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

Inspection report for children's home: SC001016 1 SC001016 Registered provider: Keys Child Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living in the home, and the inspector spoke with all children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 3 February 2026

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC001016 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/02/2026 Full Outstanding 18/03/2025 Full Outstanding 19/03/2024 Full Outstanding 10/01/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC001016 3

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Summary of findings

Staff have provided consistent support and reassurance, helping children feel safe and enabling them to continue to make positive progress. Staff speak about the children with love, kindness and respect, demonstrating that they know them well and understand their individual personalities.

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Summary of findings

Children are cared for by a stable and experienced staff team, many of whom have worked in the home for a significant period. This consistency enables children to develop trusting relationships with familiar adults, helping them to feel safe, secure and understood. Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to the children and take pride in the roles, creating a positive and nurturing environment for children.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have successfully embedded children’s participation as an integral part of practice in the home. Children’s voices are heard, valued and acted on with their individuality and aspirations being central to the management of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Some children are making exceptional progress. Despite the last 3 months being difficult for the staff and the children, staff have supported children so they can achieve their goals. Children are cared for by staff who accept them for who they are, and they provide stability within the children’s lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s views are captured through meaningful key work sessions and good participation in the ‘children’s meetings'. These meetings are fun for the children and focus on important topics as well as celebrating their achievements. This supports the children to feel that their voices are listened to. Staff use a ‘you said, we did’ book where children’s requests are acted on. One child said, ‘they really listen to us here’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and children celebrate and embrace a wide range of cultures, which is important in helping children understand and respect different identities. Monthly culture nights involve the children in celebrating diversity and developing their cultural awareness. When children move into the home plans are well considered and work with the children already in the home is completed before other children move in to help them accept and support them. Children who move on from the home have positive endings and have been able to maintain connections with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Education is promoted and children are supported to engage by staff. Children are learning and are making good progress from their starting points. Staff are ambitious for children and support children to attend and do well in their education. Where children attend school on a part-time basis, staff support educational activity throughout the day and continually advocate for a return to full-time education. Inspection report for children's home: SC001016 4 Children are encouraged to volunteer at local charities and become involved in different community events. Some children have recently volunteered at a local foodbank and felt pride in helping others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The use of research in practice is embedded, and staff participate in monthly research projects. Discussions with staff demonstrate that this is something they enjoy, and they ensure that the topics are relevant and focused on what the home needs. Children are also encouraged to take part in research and learning, particularly on cultural evenings. One child was supported to research their new school, so they felt prepared before meeting the headteacher.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

It was noted during the inspection that the home has some damage caused by previous incidents. Leaders and managers are aware and have ensured repairs are underway.

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

Children are protected and feel safe because staff know them well. Staff follow children’s positive behaviour plans, and they have structure and routine. Children are rewarded for positive behaviour with incentives to earn money or prizes and they celebrate with a star of the month award. Children are encouraged to take part in a ‘circle of appreciation’ where they speak positively about one another.

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

Risk assessments are individualised for children. They support staff in understanding how best to support children when they become upset or worried. Plans are regularly updated to identify any emerging or new risks, and staff ensure that children are safeguarded.

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

Incidents are managed well and recorded thoroughly. When incidents requiring physical intervention occur, these are proportionate and ensure that there is immediate safety for children. Staff are proactive at using de-escalation techniques and promoting positive behaviours. Children are supported to find different strategies that are effective in managing their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. As a result there has been a decrease in incidents. One staff member said they tell children, ‘Your first word should be a deep breath’. There are clear follow-up sessions to support learning and reflection for children and staff.

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

The home has experienced some instability and children said they felt worried, but staff worked hard to maintain calm in the home and supported children to explore their thoughts and feelings regularly and to ensure that they remained safe and valued in their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has sustained comprehensive oversight of the home. The manager leads a consistent staff team who are committed to providing remarkable support for children. The manager and deputy know the strengths and areas for development of the staff in the home and have plans in place to support the staff’s continued development. The Inspection report for children's home: SC001016 5 manager maintains effective audit and review systems and her oversight is clear and reflected within children’s records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has high expectations for the care of children. Each child has an individualised ‘my support’ plans which align with their positive behaviour plans and risk assessments. This demonstrates how well the manager and the staff team know the children. These are written in such detail that staff have confidence when incidents occur and they feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager promotes effective communication and strong multi-agency working to achieve positive outcomes for the children. Regular consultation and information sharing with professionals supports the timely review and updating of children’s plans, ensuring that these remain responsive to their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and leaders have created a home where children’s voices, choices and aspirations are highly visible and meaningfully embedded within everyday life. The home provides a visual reflection of children’s participation with personalised charts, routines and vision boards displayed. It demonstrates how children are encouraged to influence their home environment and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monthly team meetings are well attended. They provide a forum for reflection and professional development. Each month, a staff member leads a research project focused on practice developments or emerging themes, supporting the team to broaden their knowledge and skills. This is translated into practice through agreed actions and key work sessions, ensuring that research informs and strengthens care for children. Inspection report for children's home: SC001016 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is clean and that damaged items are repaired quickly to foster a nurturing environment that meets the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC001016 7

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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

Amy Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC001016 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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