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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 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

This home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides 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, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager. A new manager is in post and intends to apply to register 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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2024 Full Good 02/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a significant change in both the management and staffing arrangements, with the registered manager and all the staff leaving the home. A new manager and whole new staff team have been recruited. One child was supported to return to their family’s care. One child has remained living in the home. They were supported to say goodbye and take part in leaving celebrations for the other child and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has been supported to build trusting and caring relationships with the new staff team and staff speak about the child with warmth and affection. They know the child well and are encouraging and involved in all the child’s interests and hobbies. The child leads an active lifestyle and is supported to have fun. A parent said, ‘This is the happiest and most content I have seen [name of child] and I have seen a real positive difference in them since the new manager and staff have arrived.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to spend time with the people who are important to them and to develop positive friendships with their peers. This supports the child’s sense of belonging and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that clear routines and expectations are put in place that are both realistic and aspirational. When barriers to education are identified, the manager works effectively with external agencies to find a solution that works best for the child and ensures that their views are considered. As a result, the child now has an identified education provision and has been supported to visit and establish friendships with other pupils.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to achieve good health and staff ensure that their health needs are well met. Staff support the child to attend regular routine health appointments and to make healthy lifestyle choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently been renovated and many areas of the home have been redecorated, with the child’s full involvement. The child’s bedroom is personalised and they have been able to create a games room with staff. However, some areas of the home require further decoration to maintain the overall warm feeling of the home.

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

The child’s needs are well known and understood by staff. Their plans are clear and detailed and have guidance for staff to follow. The child is encouraged to take part in their care planning and share their views in statutory multi-agency meetings about the care that they receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 4 Risk assessments are detailed and updated to accurately reflect any new or emerging risks. Assessments provide clear strategies for staff to use to help manage and reduce risks. Staff know how to respond to risks and behaviours, in line with the child’s plans.

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

Staff carry out regular and targeted direct work with the child, who has been sensitively helped to understand the changes in the home along with the introduction of new routines and boundaries. The child’s views are clearly explored and considered.

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

Staff work closely with external agencies to ensure consistency and continuity of care for the child. The child’s social worker said,

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

‘It has been a really positive experience working with the new manager and staff, as they offer outstanding care, support and guidance to [name of child]. [Name of child] has remained happy and settled throughout and probably more so than with the previous staff.’

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

Missing-from-home incidents are infrequent, with only one incident since the last inspection. However, the previous registered manager did not adequately evaluate the missing-from-home incident and a return home interview was not requested. This was a missed opportunity to develop practice in the home by identifying areas for improvement or to identify what may have worked well.

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

Two allegations have been made since the last inspection. Both allegations were correctly reported to external agencies and internally investigated. However, on each occasion, the previous registered manager did not appropriately identify areas for staff development and behaviour management. The child was not supported to complete any restorative work with staff or helped to understand behavioural expectations and alternative methods of conflict resolution.

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

The new manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has made some positive changes in the home since her arrival. She knows the child very well and is aspirational about their future. She leads by example to create a nurturing environment for the child. Staff say that they enjoy working in the home and feel well supported. The manager communicates well with partner agencies and advocates for the child, appropriately challenging agencies when needed.

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

Staff are provided with a wide range of training to meet the child’s needs. The manager is proactive in sourcing relevant training and encourages staff to regularly access training to develop their knowledge and understanding of the child’s needs and identified risks.

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

Staff say that they have lots of opportunities in regular team meetings and supervision sessions to discuss and reflect on their care of the child. The manager is a visible presence in the home and has introduced new systems to review and monitor practice. However, the former registered manager did not adequately use reviewing and monitoring systems to identify areas for development and to improve practice in the Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 5 home. Staff were not challenged or supported to reflect on their own practice and the management oversight of incidents was poor and ineffective.

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

Staff were not provided with consistent or clear guidance following incidents. On one occasion, the previous registered manager recorded that an incident would not be addressed with the staff team as he and the staff team were all leaving. These shortfalls in management oversight were not identified by senior leaders. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to understand the impact of their behaviour and the expectations for their behaviour in the home. 6 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 7 Following any incident or breakdown of relationships between staff and children, children must be supported to rebuild positive relationships with staff.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must be supported through supervision to reflect on their responses to children and behaviour management.

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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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(b) (2)(a)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are consistently delivering care that meets the home’s ethos as set out in the statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Any learning opportunities following incidents must be identified and shared with the staff team.

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Requirement Due date

Monitoring and reviewing systems must be used to improve the quality of care and consistently delivered across the staff team. 6 June 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are always offered an independent return home interview after any period of being missing from the home. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 8 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s decor reflects that of a homely, domestic environment and is finished and maintained to a high standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2709845 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 Ltd, Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Justina Henry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 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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