Children's home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 1 Registered provider: Keys Nhcc Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A large private company owns this children’s home. It registered in May 2020 and provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2023 and is suitably qualified for the role.

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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: 2570535 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2024 Full Good 10/05/2023 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Good 22/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time the home was inspected, there were four children living in the home, who were present and spoken to. Three children have lived together for over two years. Children benefit from the stability provided in the home and are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are well managed. One child recently moved into the home. Staff have supported the child to settle in quickly. This well-planned move and the child’s maturity have had a positive impact on the other children’s relationships with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage with their education. Staff understand the importance of children having the right educational provision for their individual needs. They work well with professionals and are supportive in helping to manage behaviours that may impact on children’s learning. As a result, children are supported to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a range of opportunities to enrich their lives. Activities are carefully planned so that staff can facilitate children’s individual interests and help them enjoy new experiences. When children have lacked confidence, staff have worked with them to find activities where they can have fun and improve their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are generally well supported. One child has a significant health condition, which staff are safely managing. However, there are shortfalls in ensuring all children’s health needs are followed in line with their plans, including their dental health and immunisations. This could have an adverse impact on children’s health in the longer term.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and has recently been refurbished, creating a pleasant and calm environment for children. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and they have had opportunities to contribute to the decor. This helps children to feel proud of their home and promotes a sense of belonging.

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

Children say they are happy living in the home and feel safe. They have good relationships with the staff, who provide clear and consistent routines and boundaries. Incentives are used to encourage respectful relationships. This approach helps the children to feel safe and secure and know what is expected of them.

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

Staff are skilled at supporting children when they are distressed. There have been no incidents of children going missing from home and very few incidents requiring the need for physical intervention. When physical interventions are used, they are low level and proportionate to keep children safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 4 Children feel confident to raise concerns and know that their complaints are taken seriously. This contributes to a positive atmosphere in the home and helps to prevent behaviours from escalating, as children feel listened to and understood.

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

When children become anxious and upset, staff take the time to understand the reasons behind this. For example, following an escalation in one child’s behaviour, staff worked closely with them to support positive change. As a result, incidents have been reduced, and the child is safer in the home.

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

Overall, staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Also, leaders are proactive in addressing any shortfalls in staff practice. For example, on one occasion, the reporting of an allegation by a child was delayed. The child did not come to harm, and during a further conversation, the child reported it as an accident. However, leaders took action to address the shortfall, and staff have learned from it.

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

Leaders and managers are ambitious for children and have high expectations of staff. They know the children well and aspire to achieve good outcomes for them. However, some of the registered manager’s leadership systems require improvement and are not yet consistently effective in making continual improvements to the care that children receive.

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

Staff say that they are well supported by leaders and managers. There is a stable staff team that receives regular training opportunities to equip it with the skills to meet the needs of children. However, staff do not always receive regular supervision sessions to further support their development. This represents a missed opportunity to discuss their performance and any learning and development needs they might have.

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

The manager has some understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. However, there are shortfalls in oversight that affect aspects of children’s care. For example, the quality of children’s records is inconsistent, and staff do not always have access to the most up-to-date information to support children effectively. In addition, the use of door alarms has not been sufficiently reviewed to ensure they remain necessary for all children. These gaps in oversight have the potential to impact the quality of the care children receive.

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

Feedback from professionals is unanimous in their praise of the support children receive. They are happy that the children are safe and well cared for. They say that staff communicate well with them and are very supportive in helping the children to maintain important relationships.

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

Children’s views and wishes are heard. The registered manager supports children to have an input into the running of the home. When children make reasonable requests, these are supported and taken forward. This helps children to feel valued and heard. Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 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 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

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)(f)(h)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have effective oversight of children’s records, and they must ensure that staff receive regular supervision. Also, the registered person must ensure that they review the use of door alarms to ascertain whether they are needed in the home. 30 September 2025

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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 receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 30 September 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s healthcare needs are met in line with their plans. This includes access to dental care and treatment and immunisations. Information relating to the child’s healthcare services must be accurately recorded in children’s plans so that staff can help them access healthcare services when needed.

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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: 2570535 7

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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

Louise Naylor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2570535 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 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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