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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 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

A large children’s home provider runs this home. The home cares for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 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 requires improvement to be 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: 7 November 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: 1164089 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2023 Full Good 26/04/2022 Full Good 10/11/2021 Full Good 05/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were three children living at the home at the time of this inspection. Four children have moved in, and four children have moved out since the last inspection. Three children moved on from the home after leaders and managers decided they were unable to keep them safe. One child successfully moved into a home within the same organisation, which is more suited to their needs. Three children spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive personalised care. Their bedrooms are decorated to their taste and liking. The children also influence the decoration of the home. There are pictures of staff and children around the home, creating a warm and homely feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have built good relationships with the staff. When asked what they like about the home, one child said, ‘the food and the activities’. Another child said that they would not change anything about the home or the staff. When asked who they would speak to if they had any worries or concerns, all of the children were able to identify staff members who they would talk to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive, warm and nurturing interactions were observed between the children and staff. The children are very comfortable in the company of the staff and have built trusting relationships with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet with the children regularly. Records show a good level of engagement from children. Staff work hard to ensure that children feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children maintaining contact with those who are important to them. Professionals said that staff always support and encourage children’s family time in line with their views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education. Staff support and encourage children to engage in education and advocate for them when they face challenge. One social worker spoke positively about how staff supported their child to engage in education after a significant period of time out of education.

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

All the children said that they feel safe living at the home. Professionals also spoke positively about how the children are safeguarded.

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

The care provided has resulted in children being safer and risks reducing. Missing incidents have reduced for children. Incidents of self-harm have reduced significantly, enabling children to access items that were previously restricted. The use of physical Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 4 intervention has reduced to the extent that there has been none since the last inspection.

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

There have been no complaints since the last inspection. There has been one allegation made against staff working in the home, and this was investigated promptly.

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

The children’s guide is child friendly and gives children a sense of what it is like living at the home. The guide also contains information to help children understand who to speak to if they are worried or need support outside the home. Children also know how to make a complaint if they need to. When asked what they would do if they were not happy about something in the home a child said, ‘Oh trust me they would know about it.’

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

Children and staff do not always take part in fire drills. One child never took part in a fire drill while they were living at the home. Two staff who were redeployed to the home did not take part in fire drills despite regularly working at the home. This could limit staff and children’s understanding of what to do in the event of a fire.

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

Staff respond quickly and appropriately when children go missing. However, managers do not ensure that children are offered independent return home interviews. This means that opportunities may be missed to understand why children go missing and to help them reduce incidents and the risks posed to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023. She is suitably experienced and qualified. The manager was present during this inspection. The manager speaks passionately about the children and knows them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers’ systems for monitoring are not consistently effective. The responsible individual has provided the registered manager with the organisation’s monitoring tools. The manager does not consistently utilise these tools. This has led to shortfalls in the overall management oversight of the home. Although these shortfalls have had a limited effect on the overall quality of care, there are several and, while unaddressed, reduce the potential for a good service to be sustained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff said that they felt supported by the managers. However, staff do not always receive regular supervision or annual appraisals. This means that opportunities may be missed to support staff with their development and to provide the staff with all the guidance they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not ensured that risk assessments and care plans are kept up to date or consider children’s needs. Plans do not provide clear and consistent information or guidance for staff to follow. Although this has not had a direct impact on children, unchecked it has the potential to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff complete the organisation’s mandatory training. However, records related to staff training, qualifications and developmental needs were not up to date or accurate. This Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 5 means that these documents do not provide a true reflection of the home. Staff have completed safeguarding training. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that this training has enabled staff to understand the organisation’s whistle-blowing policy and procedure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from external professionals is mixed. A social worker said that the manager was child focused, and they had a good relationship with them. However, communication with another social worker has not always been good enough. Recent improvements have taken place, and the social worker is satisfied with the action taken to address these issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff benefit from monthly reflective meetings. Team meetings encourage discussion and provide staff with safeguarding scenarios to develop their understanding of keeping children safe. Staff benefit from consultations with the home’s clinical consultant.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The provider is in the process of recruiting more staff. There are good safe recruitment practices. Staff are assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures help to prevent unsuitable adults from working with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 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

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff understand the organisation’s whistle-blowing procedure and that children’s plans are kept up to date and provide staff with accurate guidance. 7 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) 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)) 7 April 2025

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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; 7 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 7 seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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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)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that, when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview and that relevant information about children is shared with children’s placing authorities without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 7 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s workforce plan is updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and is used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the workforce plan contains accurate information that supports monitoring and oversight. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 8 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: 1164089 9

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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 Limited, Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1164089 10 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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