Children's home run by Keir Lock Children’s Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2602813 1 Registered provider: Keir Lock Children’s Homes Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024. The registered manager was absent from work at the time of the inspection and the deputy manager and responsible individual supported 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

Date of last inspection: 13 December 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: 2602813 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2023 Full Good 24/08/2022 Full Good 03/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2602813 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have close, trusting relationships with staff that enable them to make progress. Children are developing skills and making progress with their ability to talk about their needs and emotions. Consistent staff support has helped them to do this. Staff make every effort to talk with children, even when they are reluctant. Staff are proactive and skilled in choosing the best time to talk with children about their individual risks and needs, and the importance of keeping themselves safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children struggle, at times, to make progress with education. Staff encourage children to attend school, and there are incentives and rewards in place. When children need additional support with education, staff liaise with education providers and professionals. Staff are ambitious for children to reach their potential. They challenge others when necessary, and advocate for children to have a provision that meets their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know that their views and wishes are important. They are confident that they are listened to. There are regular key-work sessions and chats with children to make sure that their views are sought. Children enjoy activities such as walking, going to the cinema, shopping, and holidays. They participate in the running of the home and follow their interests with baking, cooking, and choosing the decor and furnishings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is positive feedback from professionals and families. They describe good communication from staff who have a knowledge and understanding of the children’s needs. Staff attend external meetings and there are no concerns raised about the quality of care. Feedback from some family members said the staff were ‘kind and helpful’ and ‘always welcoming and friendly.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming, and personalised to the children. The decor and furnishings are generally in good repair and reflect a cosy family home. Children’s bedrooms are spacious and personalised to them. However, the landing and hallway area is damaged and dated. While this is recognised by managers, it has been ongoing for several months and there are no firm dates for this work to be completed.

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

Two children were spoken with, and they said they like the staff and living in the home. Children said they were ‘safe and feel well looked after.’ They said the conversations they have with staff help them to learn how to keep themselves safe. One child said, ‘They [staff] are all understanding and they get me.’

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

Risk assessments are clear and reflect the known risks to children. They direct staff on how to care for and support children, and what actions they need to take to keep children safe. There is input from other professionals to support children’s needs. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2602813 4 home is settled and calm. However, staff ensure that they regularly review risks to children and do not become complacent to any emerging concerns.

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

Children are making progress with their ability to manage their own health, emotions, and online safety. They are involved in writing their behaviour management plans. Children tell staff how they would want staff to respond if they become upset and distressed. Staff very rarely need to intervene with children. However, if this happens, incidents are well managed, and the views of children are recorded and understood. Children also have regular input in their care plans. Staff are invested in promoting the holistic well-being of children.

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

Additional support plans and risk assessments are responsive to children’s changing, complex health and medical needs. Support is well planned and organised for when children have hospital admissions and during fire drills.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. They enjoy spending time at home with staff. However, staff have a clear plan to follow and know what actions to take if children were to go missing from home. The manager and senior staff ensure that new staff are well supported. Training scenarios are used to check that staff have the right skills and knowledge in response to children going missing from home.

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

The manager responds appropriately to allegations and complaints. Children feel able to make a complaint. Any suspicion of harm or poor practice is shared with the relevant professionals. There is a quick response in line with provider expectations and guidance. However, on one occasion, a staff member did not follow the whistle-blowing procedures in a timely manner when concerns were raised about the conduct of a colleague.

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

Recruitment checks are mostly strong. Interview questions explore staff’s suitability for the role and appropriate references are obtained. However, photo identification of new staff is not retained in line with regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates for children in all aspects of their lives. She holds staff and professionals accountable and provides challenge to others to improve the care that children receive. She is ambitious for children. Staff speak positively about the manager and describe her as supportive and understanding, both personally and professionally. Staff also speak kindly about each other. They work well together to build a nurturing and caring family home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a positive role model for children who helps them to feel secure. Children said that the manager is ‘approachable and visible’ and ‘really cares.’ The manager and staff ensure that children’s voices are heard, and their participation is paramount. The manager ensures that the children’s needs and wishes are at the heart of staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2602813 5 Regular, supportive supervision sessions are completed with staff that are reflective and helpful. The staff also support each other to understand and succeed in their roles. The induction process is overseen by the manager. This helps new staff to feel well prepared for the role. Staff meetings are held regularly and there is good attendance. Children are the focus of the meeting and staff contribution is valued. There is good morale in the home and staff are supported to develop their skills and knowledge. This contributes to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed oversight of the home and carries out regular audits to ensure that quality is maintained. There are monthly visits to the home by an independent person. Ongoing development plans are regularly reviewed, and action is taken to make improvements. A review of the location of the premises is carried out annually to make sure that the location and environment remain safe for children. Through audit and oversight, the manager ensures that plans for individual children are relevant and meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is regularly updated and shared with the regulator. However, it does not reflect what is offered in the home and the conditions of registration. Inspection report for children’s home: 2602813 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff know how to respond to concerns with staff practice. 31 May 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the information set out in the statement of purpose is reflective of what is offered in the home. In particular, they should ensure that the number of registered places in the home is correct. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.6)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. They will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, ensure that the hallway and staircase are brought up to the same high standard of decoration and repair as the rest of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. They should ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises Inspection report for children’s home: 2602813 7 potential risks to them. In particular, ensure that when photo identification of the staff member is reviewed and documented, this is then retained in their personnel file. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2602813 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keir Lock Children’s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Thompson’s Yard, New Street, Ossett, West Yorkshire WF5 8BH

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Inspector

Jo Cansfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2602813 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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