Children's Home run by Keys Cwc Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 1 Registered provider: Keys Cwc 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 by a private provider and offers care for up to four children who have experienced social and emotional difficulties. Three children live in the home, and two of these children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2023.

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This monitoring visit

A previous monitoring visit was carried out on 12 March 2025. Following that visit, a compliance notice was issued to the provider under regulation 12, The protection of children standard. This monitoring visit was carried out to assess the progress that has been made towards addressing the actions set in the compliance notice. Since the compliance notice was issued, a complaint has also been submitted to Ofsted to raise concerns about the quality of care that is provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

Although actions have been taken to meet the compliance notice, further actions are required to ensure that the responses from leaders and managers are impactful and effective. Many of the actions that have been taken are in their infancy, so are yet to be tested for efficacy.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no further concerns about one child smoking in the home. They have been helped to understand the significant risk that this poses to themselves and others. Alongside advice and guidance from specialist services, arrangements have been made to reduce the risk of fire and to help the child to withdraw from unhealthy behaviours. This support remains ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are being supported to develop their skills and understanding of how they can help children to keep safe. Concerns surrounding child criminal exploitation have been explored, and actions are being taken to identify and assess risk. However, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 2 staff are still not suitably curious about where children are going, what they are doing or who they are spending their time with when they are away from the home. Leaders and managers are yet to robustly explore children’s social and family networks, although a multi-agency ‘mapping meeting’ is planned.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have recognised that staff are not always confident in their role, which adversely impacts on the quality of care that they provide to children. As a result, the home’s clinical team is helping staff to develop their skills and knowledge so that they are better able to support the children. Staff have asked children how they can support them more effectively, and this feedback is being used to inform care planning. However, one child said that they are not consulted about their care and that they feel as though they have no control over their life.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken some action to improve their oversight of the care that is provided to children. Additional support is also being provided by senior managers. However, some of the systems and support structures that have been introduced are not yet effective.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of the environment remains variable. Some of the rooms in the home, including some bedrooms, are not consistently maintained to a good standard of cleanliness. Newly added daily checks of the environment have not been effective in raising these standards.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted received a complaint that staff were unable to access children’s medication for a number of days. Although managers were aware of this vulnerability, not enough action was taken to resolve it. As a result, children were not able to access their medication when they needed it. Fortunately, there was no significant impact on children’s health, and appropriate actions have since been taken to ensure that this shortfall is not encountered again. Leaders and managers are completing a wider review into the events that led to this shortfall and accept that the initial responses were ineffective.

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This monitoring visit

Staff can identify some improvements to the care that is provided to children since the monitoring visit. They say that their relationship with one child in the home has strengthened.

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This monitoring visit

Two children say that they feel safe in the home and that they can talk to staff when they feel worried about something. One child said that they do not feel listened to and when they raise concerns about their care with managers, nothing is done. They said that staff do not have a good understanding of their needs and that staff’s approach to their care is not always effective.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have been receptive of the concerns raised during this monitoring visit, and they are assured that the vulnerabilities in children’s care will be resolved. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/05/2023 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Good 02/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 4

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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 with 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—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to identify, understand and respond to mediate risk to children effectively. Staff must be supported to understand the actions that they must take to help to keep children safe. Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have a sound understanding of contextual safeguarding and help children to keep themselves safe when they are out of the home. Staff must 26 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 5 be interested in children’s experiences when they are away from the home and have the skills to recognise concerns that indicate that the child may be at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must take action to ensure that all children feel supported and protected from harm by staff. Staff must offer prompt support to the children in the home when the behaviour of other children becomes challenging towards staff.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each child— 26 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 6 is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children feel heard. Staff should help children to share their thoughts and feelings about their care, and support them to understand how they have been listened to.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— 26 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 7 meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(vi)(ix)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must support staff to develop positive relationships with children that help them to engage in the routines of the home, make progress and feel cared for. Further, the registered person must ensure that staff have a clear understanding of children’s needs and how to help children to make progress.

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Requirement Due date

Finally, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is maintained to a good standard of cleanliness. Staff should take pride in the home and understand how this impacts on children’s sense of belongingness and helps them to feel cared for. Staff should also support children to take pride in their home and develop the skills that they will likely require in the future.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must use monitoring systems to ensure that they have a sound understanding of children’s needs and the support that they require to help 26 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 8 them to keep safe. The registered person must use their understanding to help staff to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence that they require to meet children’s needs and protect them from harm.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must use monitoring and review systems to evaluate the quality of care that is provided to children and take action to make improvements when necessary.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to make healthy choices and to understand the risks associated with unhealthy choices.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must support staff to meet children’s health needs. This must include helping children to manage their medication and ensuring that they have access to their medication when they need it. 26 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 9

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 10

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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

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2568010 11 and 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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