Children's home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1247776 1 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care and Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with autism spectrum disorder and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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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: 1247776 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/11/2022 Full Good 05/01/2022 Full Good 13/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1247776 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting and secure relationships with staff who know them well and prioritise their well-being. Staff treat the children with dignity and respect, and children experience care that is sensitive to their individual needs and abilities. Staff speak fondly and passionately about the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a wide range of activities to meet their needs, hobbies and interests, such as swimming, watching trains, going shopping and visiting the park. Children have also enjoyed short holidays to Wales and Blackpool. However, staff also respect the children’s wishes to spend time in the home with their own home comforts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is supported in line with agreed plans. This makes sure that children can maintain relationships with the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can express their views and contribute to day-to-day decisions. They are supported to understand key information through their preferred communication method, such as sign language, social stories and picture and messaging systems.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational needs are met. Both children enjoy going to school and are doing well in line with their individual targets. Staff work together with staff at the children’s schools to ensure that there is consistency with the support being provided. Children are also supported to prepare for adulthood through targeted independence work that is suitable for their individual abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met, and staff support them to attend routine appointments, such as dental and optician appointments. When necessary, children have also been supported to access emergency medical treatment. The manager and staff work with external professionals, such as an occupational therapist and epilepsy specialists, to ensure that there is a team around the child that can support the best health outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment is warm and welcoming. It feels and looks like a family home for children. However, there are some areas of the home which require decorating following some damage to the walls in one child’s bedroom, and one room has an issue with dampness.

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

There have been no safeguarding concerns, allegations or disclosures since the last inspection. Staff are suitably trained in safeguarding, and this is also a standing agenda topic in supervision sessions, where staff discuss scenarios and what processes to follow. Staff spoken to were able to explain the correct procedure to follow if they have any safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 1247776 4 When children have been physically held, it has been necessary, reasonable and proportionate. Incidents are recorded appropriately, and all relevant professionals are notified. The manager has thoroughly reviewed each incident and looked at potential triggers and evaluated the effectiveness of the use of any holds.

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

There are suitable measures in place for the safe storage and administration of medication. When medication errors have happened, they have been appropriately investigated and measures have been put in place to prevent the likelihood of a reoccurrence.

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

Children’s individual risks are detailed in their plans. These are robust documents that are frequently reviewed and updated and give clear guidance to staff to ensure consistent responses to children’s behaviours. Staff understand these documents and put them into practice.

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

Staff set clear boundaries and support children to understand what is acceptable. They seek to understand children’s individual needs and support them to manage their own behaviours and emotions appropriately. Positive behaviour is promoted, and achievements are celebrated with the children.

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

Staff support children to understand risks, changes and significant events through regular direct-work sessions. These are carried out proactively and reactively when a situation may occur, using the children’s preferred communication methods.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and is supported by a deputy manager. Both know the children well and understand their risks and vulnerabilities. The staff are positive about the manager and describe a ‘supportive’ environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective systems in place to ensure that he knows the home’s strengths and weaknesses and has clear plans in place to address any shortfalls or areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been some inconsistencies in the staff team. However, following successful recruitment, the home has a stable staff team, which is complemented by using regular agency staff. All the staff have positive relationships with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work with external professionals, such as teachers for the deaf, social workers and families, to ensure that children’s individual needs are met and to support positive outcomes for children. However, there is a lack of challenge when placing authorities have not provided necessary plans and meeting minutes in an acceptable time frame. Inspection report for children’s home: 1247776 5 The manager makes sure that suitable checks are carried out to ensure safer recruitment. However, there is no record of the checks carried out for one new staff member.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are suitably trained in topics to meet the individual needs of the children, such as sign language, understanding epilepsy and autism. They also receive training in key topics, such as safeguarding, holding children safely and medication. However, staff would benefit from formal training around the use of mechanical restraints, such as vehicle harnesses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff, including agency staff, receive regular supervision. This is practice related and is an opportunity for staff to receive support and guidance from the management team. In addition, staff attend monthly team meetings, which are also attended by external professionals to share practice and support staff’s learning and development. Inspection report for children’s home: 1247776 6

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Statutory requirement

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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must challenge the placing authority if it does not provide relevant plans within a suitable time frame. 3 September 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment minimises potential risks to children. Suitable records should be kept of the recruitment checks carried out by the registered person. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, such as formal training in the use of mechanical restraints. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. This specifically relates to ensuring that damaged walls are redecorated and that the dampness issue in one room is addressed so that the environment remains homely (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 1247776 7

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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: 1247776 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care and Education 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

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1247776 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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