Children's Home run by Keys Care Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423407 1 SC423407 Registered provider: Keys 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 run by a private provider. It provides care for up to eight children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, seven children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2017.

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This monitoring visit

An assurance inspection was completed on 17 March 2025. Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns that compromised the safety and welfare of children. A decision was made to issue a notice of restriction to prevent children moving into the home. Two compliance notices were issued under regulation 11, the positive relationships standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review the progress made in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notices. Ofsted found the provider has met all the steps in both compliance notices. The notice of restriction to prevent children moving into the home has also been removed.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided training to staff to improve the approach to caring for children, including the use of therapeutic language. The manager has addressed the language used in care plans and risk assessments. However, this is not yet embedded in practice. There remain areas of improvement in the way staff record in some children’s plans and risk assessments, with language not always helpful to the child. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423407 2 Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of children’s needs. Children have good relationships with staff and can speak to them about their worries and concerns, and are settled in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff say they feel well supported by managers. Records of supervision sessions and team meeting minutes demonstrate that staff have opportunities to reflect on their practice. This helps staff to identify and agree a consistent approach to the care of children.

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This monitoring visit

When serious incidents occur, staff know how to respond to keep children safe. However, records do not contain clear descriptions of how staff have responded. This does not give the manager all the information she needs to analyse incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The home notifies Ofsted when serious incidents occur. However, notifications do not always contain accurate or helpful information. Following one incident, the home’s safeguarding policy was not followed correctly. This meant the local authority designated officer was consulted without cause.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has systems to monitor and evaluate the performance of the home. However, management oversight has not identified shortfalls in the quality of information contained in children’s care plans and risk assessments. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423407 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/09/2024 Full Good 14/11/2023 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 07/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423407 4

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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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Requirements Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 8 July 2025

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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements 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)(h)) 8 July 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a way that distinguishes between fact and opinion. Information about children must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423407 5 to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that notifications of serious events include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s policy for the protection of children is available and explained to all staff. The registered person must make sure that all staff are familiar with this policy and act in accordance with it, in particular how to use it to report a concern. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.21)

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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: SC423407 6

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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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Inspectors

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Jess Elliott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC423407 7 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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