Children's home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Rossendale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC020606 1 SC020606 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

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2019 and is suitably qualified.

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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 outstanding

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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: 21 January 2025

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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: SC020606 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 19/03/2024 Full Outstanding 13/12/2022 Full Outstanding 20/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC020606 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, who were present and spoken with. Staff provide a warm, nurturing and safe environment where children feel secure and valued. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms, and their views are routinely sought regarding the décor and development of the home. One child described the home as ‘my family home’ and said, ‘there is nothing I want to change.’ This is reflective of the positive relationships and sense of belonging children experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and one child has moved in. Children’s moves are well planned and sensitively managed, with children actively involved in the process. One child moved on to independence after living at the home for a significant period. Managers worked collaboratively with a wide range of professionals to identify the most suitable provision and ensure a positive transition. They advocated strongly for the child’s best interests throughout. The child said, ‘This is not just a children’s home, this is my family. I have loved my whole time. I have felt loved, cared for and safe.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive and trusting relationships with children. They provide good-quality care and support across all aspects of their lives. The staff team is well supported by a therapeutic team, which enhances their capacity to meet children’s complex needs. Children receive regular assessments to ensure that therapeutic input is tailored to their individual needs and is having a positive impact.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is promoted effectively. One child is in full-time education and is making better than expected progress. Staff are working closely with education providers and placing authorities to ensure that another child’s educational needs are met. Professionals report that staff communicate effectively, provide a high level of support to children and engage fully with education and support plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote and support children’s family time effectively. They maintain positive working relationships with family members, which helps to strengthen children’s familial bonds and meet their emotional needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to explore their interests and hobbies, which enhances their experiences and promotes their social development. They participate in a range of activities, including horse riding, swimming and attending Scouts. Children recently enjoyed a holiday with staff, which was a positive and enjoyable experience.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. Care and support plans are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect therapeutic Inspection report for children’s home: SC020606 4 assessments and clinical input, ensuring that they remain appropriate and responsive. As a result, children feel well supported and benefit from consistent, tailored care.

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

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of children’s risks and respond with a caring and consistent approach. They provide children with education around their known risks, which supports their emotional development and helps them to build positive coping strategies. However, staff do not consistently capture children’s views within records or consider the impact of their participation to inform and strengthen care planning.

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

Physical restraint has been used to keep one child safe since the last inspection. However, incidents have significantly reduced and are only used as a last resort when necessary to keep the child safe. Staff demonstrate strong skills in de-escalation, which helps to reduce risks and promote children’s safety and wellbeing. Managers maintain effective oversight of children’s plans, and any learning from incidents is promptly identified and acted upon.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When incidents have occurred, staff follow agreed protocols confidently and effectively, ensuring that children return safely. They work well with safeguarding professionals during and after incidents to ensure that safety planning is robust and risk is reduced. The manager provides strong oversight of these incidents, and learning is used to inform practice and prevent recurrence.

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

Staff manage well significant incidents when children become anxious. Staff respond swiftly to incidents, seeking medical advice and assistance when required. They work closely with mental health professionals to ensure that appropriate support and safety planning is in place, helping to reduce risk and promote children’s emotional well-being.

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

Children feel confident to raise complaints, which are responded to in a timely and robust manner. Children are involved in the investigation process and report satisfaction with the outcomes. Where learning is identified, the manager acts swiftly to implement changes, ensuring that children are safeguarded and practice continues to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager provides inspirational leadership and is highly skilled, experienced and committed to delivering very good care for children. She is supported by a dedicated and capable deputy manager, who shares her unwavering drive to improve children’s lives. Staff feel valued, empowered and well supported by the leadership team. This strong team culture enables staff to consistently deliver good quality care, which has a positive impact on children’s progress and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager provides excellent oversight of children’s care, staff practice and the running of the home. This ensures that children consistently receive safe, nurturing and high-quality care. Despite recent staff changes, the manager and her deputy have responded with resilience and professionalism, ensuring safe recruitment and continuity of care. New staff benefit from a thorough induction and probationary process, which equips them to deliver care to a good standard from the outset. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020606 5 The registered manager has established highly effective and positive relationships with professionals and family members. These partnerships contribute significantly to the progress children make in all areas of their lives. Feedback from professionals and parents is consistently positive and highlights the exceptional advocacy by staff, who ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are central to decision-making and care

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

planning. One professional shared that they ‘wished all children’s care homes were like [Name of Home].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has developed extremely strong and trusting relationships with children, enabling her to gain a deep understanding of their lived experiences. She is a passionate and highly effective advocate, ensuring that children’s voices are central to her decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from regular, reflective supervision that promotes continuous professional development. Team meetings are a particular strength and are used effectively to embed research-informed practice. Recent learning has focused on children’s specific needs, enhancing staff’s understanding and ability to meet children’s complex needs. The team also receives high-quality clinical support from the therapeutic service, which further strengthens their practice and ensures that care is consistently tailored to each child’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020606 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, records of direct work with children should be clear to help them understand the benefit of work being completed. The registered person should ensure that staff are clear on the next steps to ensure progress for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC020606 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

Hayley Booth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC020606 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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