Children's home run by Keys KIN Ltd in Wealden

Inspection report for children’s home: 1226495 1 Registered provider: Keys KIN Ltd

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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 children’s home provides care for up to 5 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There are currently 5 children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2019.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1226495 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2024 Full Good 23/05/2023 Full Good 03/05/2022 Full Good 26/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1226495 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive consistently high-quality support from staff. As a result, all children, including those who have lived at the home for a short time, have made significant progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Two children have left the home since the last inspection. Because of the excellent progress they have made at the home, one child was able to return to live with their family, and one moved into foster care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children take part in a range of activities that they enjoy and that expand their talents and interests. The children went on holiday in the summer. This trip was planned with exceptional attention to detail and was a great success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children are enrolled in education. Staff advocate effectively to ensure that children receive appropriate assessments and access to suitable provisions. As a result, children maintain education placements that meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s views are integral to the way the home is run. For example, regular children’s meetings give children opportunities to contribute to decisions about meals and activities. Managers provide feedback on all children’s requests. Staff also make good use of these meetings to prepare children for upcoming changes and to promote positive group living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff model healthy relationships and encourage children to build and maintain friendships with each other. Staff understand the importance of predictable structures and routines for children, and they promote shared experiences like those in a family setting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive extremely calm, consistent and sensitive support from staff. Consequently, children feel safe and understood. Clear boundaries and strong relationships with staff help children to make excellent progress in relation to their emotional well-being. They develop the confidence that they need to achieve the goals that are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Before a child moves into the home, a thorough risk assessment is completed to consider the child’s needs alongside those of children who already live there. This results in careful planning and matching and reduces the risk of unplanned endings. Children’s views about potential new residents are also gathered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s moves into and out of the home are carefully planned. The registered manager’s approach is thorough and thoughtful, which ensures that moves happen at the child’s pace. Child-friendly plans are written in collaboration with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1226495 4 Managers recognise that the kitchen and dining area need some improvement and there are plans in place for an extension to be added to create a quiet space and a larger, family-style, kitchen diner. Other communal areas are decorated in line with children’s preferences, and children are supported to personalise their bedrooms. The home has a calm, welcoming atmosphere that helps children feel settled and comfortable.

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

Children’s safety and well-being are given high priority. Staff are attuned and responsive to the risks that are present for children individually and as a group.

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

When children make allegations about staff, managers respond promptly and follow the correct reporting procedures. Follow-up actions are completed with everyone involved to ensure that issues are fully resolved and appropriate action is taken.

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

When children are struggling to manage their emotions and are demonstrating this through their behaviour, staff make effective use of de-escalation and distraction techniques. As a result, the use of physical restraint is very rare. All incidents are reviewed to ensure that learning is captured to reduce the risk of a similar incident happening again.

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

Missing-from-home episodes are rare. When they do occur, there is a robust response from staff to ensure that children return home safely. When a child goes missing from school, staff proactively challenge school professionals if they have not been informed. All missing episodes are recorded and reported appropriately.

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

The home has effective safeguards in place to protect children online. Filters and restrictions are used appropriately, and while internet access is turned off at bedtime, alternative options, such as audiobooks, are provided to support children who struggle to settle.

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

The systems for administering and recording medication promote safe practice. There has been one medication error since the last inspection. This was taken seriously, investigated and acted on. The staff involved received a medication training refresher.

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

Safer recruitment practices are understood and implemented effectively. All necessary checks are in place to reduce the risk of unsuitable people working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are ambitious and passionate about providing high-quality care that improves children’s outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A comprehensive induction programme is provided for all new staff. Training deemed mandatory by the organisation is completed at this stage, and important information about each child’s needs is shared. Peer-support shadowing helps new staff to build Inspection report for children’s home: 1226495 5 relationships with children while ensuring that a trusted member of the team is present. Leaders offer strong support throughout the induction period and are committed to ensuring that new staff have the attitude and beliefs to work in line with the nurturing ethos of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak highly about the support that they receive from the registered manager. Staff receive supervision at agreed intervals, and this provides meaningful opportunities for reflection, professional development, and practice improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A wide range of training opportunities are available to staff, enabling them to build their knowledge and develop effective strategies to support young people to overcome challenges and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers routinely reach out to children, staff and external professionals to seek their views about the quality of care that children receive. All feedback is carefully considered, which demonstrates a willingness to ensure that there is continuous improvement based on what matters most to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the children very well and uses a range of monitoring systems to maintain sound understanding of the strengths of the home and any areas requiring improvement. The registered manager’s effective oversight of children’s care ensures that focus areas remain aligned with children’s current and emerging needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Relationships between the home and children’s wider professional networks are open and supportive. External professionals speak very positively about the care that children receive. Managers confidently raise concerns with external agencies when they believe that decisions are not in children’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s parents report improvements in their children’s wellbeing since moving into the home. They describe staff as trusted, communicative and reassuring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s bedrooms are fitted with alarms that alert staff if children open their bedroom door at night. Managers have not ensured that decisions to use these alarms are based on a robust, individualised assessment of their necessity that is subject to regular review. As a result, some children may be subject to monitoring levels that are not appropriately justified, although children have not been adversely affected by this shortfall. Inspection report for children’s home: 1226495 6

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Statutory requirement

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

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(i)(ii)(iv)) 2 April 2026

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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: 1226495 7

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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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Inspectors

Vicki Horton, Social Care Inspector Helen Simmons, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 1226495 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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