Children's home run by Keys Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2513341 1 Registered provider: Keys Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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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: 2513341 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/07/2024 Full Good 21/11/2023 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Outstanding 07/07/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2513341 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is cosy and comforting. Children have personalised bedrooms that reflect their personalities well, and they are proud of their spaces. One child looks after their pets in their room, as their welfare is important to them. Children say they are happy living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have individualised care and support plans that are clear and up to date. This helps to ensure that children receive appropriate and consistent care. However, their thoughts about and understanding of their care plans are not routinely sought; therefore, children have limited influence on their care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently moved to the home. The move was well planned by the manager, with input from key professionals and oversight by the clinical team. This helped to ensure that identified risks could be managed and that staff could meet the child’s needs. The assessment also included the views of children already living at the home and staff. This good-quality planning facilitated a positive move for the child, who says they feel happy and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children are in full-time education and have made good progress. Staff have supported one child in securing a part-time job, which they are proud to have achieved. One child has experienced difficulties engaging with education, leading to limited attendance. The manager and staff have worked with external agencies and professionals to support education for the child at the home and in a school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet children's health needs well. They register children with required health services and support their attendance at appointments to ensure their health. One child has complex emotional and physical health issues and has refused to attend health appointments previously. However, due to support from staff and the clinical team, they have recently attended critical health appointments, ensuring their safety. The manager and staff have worked consistently with a plethora of professionals and agencies to source support that the child needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported well in preparing for adulthood. One child is soon to move out of the home to live independently and has received robust support. The child said they feel ready for the move and have been well supported over the last year.

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

Children build strong and positive relationships with staff due to the therapeutic and nurturing care they receive. This helps children feel safe and secure in the home. Staff have a thorough understanding of the risks children face. They are confident in their roles, and they adhere to the children's behaviour support plans to ensure their safety. These plans are reviewed regularly and are informed by the clinical team and Inspection report for children’s home: 2513341 4 other professionals. This has contributed to a reduction in incidents for all children, particularly those involving self-injurious behaviours. Staff have provided consistent therapeutic support in helping children understand their emotions and express them in healthier ways. One child said that they can manage their emotions more positively due to the support they have received.

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

Several incidents since the last inspection have raised concerns among staff about a child's potential exposure to online exploitation. Staff acted appropriately and collaborated with safeguarding professionals and the child’s family to keep the child safe. The manager introduced a safety plan with the child, which restricts their access to social media apps and includes that their mobile phone is checked daily. However, the manager has not reviewed this safety plan for several months. This lack of review raises concerns about whether the intrusion on the child’s privacy is still justified.

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

No complaints have been made, no children have gone missing or been absent from the home, and no staff members have had to physically intervene to keep the children safe. This again demonstrates that children are settled and feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is newly registered and suitably qualified. She has a good understanding of the children and knows what development is required to provide further positive experiences for them and support their progress. The manager is well supported by the deputy manager and senior managers, who share the same aspirations for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager, love the work they do, and believe that they are making a difference in children’s lives. As a result, children are receiving consistent therapeutic care from a committed team of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good monitoring and review systems in place. These enhance her oversight of the care and support that children receive and help ensure that any shortfalls or areas for development are identified and rectified quickly. However, the manager’s monitoring systems do not always consider the impact of work completed on the quality of care that children receive or their feelings when making care planning decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are suitably trained and are positive about the training they receive. The clinical team and single-subject discussions with the manager further support the staff and help enhance their learning. This supports the therapeutic care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular reflective supervision, which they find valuable. Staff can talk openly and honestly with the management team to ensure that the children receive effective, safe and consistent care from the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2513341 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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

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. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are captured in a variety of ways and influence all aspects of their care. 10 May 2025

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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; 10 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2513341 6 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, the registered person must consider the impact of the care provided by staff, along with children’s wishes and feelings, to inform the development of the quality of care provided.

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must review mobile phone checks to ensure that they remain appropriate to safeguard children. 10 May 2025

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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: 2513341 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o Pinsent Masons Llp, The Soloist Building, 1 Lanyon Place, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT1 3LP

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Inspector

Hayley Booth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2513341 8 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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