Children's home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Rossendale

Inspection report for children’s home: 1224093 1 Registered provider: Keys Care 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 privately operated. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home and 2 were spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 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: 17 December 2024

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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: 1224093 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/12/2024 Full Good 23/01/2024 Full Good 08/11/2022 Full Good 18/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1224093 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making positive progress at the home. They appear happy, feel safe, and enjoy their time with staff. Staff have established a warm, nurturing, and secure environment that promotes each child’s wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience challenges with education, but staff maintain a strong commitment to supporting their learning and development. They work diligently to secure appropriate educational opportunities and placements, and when these are unsuccessful, they employ creative alternatives to promote engagement. Even when children choose not to attend, staff consistently reinforce the value of education. Additionally, there is a clear focus on developing independence skills for a child preparing to move on. Staff use innovative and engaging approaches to support this process, ensuring the child is actively involved and well prepared for the move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain strong, collaborative relationships with children’s families and actively support time in accordance with reunification and care plans. They recognise the importance of partnership working with families to ensure children feel cared for, valued, and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, family type environment that prioritises children’s wellbeing. Communal spaces are thoughtfully used to enrich daily life and foster creativity. Bedrooms are personalised and age appropriate, reflecting a child-centred approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Current routines for children who are not engaged in education are ineffective. While staff aim to protect relationships and emotional wellbeing, a balanced approach is needed to maintain positive connections while supporting progress for those declining to attend education.

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

The relationships between staff and children have contributed to the reduction in incidents over this period. Staff know the children’s risks well and know how to keep them safe. When there are issues outside their expertise, such as screen addiction or fire safety external professionals have been sourced to educate the children and support their progress.

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

Physical interventions do not occur often but when they have been used, these keep children safe. They are proportionate, necessary, and used effectively by trained staff. The incidents do not happen in isolation. The manager uses the incidents as an opportunity to inform staff practice and create learning opportunities for children.

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

Allegations and complaints are rare but when they have occurred, they are taken seriously. The manager seeks the appropriate guidance from safeguarding professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: 1224093 4 Children are updated throughout and are given a personable letter explaining the outcome when concluded. Also, the manager ensures that staff practice is improved with actions from any allegation or complaint, with appropriate training allocated when gaps in practice have been found.

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

Staff recruited to the home have been done in line with safer recruitment policies and regulations. This ensures that all staff working at the home are appropriate, and that children are kept safe.

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

Children’s risk assessments and plans are comprehensive and regularly updated, ensuring staff have a clear understanding of a child’s presenting risks. However, one specific risk, due to its severity and potential impact on the child and staff is not addressed as a separate assessment with tailored management strategies for staff to follow.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate and dedicated to the care and progress of the children. They prioritise children’s happiness and wellbeing is at the centre of their care. The manager has a vision for the home and is working towards this using the skills and interests of the staff members and with further support from external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff hold the manager in high regard. One staff said that the manager is ‘supportive, tries so hard and leads from the front’. There has been a recent shift from manager held responsibilities to providing staff with roles and purpose in the running of the home and the care of the children. This ensure that staff feel invested and are developing in their own roles and their career progression.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are used as an avenue to further enhance staff members professional knowledge and working practice. They are not tokenistic, but purposeful. The manager is creative and determined to inform staff practice through quizzes, scenarios and in-house training to encourage further progression for the children. The children’s safety and voice are also central to discussions and information sharing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervisions and appraisals are thoughtful, well planned and detailed. These are used as a further resource to improve staff practice. It is an open and safe communication experience for staff. Staff trust the manager and are confident in sharing any issues or concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has strong working relationships with professionals. Professionals respect and value the manger’s dedication to the children. Professionals say that the manager knows the children well, advocates for them effectively and challenges appropriately when they feel the responses and plans are not in the best interest of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1224093 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 9 February 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their plans must include details of the steps staff will take to manage any specific risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 1224093 6

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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

Deirdre Silkstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1224093 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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