programme includes online and face-to- face training. Staff feel the training supports them to work with confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very positive about the manager. They said that he develops their practice. This helps staff to have a career plan. Staff said that they like being able to learn about and apply therapeutic models of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 5 The manager receives good-quality supervision sessions that are comprehensive and supportive. He values the opportunity to explore his future plans for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s records are detailed, reflecting the growth of each of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring, internally and externally, is good. The manager uses monitoring to identify patterns and trends in behaviour. This helps him identify staff training that is specific to the needs of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 6

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 30 July 2024

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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: 2596476 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

Trudy Potter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2596476 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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