Children's Home run by Keys ACE Limited in Bury

Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 1 SC420388 Registered provider: Keys ACE 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 managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to four children who may experience emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. Three children spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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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: 25 February 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Outstanding 06/02/2024 Full Good 06/03/2023 Full Good 13/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build positive relationships with staff. Staff treat children with dignity and respect. Staff spoken to during the inspection spoke fondly and with pride about the children they care for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children regularly attend school. For one child, there have been some difficulties, and as a result, there have been several school exclusions. Staff and the manager work closely with the school and social worker to identify strategies to support the child to positively engage in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend routine health appointments with the doctor and dentist. When necessary, staff seek additional specialist health and well-being support, such as child and adolescent mental health services and the in-house therapist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to take part in activities that promote their hobbies and interests, such as shopping, walking, football, baking and movie nights. These activities enable children to try new things and be involved in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s time spent with family is supported by staff in line with agreed plans. Staff take children to see their family, which supports children to maintain relationships with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete regular direct work sessions with children. These meaningful sessions are child focused and enable children to prepare for events, understand safety and risks and support them to manage and identify their emotions. They are individualised and targeted to each child’s understanding and level of ability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have plenty of opportunities to express their views and wishes and contribute to decisions about their day-to-day care. Children said that if they have any worries or concerns, they can talk to staff, and they will listen and help.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are new to the home, they are welcomed sensitively with the best possible planning based on their individual needs and circumstances. The manager assesses the compatibility with other children living in the home to make an informed and child-centred decision about whether children are suitable to live together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have left the home, this has been part of their longer-term plan. The manager and staff have worked well with the child’s placing authority and their new home to support the child’s move to be as easy as possible and minimise any difficulties for them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 4

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

When children raise complaints or concerns about staff, these are acted on swiftly and the relevant professionals are notified. Children’s welfare is a priority throughout. There are processes in place to provide staff with guidance to follow should a concern arise, and staff understand this and put it into practice. However, staff spoken to were not clear on the role of the local authority designated officer.

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

Children’s support plans are detailed documents that include relevant and current information to enable staff to understand children’s needs. They include detailed and individualised strategies and guidance for staff to help them provide consistent care and support to children.

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

When it has been necessary to hold a child to keep them safe, interventions have been reasonable and proportionate, and staff are trained to carry them out safely. Children and staff are supported to reflect on the incident afterwards. The manager has a detailed oversight of each report to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the measure used and to identify any triggers, updates needed to support plans and to support staff development.

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

When children have been missing from the home, staff have taken suitable action to search for them and have followed the processes detailed in children’s plans. Staff ensure that all the necessary professionals are informed, and staff work with the police to enable a quick return to the home for children.

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

When it is necessary to impose consequences, these are reasonable and proportionate. The manager evaluates their effectiveness, and children’s views are considered. Alongside this, positive behaviour is promoted through positive reinforcement, celebration and praise.

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

Staff support children suitably when they display behaviours that may cause injury to themselves. Staff ensure that children receive first aid and external medical input if needed. The manager has reviewed these incidents, and staff speak to children following these incidents to recognise any triggers and to identify any ongoing support needed.

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

There have been no incidents of bullying. However children sometimes provoke or frustrate one another at times. Staff take appropriate action to address this and to teach children to understand and identify bullying to ensure that these occasions do not escalate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced registered manager in post. She has a clear vision of what she wants to achieve for the children and for the development of the team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 5 Leaders and managers make use of internal and external monitoring of the home. The manager has effective systems in place to ensure that she maintains oversight of significant events. These systems provide scrutiny and ensure that the manager can identify areas of positive practice and drive improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and consistent team of staff who are child focused. This means that children are cared for by staff who know them well. Staff enjoy working at the home and said that they feel valued and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a positive ethos in the home, and staff spoken to said that the manager is always available for support and guidance. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and have a shared sense of ownership and accountability; they work well as a team, and the manager leads by example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions take place regularly. They are child focused, practice related and an opportunity to reflect on significant events. They are also used as a supportive tool for staff. In addition to this, team meetings are held regularly and are well attended by the team. Their focus is to share updates and information about children and as a development opportunity for staff. These meetings are also attended by the in-house therapist if needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are trained in a range of subjects to meet children’s specific needs. However, one child has suffered a significant bereavement immediately before moving into the home, and while staff have shown empathy and have access to some resources provided by the in-house therapist, they have not been trained to provide support in response to children’s bereavement. This limits their ability to understand the child’s needs and how best to help them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming, and there are photos of the children throughout. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their interests. This helps them gain a sense of belonging. However, there are areas of the home that require some attention, such as damage to the walls and redecoration work due to wear and tear. This has been identified by the manager and highlighted on maintenance plans; however, this has not been completed in a timely manner. In addition to this, there is a strong smell of urine in one child’s bedroom, and current cleaning routines are not always addressing this effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are committed to working together with parents, placing authorities, specialist health advisers and schools. These positive and effective working relationships make sure that children consistently receive a high level of care and ensure that there is a wraparound approach to supporting children’s progress in line with their individual targets and goals. Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 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

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are trained in a timely manner in subjects required to support children’s specific needs. 1 January 2026

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 1 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 7 ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are effective cleaning routines in place for children’s bedrooms. In addition to this, wear and tear and any damage must be repaired and redecorated swiftly.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that supervision of staff practice ensures that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home, so they understand the role of the local authority designated officer and know how and when to contact them if needed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)

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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: SC420388 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Vicky Byron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC420388 9 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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