Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC412476 1 SC412476 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home, and all were seen during the inspection. Three children have left the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is not currently managing the home, and a temporary manager has been appointed in her absence. The temporary manager plans to apply to register with Ofsted.

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 requires improvement to be 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC412476 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Good 01/08/2023 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Good 11/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC412476 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living in this home and spending time with the staff who care for them. The staff work diligently to build relationships with the children, which is key in the progress that children have made. Staff understand the importance of learning about the children’s identities and interests; they provide children with meaningful experiences so they can develop new skills. When children return from school, children and staff appear happy to see one another, and the staff ask the children about their day. As a result, children live in a home where they feel loved and well cared for.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean and tidy, and it is well maintained. There are comfortable spaces for children to relax, which helps them feel at ease. Children have personalised their bedrooms, creating a sense of personal space. There are minor repairs that are being addressed in some areas of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to maintain healthy diets and to be active in the local community. Chopped fruit is available for children after school, and healthy and nutritious meals are prepared. Staff involve the children in a range of activities, including playing football and trampolining. One child uses their bicycle to ride to and from school each day. Another child is excited to attend an international cricket match, and another is planning to watch their favourite football team.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to attend school regularly, and they make progress with their education. Two children are attending school full time and have good attendance, while another child has recently started at a new school provision. One child has recently completed their mock exams. Children are encouraged to participate in educational activities in the home, which helps them learn. Children develop their independence skills by shopping for ingredients and preparing meals. They also learn how to do their laundry and keep their bedrooms tidy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show a strong level of commitment to the children, and they support them in developing positive routines. Staff try to set positive boundaries for children, but some staff are not consistent in doing so. This can impact negatively on some of the relationships with the children.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to spend time together however they do not always recognise the need to help children stay positive in their play. Staff support for children does not reflect recommendations in specialist assessments and as a result there have been incidents that have placed children at risk of harm. The existing systems for monitoring children’s safety are not always used consistently. Staff do not always report concerns Inspection report for children’s home: SC412476 4 about children’s safety to managers in a timely manner. The manager has recognised these shortfalls and has already taken robust action to address this.

p.3

improvement to be good

When a new child moved into the home, managers carried out an assessment, but it did not consider all the information that was available about the child’s previous experiences. Safe plans were not put in place to develop positive routines for them around their mobile phone use, which affected the child’s routines in the home. Although managers and staff have developed positive relationships with the child’s social worker, they have not always communicated well with their family members.

p.4

improvement to be good

When concerns are raised about staff practice, managers investigate them appropriately. However, they do not always take effective action to address what happened, including speaking to staff. This led to a further practice concern.

p.4

improvement to be good

There have been several incidents when children have gone missing from the home. When such incidents occur, the staff search for the children to ensure that they return home safely. Regular conversations take place with social workers and other professionals who support the children. Managers seek advice from other professionals when needed. As a result, there is a team of professionals around each child who are all working together, ensuring that any decisions about children’s safety are shared by a group of people.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have regular conversations with children when there are concerns about their behaviour. This helps children learn about acceptable behaviour and how to be safer in the local community.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The temporary manager demonstrates a thorough understanding of the children and their needs. The manager is implementing changes in the home to improve staff practice so that children receive a more consistent approach to their care. The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable team of staff working in the home, and they are building positive and nurturing relationships with the children. Staff report being well supported by their managers and having access to regular training and supervision. They said the manager is approachable, and they can seek support if needed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has identified some areas for improvement in relation to staff supervision sessions and appraisals. Managers engage in discussions with staff regarding their relationships with children and safeguarding, but clear actions are not identified. Further training on staff supervision will be provided to senior staff to enhance their practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment is in place when staff begin working in the home, which ensures that only safe adults are working with the children. Managers regularly hold team meetings, and staff consistently attend them. Health and safety arrangements are professionally Inspection report for children’s home: SC412476 5 managed. When medication errors are identified, steps are taken to improve practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC412476 6

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision from a person with appropriate experience who addresses any issues relating to poor practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff regularly monitor and review the use of door alarms in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that children have effective planning when they move into the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.8)

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: SC412476 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Callard

p.7

Inspector

Sarah Sheffield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC412476 8 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.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8