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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Keys Child Care 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were 3 children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/08/2025 Full Outstanding 14/05/2024 Full Outstanding 16/05/2023 Full Outstanding 08/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Summary of findings

The registered manager and staff provide a caring and nurturing home environment for children to live in. Staff have positive relationships with children, their families and relevant professionals.

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Summary of findings

Children’s plans are child centred. Children’s plans include individualised information to help staff care for children.

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Summary of findings

Staff support children to spend time with their families. This helps children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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Summary of findings

Staff prioritise children’s education. This helps children to make good progress in this area.

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Summary of findings

Shortfalls were identified in relation to staff safeguarding practices. This has not impacted on children’s safety. The registered manager has identified changes to improve these areas of practice.

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Summary of findings

Staff support the children to have positive experiences through structured activities.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager and staff manage children’s moves in and out of the home effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are effective. The registered manager visits children to share information about the home and the staff team. The registered manager arranges for children to visit the home. This means that children are familiar with the home environment and staff before they move into the home. This contributes to children settling quickly into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff engage children in activities that they enjoy. Staff support children to undertake voluntary work or part-time jobs with local businesses. This helps children to feel part of their community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that staff are supportive and that this is the best home they have lived in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s views, wishes and feelings are regularly sought by staff. Staff talk to children to ascertain their views. Staff complete key-work sessions to talk to the children about various things that are important to them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive timely feedback, which helps them to feel heard, valued and involved in decisions about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education and encourage children to attend their educational settings. As a result, children make progress in education. This helps to ensure that children have opportunities for their future. Staff help children complete schoolwork and access individual tutors if this is necessary for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff engage with children to promote a healthy lifestyle, for example improving children’s sleep routines, healthy eating and offering incentives to support personal hygiene. Staff prioritise children’s health support children to attend health appointments in line with their individual needs. This supports children to maintain good physical health and emotional wellbeing.

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

Children’s risk management plans and safety plans are up to date. They are regularly reviewed by the registered manager and include children’s ongoing needs. These plans provide staff with appropriate strategies to reduce and minimise risks to children.

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

Staff demonstrate that they understand the children’s risks and vulnerabilities, and they take appropriate action to manage these.

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

Safeguarding incidents are managed well by staff. However, on one occasion, shortfalls were identified in relation to staff practices. The registered manager responded quickly and took sufficient action to address this.

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

The registered manager and staff manage children’s allegations effectively. The registered manager completes a thorough investigation and shares relevant information with the local authority designated officer. They also implement safety plans to ensure that children remain safe.

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

Children have individualised missing-from-home plans and staff are aware of the procedures to follow if children are missing from home. Missing-from-home incidents are managed consistently and effectively. This has led to a reduction in these incidents occurring.

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

Medication is stored and locked away appropriately. However. there are some inaccuracies in the medication records. This may impact on the safe administration of medication.

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

Recruitment procedures and practices are safe and effective. All staff are checked before they start to work with children. This helps to ensure that only suitable adults are employed to care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified. The registered manager aspires for children, and she is child focused. Staff speak highly of the management team and the support they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children receive care from a stable staff team. Staff receive training that is relevant to children’s individual needs. The organisation’s therapeutic team provides consultation sessions to improve staff’s caring practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. This provides staff with the opportunity to discuss and reflect on their practice. Staff attend team meetings, which helps to support their development. Team meetings also provide staff with the opportunity to share good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has established strong relationships with professionals who are involved in children’s care and is a good advocate for children. The registered manager shares information promptly and works well with relevant professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual understand the strengths and areas for the development of the operation of the home. This helps them to make continuous improvements to the care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring systems are effective. This helps the registered manager continue to review the quality of care that staff provide for children. However, there was a shortfall in the registered manager’s oversight of an incident. This did not negatively impact on the child on this occasion. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that all staff take effective action when dealing with a safeguarding concern and understand the home’s child protection procedures. 18 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that— medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that medical records are accurate and consistent. 18 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should undertake internal monitoring of incidents in a timely manner to ensure continuous improvement, proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC064500 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Child Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Shane North, Social Care Inspector (lead) Inspection report for children’s home: SC064500 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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Inspector

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