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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 1 Registered provider: Keys Child 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

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for 2 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were 2 children living in the home. Both children were spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since December 2025 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/04/2025 Full Good 13/08/2024 Full Good 02/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 3

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Summary of findings

Children are progressing well in key areas of their care. They are settled in the home and have positive relationships with staff. They have made progress in routines and boundaries, and one child is now engaging in education outside of the home. However, there are maintenance needs both inside and outside the property that require attention.

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Summary of findings

Staff share a good understanding of each child’s needs and respond appropriately to significant incidents in the home.

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Summary of findings

The home is managed by an experienced manager, who has established a stable and consistent staff team. However, staff do not consistently take effective action when serious incidents occur.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make positive progress in the home. Staff use a variety of ways to respond to the children’s behaviours. They have a good understanding of children’s needs, individualised interests, and the children say they are happy living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a strong sense of belonging in the home. Staff listen to them and regularly engage the children in direct work sessions that help them to understand their behaviours, risks and the topics which are important to children. The children are settled and content in their home and in the presence of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for what the children can achieve. The children have good attendance at school and staff have supported one child to return to full-time education after a long period of being educated in the home. This is helping children to develop aspirations for their futures. Children’s health needs are well met. Staff support children to access health services, such as the GP, and they have worked closely with health professionals to help one child overcome their anxiety about attending the dentist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a positive experience when moving into the home. Staff support children to visit the home before they move in and welcome them sensitively. Staff and senior leaders continue to act in the best interest of children, carefully considering their needs and feelings, in consultation with professionals known to them, to provide positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their individual taste. However, there are areas of the home, both internally and externally, that require further maintenance, including redecoration and flooring. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 4

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks for each child and take appropriate action should an incident occurs. Individualised risk assessments provide clear guidance for staff to follow, and these are reviewed and updated after each event.

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

There is a coordinated response when children go missing from home. Staff take proactive steps to locate the child and ensure their safe return. They make timely contact with the police, family members and other professionals to reduce risk. Children are offered return home interviews, and when these are not provided, the manager challenges this effectively.

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

Staff and senior leaders respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns. Allegations are managed fairly and promptly, and concerns are shared with the relevant professionals, including the local authority designated officer. Senior leaders support staff and children to repair relationships through direct work sessions.

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

When physical intervention has been necessary, staff have acted proportionately to keep the child or others safe. Staff help children to understand their behaviours and take time to listen to their views. Each incident is recorded and evaluated by the manager, and staff involved are spoken with. All staff are trained in restraint practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced manager, who is dedicated and visible in the home. The home has experienced staffing changes, and the manager has taken action to secure a suitably experienced staff team to ensure consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the home’s strengths and weakness and is in the process of implementing change. The manager understands the plans for children. However, when there was a road traffic collision, the staff member involved drove the company car the following morning without considering the risk factors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervisions are held on a regular basis and managed by a suitably experienced person. Supervisions are practice focused on the children’s individual needs. They consider staff’s wellbeing, training and development. Actions are reviewed and set at each supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and provide an open forum for staff to share their knowledge about the children’s needs and an opportunity to review their ways of working. Actions are set at the end of each meeting to further compliment the smooth running of the home and enhance children’s care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed a wide variety of training, including safeguarding, health and safety awareness and first aid. They have engaged in additional training specific to the children’s individualised needs, to support them in providing a tailored response. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 5 Staff enjoy working in the home and speak passionately about the children. They report a stable and responsive staffing team, whose members provide consistency in meeting the children’s needs. Staff members speak about the presence of the manager and the improvements in routines and boundaries for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 6

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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 Home Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard and is clean and tidy. 26 June 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they plan staffing to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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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 Home Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 7

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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

Vicky Byron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2709845 8 regulates 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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