Children's Home run by Keys Stepping Stones Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children's home: SC008490 1 SC008490 Registered provider: Keys Stepping Stones Limited 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. The home provides care for up to 4 children who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the beginning of the inspection, the home was caring for 3 children. One child moved into the home during the inspection The inspector spoke with 3 children, who were present during the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 17 December 2025

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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: SC008490 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/12/2025 Full Good 19/03/2025 Full Good 21/11/2023 Full Good 10/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC008490 3

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Summary of findings

Most children have lived at the home for a number of years with a plan that they remain until adulthood. The consistent care children receive and the trusting relationships they build mean they have positive experiences and make progress.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager is a strong advocate for the children in her care. She has effective oversight of practice in the home. Staff receive formal supervision, training and day-to-day informal guidance, which helps them to undertake their roles to a high standard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children living in the home have been there for a number of years. As a result, they have been able to experience consistent care during a significant part of their childhood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have strong, trusting relationships with the staff caring for them. One child said, 'I love it here. This is not a children's home. It feels like we are a family.'

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home to semi-independent accommodation in line with their care plan. This child came to visit during the inspection. This is a testament to the strength of the relationships they continue to have with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child left the home in an unplanned way, as staff were unable to meet their needs. For this child, the pull of harmful relationships in the community impacted on the ability of staff to form relationships and have a positive impact on the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with each other. One child moved into the home during the inspection. The child told the inspector they felt welcomed into the home by the other children and by staff. They were provided with all they needed to begin to settle into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in educational placements that meet their individual needs. Staff work closely with education staff and children's placing authorities to ensure children have the support they need to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to lead active lifestyles and pursue their interests. Staff regularly take children out on activities in the community, and children go on holiday with the staff. One social worker said, 'The staff are really encouraging. They attend all [name of child]'s dance competitions, show a real interest and offer support.' Inspection report for children's home: SC008490 4 Children are supported by staff to maintain relationships with their families and other important people in their lives. This helps children to have a sense of belonging and understanding of their history and their identity.

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

Staff spend regular, purposeful individual time with children. This helps children to understand and manage their emotions, build skills for independence and keep safe.

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

Regular consultations with the provider's in-house psychologist give staff opportunities to reflect on and build a better understanding of children's behaviours. Children's care plans are informed by this information. This contributes to children receiving care that meets their individual needs.

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

Since the last inspection, children's records have moved from a paper to an electronic system. This is a barrier to children accessing and directly contributing to their records should they wish to do so.

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

When staff physically hold children, this is appropriate and proportionate to ensure children's safety. Records of physical interventions provide a good understanding of the rationale for this practice. Children are spoken with after these incidents, and their views are sought. The registered manager provides a reflective and evaluative oversight of each incident.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff act promptly, following children's missing-from-home plans. Staff are proactive in their responses to bring children home safely. Information is shared with the police, local authority and other key parties in a timely manner. This helps to provide a coordinated response to bring children home safely.

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

When children raise concerns about staff practice, the registered manager acts swifty to ensure children are being cared for safely. Information is shared with the local authority designated officer and relevant people. When serious incidents occur, the registered manager shares the information with Ofsted. This ensures the regulator has oversight of practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is skilled and experienced. She provides child-centred leadership that contributes to positive experiences and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the responsible individual take time to reflect on and learn from children's successes and from incidents where children's needs have not been met. This focus on learning helps to build skills and understanding across the staff team. Inspection report for children's home: SC008490 5 The registered manager has well-established mechanisms for regular oversight and review of practice. She receives additional relevant challenge from the independent visitor to the home. This supports ongoing practice improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff are well supported to carry out their roles effectively. Staff complete a range of relevant training that equips them to meet the needs of each child. They also benefit from the expertise of the provider's in-house psychologist.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision of their practice. Staff new to the home have additional support to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to meet children's needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong advocate for children. She challenges children's placing authorities if plans for children are not in their best interests. This ensures children's voices are heard and the impact of decision-making for children is understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records kept in the home are for the most part comprehensive. The admission and discharge book does not always provide information in relation to children's addresses before they move into the home. This is required by regulation. It does not impact on children's experiences. Inspection report for children's home: SC008490 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered per standards 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

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the admissions and discharge records include the child's address immediately before being accommodated in the home and the child's address on leaving the home. 6 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children can access and contribute to their care records, specifically where these are held on electronic recording systems. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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: SC008490 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Keys Stepping Stones Limited

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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: Thomas Cappleman

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC008490 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. 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

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Inspector

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 .

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Inspector

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Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children's home: SC008490 9

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