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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 1 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 3 December 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2024 Full Good 30/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive moves in and out of the home. Staff work hard to build relationships with children. This helps children to settle in their care. Staff worked with foster carers to help two siblings move on from the home into their care. This involved sharing relevant information to ensure that children’s needs were well understood by their new carer.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in all areas of their lives. Effective progress has been made by staff to help children develop their sibling relationships. Strong partnership work with children’s schools supports consistent approaches to behaviour management. Staff encourage children’s learning through planned and unplanned keywork as part of their daily routines. This includes bedtime reading, learning about their bodies and improving self-care. Staff encourage children to develop their interests and identity both as family members and as individuals.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. There is input from the provider’s psychological service with staff consultations to support children’s physical and emotional wellbeing. This also helps to consider children’s future needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children share their views in several ways. There are weekly sessions where children can reflect on their experiences, regular use of interactive activities to consider their progress in key areas and opportunities to input into recruitment and children’s guides.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s relationships with the people who are important to them are well supported by staff. Staff help to progress children’s time with their family to become more natural and focused for children. Family members experience positive communication with staff and feel engaged in their children’s lives.

p.3

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

Detailed assessments are completed by the manager when considering children’s moves into the home. The risks for children are well understood by staff including those staff who are new to working at the home. There are clear strategies in place for staff to follow to reduce known risks to children.

p.3

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

A risk assessment was completed for a water activity for one child however consideration was not given to how risks could be reduced further. For example, by wearing life jackets. Children were present in a car with staff when another stationary vehicle was pushed into them from behind. Staff shared information with school and checked with children to ensure that there were no injuries. Police were not informed, and no medical advice was sought meaning there was no professional oversight. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 4 Staff use PACE strategies effectively to help manage children’s big emotions. Planned and unplanned work is used to help children understand their behaviours and the impact on themselves and others. There is appropriate use of consequences.

p.3

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

There is limited use of physical intervention. Improvements were seen over time as some recordings initially lacked clarity and debriefs with children were not child led. Records focused on specific taught techniques and staff experiences of effective practice were not clearly shared with the team.

p.4

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

There have been no episodes of children going missing. However, staff know what to do if children do go missing from home.

p.4

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

Children have not made any allegations or complaints. This demonstrates that children are settled living at the home.

p.4

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

There are safe recruitment practices in place. This helps to ensure that only suitable staff care for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager was not present for the inspection. Therefore, the inspection was led by the responsible individual who knows the children well. There is positive feedback from staff about the management and leadership of the home and the shared team ethos.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers advocate for children effectively. For example, one child’s views on the location of their school were acknowledged, and the manager has worked with professionals to support a positive change for the next school year.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. Team meetings and supervisions are held regularly and provide opportunities for staff reflection with a clear focus on children’s needs. Practice issues are discussed, and the expectations of staff are clearly set out.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager did not report a serious incident to Ofsted. This could impact on the regulator’s oversight of practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some staffing challenges, and some staff have left their posts. The responsible individual and registered manager managed this well to reduce any impact on children. A new staff member told the inspector that they were well supported in their role. The member of staff demonstrates a good understanding of the children’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers take effective action to address inappropriate staff behaviours to ensure that children are kept safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to robustly assessing activities for children and ensuring that measures are in place to reduce risk.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that there is appropriate follow up with professionals such as the police and medical professionals after incidents involving children. 31 January 2026

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 31 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 6 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.5

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.6

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

p.6

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.6

Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

p.6

Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 4(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint provide clarity to enable effective review of staff practice. Records should not be reliant on fitting a hold into those recognised by the training provider. Debriefs with children should be child led and practice which has been identified as effective previously should be shared within the team. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 7

p.6

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: 2738017 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2738017 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9