Children's home run by Keys QTC Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 1 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider operates a school on the same site. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this site.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 2 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2024 Full Good 27/06/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good 24/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 3 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to take part in various activities based on their hobbies and interests, such as cinema, bowling, cooking and shopping. They are also encouraged to join community groups such as explorers, theatre groups and karate. Staff respect that due to children’s ages they often prefer to spend time in the community with their friends.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to enjoy new experiences such as going on holiday, travelling by plane and visiting the seaside. These opportunities have given them positive experiences and lasting memories.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with their family in line with agreed plans. They advocate for children’s views around family time and support decisions made in their best interest. This helps children to maintain relationships that are important to them.

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improvement to be good

There have been difficulties with attendance in education for some children. Staff have explored these issues and worked with different education providers and placing authorities to identify alternatives and to support them to engage in education. As a result, all children are currently accessing formal education, and some children were able to sit their exams at the end of the school year.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to gain life skills to support their independence and support them to prepare for adulthood in line with their age and ability. In addition to this, two children in the home have been supported to gain paid employment and take part in volunteer work.

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improvement to be good

When children have moved on from the home, staff have worked with the child, their placing authority and their new home to support their move to be as positive as possible.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to attend routine health appointments and are registered with the necessary health providers when they arrive at the home. However, children’s health plans do not suitably detail their specific health needs and staff spoken to were not able to demonstrate that they fully understood children’s health and medical needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s cultural and religious needs are not clear in children’s plans. Children are not suitably supported to explore or practise their cultural identity and beliefs. Staff do not have an adequate understanding of children’s cultures. This means that children are not able to fully explore or embrace their identities.

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improvement to be good

There have been improvements to the home environment since the last inspection. Some areas have been decorated and have new flooring. However, there are still areas for refurbishment and repairs outstanding; there are plans in place for this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 4 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

When children raise complaints or concerns about staff, these are acted on, and the relevant professionals are notified. Children’s welfare is a priority throughout. Most staff understand whistleblowing procedures and have followed the procedure when necessary. However, on one occasion, one staff member did not follow the procedure to report whistleblowing concerns. Once identified, the manager took action to address this with the individual and with the staff team.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are not effective documents. They do not include current, relevant or up-to-date information. This means that staff do not have access to information to enable them to understand children’s individual needs or provide consistent care to children. In addition to this, children’s plans do not contain sufficient information about children’s journeys or their individual history in order to help staff understand how this may impact children’s behaviours and emotions.

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improvement to be good

It is rare that children go missing from the home. There has been one occasion when a child was missing for two nights. Staff took suitable action during daytime hours to look for the child and to remain in contact with them and encourage them to return. However, these efforts did not continue through the night when attempts to contact the child ceased and resumed the next morning. This is a missed opportunity to remain in touch with the child during times they may have felt vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

When children are new to the home. The manager has completed an assessment and an in-house referral document. However, these documents include conflicting information and do not include all the information provided by the placing authority. In addition to this, the impact assessments do not assess whether staff have the skills, training and experience needed to meet the child’s particular needs.

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improvement to be good

When it has been necessary to hold a child to keep them safe, it has been reasonable and proportionate. Children and staff are supported to reflect on the incident after the event, and the manager has evaluated the effectiveness of the measure used and has added his review to the reports.

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

There is a registered manager in post, who is supported by a deputy manager. They know the children well.

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

There are systems in place for the internal and external monitoring and oversight of the home. However, leaders and managers do not utilise these systems effectively in order to ensure that there is continuous improvement. The independent visitor frequently raises repeat actions, which were also identified as part of the inspection. In addition to this, internal monitoring has not highlighted shortfalls in children’s support plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 5 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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

There have been several changes to the staff team since the last inspection, with some staff leaving and new staff joining. The statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect these changes, which impacts the regulator’s ability to have oversight. Existing staff have positive and trusting relationships with children, which has provided some stability and consistency for them. This has reduced the impact of staff changes on children who live in the home.

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

Staff have completed a variety of training to meet the needs of the children, including their individual needs. However, staff have not completed training to support them to fully understand children’s individual health needs.

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

Staff take part in regular supervision sessions which are practice related and used to support staff welfare. In addition to this, there are regular team meetings. These meetings provide an opportunity for the team to come together and share information, and they also provide a development opportunity for staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 6 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s support plans are regularly updated and include current and accurate information that is consistent across all documentation.

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Requirement Due date

In addition to this, when children are new to the home, the registered person must ensure that information used to assess the suitability of the home to meet the child’s needs is accurately reflected in their plans. 17 October 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— 17 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 7 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff take suitable action to support children when they are missing from the home, taking into consideration the whole 24 hour period and not just during waking hours.

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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;

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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; 17 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 8 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are effective systems in place for oversight and monitoring of the home, and that they act on shortfalls identified from external scrutiny.

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Requirement Due date

In addition to this, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training to educate them and support them to meet children’s individual needs, specifically in relation to their health needs.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; 17 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 9 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iv)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s culture and identities should be acknowledged and promoted positively within the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition to this, the registered person must ensure that staff understand children’s journeys and their past experiences.

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive. The provider should ensure that any required refurbishment to the home or decoration is completed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that the following elements of the workforce plan are included in the Statement of Purpose: (in accordance with Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20)) the staffing structure; experience and qualifications of staff and arrangements for supervision of staff practice. Any updates should be sent to Ofsted within 28 days of the revision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)

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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: 2595983 10 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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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Inspectors

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Nicola Jeffery, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2595983 11 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

regulates and inspects 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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