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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 1 SC487488 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for one child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 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

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2023 Full Good 06/12/2022 Full Good 09/12/2021 Full Good 26/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with predictable, good-quality care. There is a clear focus in the home on strong and positive relationships. This means that the child has developed secure connections with staff, which promotes their well-being in the home environment. The child says that they are happy and that they wish to remain in the home until they can live independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is well promoted by the staff team. The registered manager has identified barriers to learning and is working closely with education professionals to overcome these. The child is achieving in education despite some challenges regarding their attendance. Due to the child’s experiences of suffering with their emotional health, there have been occasions where they have chosen not to attend school. The staff team is supportive and consistent in its approach. As such, there has been a positive improvement in the child’s attendance at school. Staff have supported the child to attend college open days and have helped them to identify further education courses that will develop their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a specific health need that is very well understood and managed by the staff team. Staff have sought appropriate external support from health professionals to ensure that the child’s needs are consistently met. Staff provide education for the child in relation to their health needs, which has ensured that they have a clear understanding on how to promote the child’s well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been an increase in risk-taking behaviours by the child in recent months. Staff have worked hard to identify the reasons for this and have offered consistent nurture and support to the child. As a result, the child has maintained the positive relationships they have developed with staff, and has allowed the team to identify external influences that are impacting the child. The child says that they are confident that staff will advocate on their behalf when required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with a number of opportunities in regard to activities, holidays and new experiences. An independence plan is in place, whereby staff encourage the child to develop their independence skills within a supportive environment. Staff’s knowledge of the child and their needs means that these skills are developed at the child’s pace.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to keep in touch with those who are important to them. The registered manager has addressed previous barriers in this area and has facilitated time with the child’s sibling in the home. This has been well received by the child and has promoted the development of a positive relationship.

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

The registered manager and staff team have a secure understanding of the child’s needs and they can predict and identify triggers that may influence the child’s behaviours. As a Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 4 result, staff can provide support and put safeguarding measures in place that reduce risk.

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

There has been an increase in incidents of the child being missing from home in the review period. A clear response procedure is in place, which staff have consistently followed, ensuring that the child is returned to the home as quickly and safely as possible. Through close working with both the child and multi-agency professionals involved in their care, the registered manager has identified negative peer influence and several external emotional pressures for the child. The home has developed relationships with the carers of the child’s peers to support collaborative working.

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

Consequences are rarely used in the home, with the promotion of positive behaviours preferred. Incentives are varied and reflect the child’s individual interests. On the rare occasions that consequences are used, the effectiveness of these is reviewed and they are proportionate.

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

Allegations and complaints have been well managed by the registered manager. The child’s initial safety is promoted and they are kept fully updated on any investigations. The registered manager has informed relevant professionals as necessary, which means the child feels confident that their views are listened to and valued.

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

Medication for the child is stored appropriately and oversight of this is clear and con- sistent. Due to regular checks, staff identified a dispensing error with medication that they were able to quickly rectify. The registered manager brought this to the attention of the member of staff responsible for dispensing medicines to ensure that this was not re- peated.

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

Staff are skilled in de-escalating incidents, which means that the use of physical holds is rare, with only one incident since the last inspection. Although the registered manager has provided clear evaluation on this incident, there was a delay in her speaking with the staff involved, which means this is out of timescales.

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

Support plans and risk assessments consider all known areas of risk and provide clear actions for staff to support the child and promote their safety. The registered manager has ensured that plans and assessments are regularly reviewed, which means that staff are aware of any developments to presenting risk factors. However, some information recorded in the plans can be contradictory. This is due to staff adding further details to plans, rather than fully updating them. This has made some areas unclear.

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

Fire evacuation drills take place regularly. Despite this, two new staff members have not engaged in a fire drill within a reasonable time of starting work in the home. As a result, the child and staff are 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 a dedicated, child-focused registered manager who leads by example. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working in the home and the support Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 5 they receive from the registered manager and senior staff members. Management oversight is clear, with the registered manager having a detailed understanding of the child’s needs, as well as the home and staff’s requirements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a considerable amount of change within the staff team since the last inspection. The registered manager has worked hard to recruit a committed staff team that shares her visions for the home. As a result of effective recruitment, the need to utilise non-permanent staff members has reduced. New staff members have been well supported in the home and say they have been positively welcomed into the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are regular and well attended. Meetings promote staff reflection and support the consistency in approach of the staff team as a whole. As a result, the child receives predictable care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality supervision from the registered manager or a senior team member. Sessions are regular, in line with the provider’s policy, and are reflective of staff’s practice and identify any areas for development. Supervisors are supportive and provide clear actions, which are regularly reviewed. The registered manager has updated the home’s development plan which is focused on the continued upskilling of staff’s skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have developed strong multi-agency relationships which are effective in promoting the child’s needs. The registered manager advocates strongly for the child within professional discussion and ensures that the child’s views are understood. Feedback from professionals is very positive and identifies that the home is fully supportive and promotes the child’s needs at every opportunity. One education professional said, ‘Staff and the manager work exceptionally closely with school to manage the complex needs of [name of the child] who lives in the home, in a flexible and pragmatic way.’

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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 child in the home. However, the registered manager failed to identify when she was due to complete a refresher course in self-injurious behaviour. As a result, this training went out of timescales, meaning the registered manager’s certification was no longer valid. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 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— 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)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that all new staff members participate in fire evacuations drills as soon as practicable. 3 December 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraints are kept to enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review, which must include a discussion with the staff involved in the restraint within the required timescale, should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that all staff are up to date with their training, specifically in relation to self-injurious behaviour training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on

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Recommendations

record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 7 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: SC487488 8

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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: Keys Care Ltd, Third Floor, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487488 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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