Children's Home run by Keys Nhcc Ltd in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC020607 1 SC020607 Registered provider: Keys Nhcc Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were 3 children living in the home, who were present and spoken to by the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2026 and is suitably qualified.

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 good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 24 February 2026

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC020607 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/02/2026 Full Good 18/03/2025 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC020607 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children benefit from nurturing care provided by experienced staff. They are happy, settled and enjoy positive relationships with staff, who know them.

p.3

Summary of findings

Children make progress in education, develop confidence through activities tailored to their interests and maintain important family relationships.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff use a trauma-informed approach that promotes stability, safety and emotional wellbeing. Risks are managed effectively, and children are supported to understand how to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Summary of findings

There are highly committed leaders, who provide strong oversight and promote continuous improvement, resulting in positive outcomes for children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. Children’s belongings are present throughout. This shows children are comfortable using the spaces in their home. Their bedrooms are personalised to their taste and interests. The garden has been designed with the children in mind and includes sporting equipment that aligns with their hobbies and interests. Furthermore, children have contributed to building a pallet climbing frame in the garden, giving them a sense of ownership and achievement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s feedback about the home is positive. They are encouraged to take part in activities that they enjoy. For example, one child, who enjoys playing football, has been able to join an inclusive football team where they can flourish. Consequently, they have built good friendships and grown in confidence. Staff think carefully about finding the right settings for children where they will thrive. One child said, ‘The best thing about living here is my room and the staff.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a thorough understanding of children’s experiences and how these impact on them. They use this knowledge to better understand children’s needs and behaviours. This approach is supported by the internal review process. This involves regular clinical oversight to think about the main goals for children, and what approaches they need from staff to help them progress. This ensures that children’s needs and vulnerabilities are at the forefront of staff practice.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in education from their starting points. Each child is accessing a greater range of subjects, and these have been tailored to their needs. Staff promote learning in the home and help children to develop healthy routines to support this. The registered manager advocates for children, working closely with education colleagues. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020607 4 Staff recognise the importance of children’s relationships with the important people in their lives. Family members are consulted regularly and included in the lives of the children. Where possible, they are supported to visit the home, to gain a greater understanding of their child’s experiences. This approach supports children to maintain their sense of identity and belonging.

p.3

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

Staff adopt a nurturing approach in their everyday interactions with children. Children respond positively to these interactions, which has meant a reduction in incidents. At times when children become upset or feel emotionally overwhelmed, staff understand how best to support them. When physical intervention has been needed to ensure a child’s safety, this has been for as short a time as possible. Staff use follow-up conversations to focus on the child’s immediate welfare and repair relationships. This helps children understand the reason for the hold and assures them that staff continue to care about them.

p.4

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

Children do not go missing from home. Staff have used activities children enjoy, giving them a focus and routine. In turn, this prevents boredom and lessens the chance of children gravitating into the community. Missing-from-care protocols are in place in the event that children go missing.

p.4

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

Staff are vigilant of self-harm. They build trusting and meaningful relationships with children and seek to understand what may have acted as a trigger for the behaviour, with a focus on immediate safety. The staff support children to discuss the incident and explore safer ways of managing their feelings. The registered manager ensures to include important people to the child in safety planning. This means the child is safeguarded when at the home and in the community.

p.4

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

Children have conversations with staff to support them in understanding how to keep themselves safe. Discussions are not incident led but proactively support children to develop their knowledge. Staff think about the child and their needs, ensuring this is purposeful. As a result, children develop a greater understanding of how to be safe in the community and online.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly dedicated to their role, the children and staff team they lead. They are consistently present in the home and arrive each day to ensure they can see children before they leave for education. Staff confirm the registered manager has positive relationships with children and has an in-depth understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities and has a good oversight of all areas of children’s development. Supervisions are detailed, considering staff and children’s needs, and is a continuous process throughout each month.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have a passionate and committed vision for the home. They role model trauma-informed practice and provide clear guidance to the team. Plans Inspection report for children’s home: SC020607 5 for development are detailed and analyse what progress has been made. The registered manager continues to strive for improvements, thinking of creative ways support can be provided to children. Staff are encouraged to continue their professional development at a pace right for them and feel well supported to do so. Where unexpected behavioural changes arise with children, training is sought quickly to increase staff confidence in meeting the child’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a focus on the future for children, with aspirations for them and their outcomes. While children have a high level of support around them, a positive approach to risk is adopted. Staff are not risk-averse; they support children to explore and take age-appropriate risk, in line with their understanding and abilities. They are very aware of managing children’s vulnerabilities but make sure they have access to different experiences and opportunities. This means children are well supported as they progress through their independence and journey to adulthood.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Care is provided to the children by a long-term stable staff team. Most staff are qualified and have significant experience in supporting children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences. There is a strong and consistent core team that supports the registered manager, which knows the children well and provides a home in which children can thrive.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has sought to embed highly structured routines and a strong sense of nurture into daily life in the home. The impact of this is seen through staff and children’s interactions and in recordings of support. Staff receive regular, reflective and practice-related supervisions and team meetings. Children benefit from predictable routines and know what is expected of them and what they can expect from staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Relationships developed between leaders and external professionals supporting children are positive. Where required, effective and productive challenge is used, ensuring children’s best interests are at the centre of decision-making. Where there are changes to children’s care plan, the registered manager advocates on behalf of the child. As a result, the children continue to make consistent progress in the home, where their needs are well supported and understood.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been made following this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020607 6

p.5

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: SC020607 7

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Fran Dallow, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC020607 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.

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