Children's Home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 1 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home providing care for up to four children aged from 12 to 17. The home aims to support children’s social, emotional and mental well-being.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Good 31/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. One child moved out of the home in an unplanned way. Staff worked quickly to ensure that the child’s departure from the home was as supportive and positive as possible. The child was given memory books sharing meaningful moments to celebrate their time and progress at the home. The staff also spoke to the child after the move to help ease their transition. This helped the child to feel valued and supported throughout this period.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are carefully planned. Leaders and managers complete detailed matching assessments. This assessment reflects the child’s needs and explains how staff can meet these. It considers the needs of children already living in the home and how they may be impacted. Children who are already living in the home are consulted about any new moves into the home. For the child who has moved into the home since the last inspection, staff met with the child before the move and the child visited the home overnight. The child was given a timetable to show how their move into the home would happen. This helped the child settle into the home and develop relationships with staff and with their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education and regular routines for children. All the children are engaging with education and are making good progress with it. Staff are supporting two children to develop life skills. These include cooking, personal care, budgeting and travelling independently. One child is now taking driving lessons. This child’s social worker said they have made ‘significant progress’ with their independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships by spending quality time with children. The children spoke positively about their relationships with staff. They said that they can talk to staff if they are worried and that they feel safe in their care. Children enjoy different activities with staff. These activities reflect children’s interests. These include trips to the cinema, shopping and meals out. Staff and the children have taken holidays abroad and enjoyed a range of activities during the school holidays. The children joined the staff Christmas meal, where they celebrated the year’s achievements. Shared time with staff helps children to feel understood and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consistently take children’s wishes and feelings into account. They are creative with how they obtain children’s views. Children have been involved in planning a holiday and making nominations for employee of the month. Children’s meetings provide an opportunity for children to learn about different things. Children’s meetings are recorded in a child-friendly and accessible way. Managers and staff give regular feedback to children so that they can see when things have been actioned, or why something has not been actioned. One child said that anything ‘within reason’ they ask for, staff will Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 4 provide. Children’s participation in decisions about the home helps them feel connected and confident, and that their voices genuinely matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create a homely and welcoming environment that helps the children to feel settled. The children have been involved in choosing how their bedrooms are decorated and how other areas of the home should look. This helps children to create a sense of belonging at the home.

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

Incidents are well managed and staff follow children’s care plans. Care plans are regularly updated and give staff clear directions to follow. Staff know which strategies work best for children and use these to de-escalate situations effectively. Managers review all incidents, ensuring that learning is captured and that follow-up actions are implemented. The response to incidents is consistent across the home. As a result, there has been an overall reduction in incidents.

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

Following incidents, children take part in conversations. These provide opportunities for children to reflect on what has happened. Children also take part in regular, planned key-work sessions. These sessions help children learn how to keep safe and make positive decisions. They can reflect with staff on things that frustrate them and think about how to respond differently.

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

Staff know what to do when children go missing from the home. Missing-from-home protocols are very clear and reflect the individual needs of the children. Staff follow these protocols well. Staff always attempt to contact the child and search for them when they are missing from the home. Children are welcomed home and managers ensure that return home interviews are offered. Incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced. This reflects the effectiveness of the strategies in place to support children.

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

Staff have used consequences as part of their wider approach to manage behaviour. These are generally logical and restorative. Incidents of physical intervention are rare. When they have occurred, they have been necessary, proportionate and managed well. Managers and staff reflect on these incidents to learn how to handle future situations more effectively. Management scrutiny of these measures is consistent and evaluates whether these measures are proportionate and justified.

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

Detailed planning ensured that the children could enjoy holidays abroad safely. Risk assessments were thorough and reflective of the needs of each child. These assessments considered risks local to the areas they were visiting, including information about crime. This planning allowed staff to consider what preparation was needed with the children to set clear behavioural expectations. One member of staff said that risk assessment is used as a tool to make new experiences possible for the children, rather than a barrier to them. This careful planning ensures that children benefit from safe, enriching experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A long-standing, experienced and qualified manager leads the team confidently. They are well supported by two skilled deputy managers. The management team works cohesively, providing consistency and stability across the home. All are committed and ambitious. They have high aspirations for children to succeed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have exceptional oversight and a strong understanding of the home’s practice. The manager reviews all incidents promptly and thoroughly, identifying any issues in practice. These are then addressed promptly through supervision sessions or team meetings. This provides staff with the opportunity to learn, to reflect and to refine their practice. Quarterly reviews of incidents help the manager skilfully identify patterns and trends. This is then used to plan staff training and targeted key-work sessions for children. The manager also carries out reviews when new themes emerge, keeping oversight focused and responsive to the needs of the home. This reflective and proactive approach leads to ongoing improvements in the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working is highly effective and strengthens the quality of care provided. The manager has developed constructive relationships with social workers, education professionals and families. All professionals and family members spoken with praised the home’s communication and the quality of leadership. One social worker noted that the manager sets clear expectations for the standard of care and ensures these are consistently met in practice. This collaborative approach strengthens a shared understanding of children’s needs and ensures that their care is well coordinated across agencies. As a result, children benefit from consistent, joined-up support that helps them make excellent progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example and set high standards for practice across the home. They bring creativity to engaging with children, ensuring that activities such as meetings are purposeful and meaningful. This approach is consistently modelled to staff. Managers are committed to developing the skills of their team, encouraging staff to take responsibility for their work while maintaining clear oversight. This combination of empowerment and structured support helps staff grow professionally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel highly supported, valued and motivated by the leadership of the home. One staff member spoke about the ‘employee of the month award’. They said that reading the positive feedback collected through this process makes them feel appreciated. This inspires them to continue delivering high-quality care. This recognition, alongside regular supervision and reflective practice, helps staff to feel confident and supported in their roles. This contributes to consistent, effective care in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings are regular and well attended. This allows messages and key information to be shared consistently across the team. In addition, staff have access to regular consultations with the home’s allocated psychologist. They offer therapeutic insight into the children’s needs and suggest ways for the staff to individualise their practice with the children. This combination of clear communication and specialist Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 6 guidance equips staff with the knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver care that is both consistent and responsive to the children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff turnover has been managed effectively and has not unsettled the home. Where changes have occurred, managers have reflected on and improved recruitment processes. Children have been involved in the recruitment of staff, helping to ensure that they are a good fit for the home. Managers have also suggested that staff work shifts in other homes within the service. This demonstrates a clear commitment to upskilling staff and strengthening practice. This ensures that care remains consistent and responsive to children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There were no requirements or recommendations given at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 7

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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: 2720366 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Emilja Myers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2720366 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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