Children's Home run by Keys Direct Care Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1240397 1 Registered provider: Keys Direct Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a large national provider.

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Information about this children’s home

It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may require support with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2019 and was present for the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 26 November 2024

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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: 1240397 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2024 Full Good 20/03/2024 Full Good 23/11/2022 Full Good 25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1240397 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently undergone renovation and redecoration, resulting in a bright and welcoming environment. New furnishings and carefully selected artwork contribute to a homely and nurturing atmosphere. The child’s bedroom is thoughtfully personalised and well decorated, reflecting the child’s preferences and promoting a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living in the home presents as comfortable and at ease. She spoke positively about the relationships that she has developed with staff. While there have been incidents involving peers that have, at times, affected her sense of safety and emotional well-being, she continues to express a generally positive view of the home and identifies it as her place of belonging. Observations demonstrated warm and nurturing interactions between the child and staff, who know her well and respond to her needs with care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Families and professionals provide consistently positive feedback about the home. Staff are recognised for their commitment to the children in their care and for demonstrating resilience during challenging situations. Both families and professionals praised the quality of care provided. The manager’s advocacy on behalf of children was highlighted and commended, reflecting a strong ethos of child-centred practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is currently not engaging in education consistently and has been out of formal education for a significant period. There is a lack of routine and structure in place to support the child’s participation in learning or alternative meaningful activities. Additionally, the child is the sole child living at the home, which limits opportunities for peer socialisation and could impact their social development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff consistently apply a clear and well-embedded model of care, underpinned by trauma-informed principles. There is a strong focus on understanding the individual experiences of children, and care is thoughtfully planned in response to their needs. Monthly formulation meetings, held in collaboration with the home’s clinical psychologist, provide a valuable space to explore each child’s history and current behaviours. These sessions support staff to interpret behaviour as a form of communication, enhancing their ability to respond with empathy and insight. This reflective practice contributes to improved outcomes and strengthens the quality of care provided.

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

Allegations have been managed robustly and in line with safeguarding procedures. Concerns have been taken seriously and promptly referred to safeguarding partners, with appropriate actions taken where necessary. The home demonstrates a commitment to learning from such incidents, with reflective practice embedded. A restorative Inspection report for children's home: 1240397 4 approach is used to support children in rebuilding trust and repairing relationships, helping to promote emotional safety and well-being.

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

Consequences are used infrequently and only when necessary. When implemented, they are proportionate and focused on supporting children's learning and understanding of their behaviour. The manager maintains effective oversight of all consequences and has appropriately challenged and addressed instances where practice did not align with the home's care model. This reflective oversight ensures consistency with practice and promotes a learning culture within the team.

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

There has been a notable reduction in incidents of children going missing from home, and such occurrences are now rare. When incidents have occurred, staff have followed established procedures to ensure children's safety. On their return, children are offered discussions and opportunities to reflect, helping to explore the reasons behind the behaviour and to support future safety planning.

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

The use of physical intervention has, on occasion, been delayed, which has contributed to the escalation of some incidents. When used, interventions have been appropriate and proportionate to the behaviour presented. However, there have been delays in management oversight of some incidents, and evaluations have not consistently addressed the appropriateness of the intervention. This limits opportunities for timely reflection and learning.

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

Risk assessments and care plans are regularly reviewed and updated following incidents involving children. These documents are detailed and provide clear guidance to staff on the risks presented and strategies to ensure children’s safety. However, following a significant incident of suicidal ideation, which is a new behaviour for a child, this was not incorporated into the child’s care plan or risk assessment. Consequently, staff have not been fully informed of how to support the child effectively in relation to this emerging risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to her role, the children and the staff team. She knows the children well and acts as a robust advocate for their needs. The manager has identified areas requiring development and has started implementing plans to enhance practice within the home, as well as strengthen the monitoring of the quality of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a good understanding of the children and their individual risks. However, further development is needed for newer team members to deepen their knowledge of how to effectively support children with their behaviours. Staff report feeling supported by the management team and demonstrate a strong commitment to learning and reflective practice to improve the care they provide to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff are up to date with the required training plan. Child-specific training is completed to meet the individual needs of children living in the home. Although some Inspection report for children's home: 1240397 5 supervision discussions and team meetings were missed during particularly busy periods, when these sessions did take place, they were supportive and focused on learning and reflective practice to benefit the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been occasions when management monitoring of incidents has not been sufficiently thorough. This predominantly occurred during periods of the manager’s absence. Systems to support staff and children, including effective management oversight during these times, are not yet fully robust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior leadership team have placed a strong focus on identifying areas for learning and development. Action and development plans are now in place to support the growth of the team. These measures are expected to enhance consistency and improve the support for children from staff. Inspection report for children's home: 1240397 6

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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 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 promotes their welfare.

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

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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) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have the required experience and training to meet the needs of the children. This also relates to ensuring that management oversight of children's care planning, including incidents, is present, and that adequate management systems are in place that account for the manager’s absence. 13 August 2025

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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; 13 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 1240397 7 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that significant risks for children are in their plans to inform staff of how to keep children safe. Staff must have the necessary skills and experience to meet the needs of individual children.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that physical interventions are recorded within timescales and oversight from management is completed. 13 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 1240397 8

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff, and is be kept under review and revised where appropriate. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', page 46 paragraph 9.34)

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable, structured activities when not in school. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards', page 28 paragraph 5.15)

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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: 1240397 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Direct Care Limited

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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

Eleanor Quanbrough, Social Care Inspector Chloe Harvey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1240397 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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