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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2709844 1 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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 is not registered with Ofsted.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2709844 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2709844 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and two children have moved in. Children are thoughtfully welcomed into the home and the manager ensures that staff can meet children’s needs. Children have positive experiences of living in the home and make progress in relation to their individual starting points. Staff promote positivity in the home and are consistent in their encouragement and promotion of children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a nurturing approach to develop trusting and meaningful relationships with children. Staff know and understand children’s individual needs and speak affectionately about the children in their care. Children are positive about their experiences of living in the home and staff regularly celebrate children’s achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff routinely engage children in meaningful discussions to gain their views. Children’s wishes and feelings are well considered. When children’s requests cannot be met, children are helped to understand the reasons for this. As a result, children are supported to influence the day-to-day running of the home and contribute to the decisions made about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaged in education and are making progress. Staff have strong communication with schools and are supportive of children’s educational needs. Staff use cultural celebrations to develop children’s understanding of diversity and promote this in the home. Staff support children to celebrate their own cultures, when they wish to, and children’s individual identities are well understood by staff. This is clearly reflected in shared areas of the home, children’s bedrooms and when speaking to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s time with family is promoted by staff where appropriate. Staff help children to see people who are important to them and support children in developing and maintaining friendships with their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions out of the home are well planned and staff work closely with external agencies to ensure that children have the most positive experience possible.

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

Children’s needs are well known and understood by the staff team. The children’s care plans are clear and detailed and provide guidance for staff to follow. As a result, staff know how to support children and keep them safe.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and provide insight into each child’s individual needs, progress and areas for development. Information is shared routinely with agencies and professionals. This ensures that everybody is working to a plan that is tailored to the specific needs of each child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709844 4 Children have individual positive behaviour support plans, with clear guidance for staff to follow. Staff implement appropriate boundaries and routines and celebrate positive behaviour with incentives and rewards. Staff use consequences which are proportionate, alongside therapeutic interventions in line with the provider’s identified model of care.

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

Children do not go missing from home. However, there are clear strategies in place and staff know how to respond should this occur.

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

Physical intervention is only used as a last resort. When this is used, children are provided with an opportunity to talk about any incidents that occur. The manager has oversight of any physical intervention used and ensures that children’s views are considered and used to develop positive practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the previous registered manager has left. The new manager is knowledgeable and experienced and has a clear understanding of children’s needs. She is present and visible in the home to both children and staff. She is supported by a knowledgeable and dedicated staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working in the home. They feel supported by the manager and say that their views are valued and respected. Staff communicate effectively with one another and are enthusiastic about offering consistent, good-quality care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff are recruited safely and that they receive an appropriate induction. The manager is focused on staff’s learning and development and staff are provided with a wide range of training that includes specialised courses to meet the children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are vacancies in the staff team. However, there are plans in place to ensure that children receive consistent care while recruitment is ongoing. The manager is aware of the staff team and children’s needs and is focused on building a stable and consistent staff team. She has worked to ensure that the impact for children is minimal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates on behalf of children and addresses any issues with the appropriate agency. However, when there have been delays in receiving documentation from the placing authority, the manager has not always escalated this beyond the local authority social worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have not always received regular, good-quality supervision from a member of the leadership team. Some staff have not received supervision in line with the home’s own policies. Since being in post, the manager has implemented a new system to ensure that there is better oversight of supervisions for staff, however, this is not yet fully embedded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709844 5

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees —

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that all employees receive regular, practice-related supervision in line with the home’s own policies. 11 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any delays in receiving information from the placing authority are escalated and addressed with the relevant placing authority professional. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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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: 2709844 6

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

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Inspector

Justina Henry, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2709844 7 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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