Children's home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 1 SC389183 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited 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 and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 16 October 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/10/2024 Full Good 11/10/2023 Full Outstanding 14/03/2023 Full Outstanding 30/06/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make considerable, measurable progress during their time at the home. One child was involved with the criminal justice system prior to living at the home, and is now positively engaged in college learning and developing healthy, meaningful family relationships. Children learn about their feelings, the risks that they face and make excellent progress with their attendance and commitment to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from highly individualised, nurturing and structured routines that contribute to significant progress in their lives. One child recognises the dramatic improvement in their daily routine, prior to moving into the home, they had been staying in bed until late in the afternoon and gaming through the night. With the support of staff, their routine was transformed, resulting in improved confidence and relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and managers advocate robustly for children’s educational needs. As a result, one child is settled and thriving on a college course, and another, who has been out of education for an extended period, is attending school consistently and has clear aspirations to progress to college. This represents a significant turnaround for that young person. When children raise concerns about education, this is actioned quickly and effectively to resolve their barriers to learning. When children are not engaged with full time education, staff use a variety of methods to try to engage them in structured learning activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to develop healthy friendships, and they are encouraged to invite friends to the home. Staff work tirelessly to build positive and trusting relationships with families, where initial attitudes towards professionals have been challenging. As a result, family members are now more able to support all aspects of their child’s life, leading to children experiencing increased confidence and pride in their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s views are sought regularly and form a natural part of everyday life. Children know how to express their wishes and feelings and are confident that staff will listen and act. They also know how to complain, and feel assured that their concerns will be taken seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are cared for by staff who love them. Children benefit from warm, trusting relationships with staff, and these positive attachments continue long after children leave the home. Activities are fun, varied and tailored to each child’s interests. The inspector observed relaxed, playful interactions between children and staff, creating a positive, family-like atmosphere. Children actively seek out the company of staff, and staff respond to this enthusiastically.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

When children move into the home, the manager makes considered efforts to learn about the child and their risks prior to their moving into the home. Impact risk assessments consider the influence that one child may have on another, and how Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 4 individual risks may interact. Despite this careful planning, one child has moved into and out of the home quickly as a result of staff being unable to manage their behaviours. This child has now been supported to move to a home that was more suited to their needs.

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

Children are well protected by a staff team that is committed to understanding their individual risks and needs. The home has experienced an unsettled period, including an escalation of incidents that required police involvement. Despite regular multi-agency meetings taking place, staff were unable to manage the behaviours of two of the children together, which meant that the decision was made for one child to leave the home. This decision was made in a timely way and significantly benefitted the stability of the other children in the home.

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

When children go missing from home, there is a robust response from staff, who search for children and make considered efforts to speak with the child, their network and external agencies, which helps ensure children return home safely. Staff undertake direct work with children to help them understand the risks that they face, suitable plans are put in place to support children to spend time with important people in their lives. For one child, this has resulted in a reduction in risks.

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

Staff follow the advice set out in children’s care plans when significant incidents take place, but more could be done to ensure that children receive a therapeutic and nurturing response from staff at these times. Staff are not consistently clear on how to implement therapeutic care or the model of care that is outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Children are routinely spoken to following incidents and are supported to express their feelings, these conversations are not always therapeutic. Debriefs with staff consider how children were feeling, and how staff could have better supported children, there is clear evidence of good reflection and learning.

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

Staff know the children well. The manager encourages staff to show curiosity about children’s friendships and social networks, completing regular friendship mapping to identify any concerns. Meaningful key work helps children to develop a clearer understanding of the risks they face. One child said that staff have helped them significantly reduce vaping, alcohol use and cannabis use. This child commented that they plan to stop their cannabis entirely, because of what they have learned from staff.

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

When children harm themselves, staff respond with warmth and sensitivity. Staff increase monitoring appropriately, and in consultation with health care professionals. This is regularly reviewed, and monitoring is reduced when risks come down. Children are consulted and kept informed as part of this process, helping them to feel respected. Follow up conversations are held with children to help them reflect on their actions. Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 5 Overall, children benefit from a home where risks are recognised and managed well, children are helped to make safer choices and stay safe. With further embedding of the therapeutic model, the home is well placed to strengthen this good practice even further.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home manager is considerably experienced and has an excellent understanding of each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and strengths. The manager encourages an atmosphere of thoughtful reflection among the staff. This reflective approach helps staff to feel valued and supported in their roles, staff have praised the high level of support that they have received from managers and leaders during very challenging times.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager advocates highly for children to provide them with opportunities that will meet their needs. The manager has been praised by an external professional for supporting one child with achieving the requirements of a youth justice order, which has meant that this was discharged four months early, this is a considerable achievement for the child, which was possible as a result of the manager’s tenacious advocacy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff training is well matched to the needs of the children. When new children present unfamiliar risks, the manager ensures that staff quickly access specialist training so that they can respond to incidents confidently. There is a full staff team, which provides the consistency and stability that children need to feel secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals speak exceptionally highly of the home. They highlight the quality of care, the strength of relationships that staff build with children, and the progress children make as a result. Family members also praise the manager and the staff for the support given to children, and for the considerable time given to establishing warm and caring relationships not just with children, but with families themselves. Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand and effectively implement the therapeutic approach set out in the homes statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff consistently respond to significant incidents, and have follow up conversations with children which are nurturing in nature (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: SC389183 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

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Inspector

Minnette Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 8 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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Inspector

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children’s home: SC389183 9

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