Children's Home run by Keswick Care Limited in Wakefield

Outstanding

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

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people receive excellent, highly effective, warm and nurturing care. They make significant and sustained progress in respect of their physical, mental and emotional well-being.  Staff have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the young people’s individual needs.  Young people reach their full potential at school, with increased attendance due to staff’s support and encouragement.  A full range of activities are available. Young people become confident and their self-esteem increases as they experiment with new hobbies and activities.  An in-house nutritionist has developed a highly successful programme of healthy eating for young people.  Young people are kept safe and protected as a result of the actions taken by staff.  Exceptional care planning documents provide comprehensive information about young people.  Comprehensive, individualised risk assessments are in place, due to staff’s

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

in-depth knowledge of young people.  Staff use positive reinforcement strategies and restorative justice approaches to improve young people’s behaviour.  The manager is forward thinking, creative and proactive in implementing new systems and structures.  The robust and structured recruitment and induction process ensures that the best possible staff are recruited to work at the home.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care.

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Recommendations

Specifically, to ensure that the registered person sets out their opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and managed. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural needs. The home was registered by Ofsted in October 2015, so this is its first full inspection.

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Outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the young people’s individual needs. An external therapist provides further information and advice. Staff understand the complexity of young people’s experiences. This enables young people to benefit from excellent, high-quality, individualised care from the warm and nurturing staff. The quality of care makes a positive difference to the lives of young people, who are making significant and sustained progress from their starting points. There are improvements to health, behaviour, social interactions and school attendance, and young people no longer go missing from home.

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Outstanding

Staff have a high level of understanding of child development and attachment theory. They re-parent young people and sensitively allow them to regress to an earlier developmental age using a workbook designed by the manager. This allows them to progress through missed developmental stages. Young people begin to recover, and form trusted relationships with staff. They feel safe, which results in them engaging with external therapy to improve their emotional well-being.

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Outstanding

Staff have close links with local schools, careers advisors and the virtual head. Staff source the best educational placement for young people that are new to the home but avoid unnecessary moves between schools, promoting stability. Staff are encouraging and offer practical support to young people, who enjoy attending school leading to increased attendance. Young people reach their full potential, including taking GCSEs and enrolling on college courses. They take pride in their achievements and recognise the progress that they are making through the use of age-appropriate visual aids.

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Outstanding

Young people have access to a full range of outside activities and facilities at the home. These include a large, well-equipped games room. Social interaction increases and new skills and interests develop. Young people keep fit and active. They also become confident, and their self-esteem increases. One young person who was involved in interviewing new staff said, ‘I never used to look at people, when I first came here.’

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Outstanding

An in-house nutritionist has developed a highly successful nutritional programme. Young people’s diets have improved significantly, with a vast reduction in them eating processed foods. Young people start making the right food choices and eat healthily leading to healthier lifestyles.

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Outstanding

Staff place a great deal of significance on preparing food and eating with young people at mealtimes. This provides a natural way of nurturing young people. For one young person, this enabled her to enjoy a birthday meal with staff which strengthened relationships further. It also assists any new young people admitted to feel a part of the home quickly.

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Outstanding

The home’s robust admissions policy, impact assessments and effective consultation process contribute to the solid matching of young people admitted to the home. This offers minimal disruption to existing young people. The colourful and animated children’s guide has a detailed, informative question and answer section about the home. Young people obtain a good understanding of the home, fears are allayed and young people settle in quickly.

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Outstanding

The staff team is dedicated to using a child-centred approach using exceptional, personalised, care-planning documents. Excellent, individualised key-working sessions and residents meetings clearly show that young people voice their views and opinions. Young people have a good understanding of the complaints procedure, and any complaints they have are dealt with fairly and promptly. Staff consult with young people about their care.

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Outstanding

A specifically designed care-planning document for parents is used to encapsulate unique information about the young people. Parents feel involved in the care of their child, which builds relationships between parents and staff allowing for invaluable cultural information to be shared This ensures the care delivered is consistent with young people’s religious and cultural beliefs. Early interactions with young people are personalised, and staff become aware of their likes and dislikes further promoting relationships.

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Outstanding

Staff discuss behaviour management strategies with parents. This provides a consistent approach during contact sessions. Levels of contact increase and become more enjoyable for young people, promoting the chances of young people returning home. One parent, whose child has had numerous placements, said that she was ‘really impressed’ with the staff’s care and commitment.

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Outstanding

The home is decorated and furnished to an impressive standard. Young people have highly personalised bedrooms and they enjoy living at the home. They take pride in their home and develop a sense of belonging and permanence.

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Outstanding

Staff are extremely knowledgeable about safeguarding policy and procedures. Safeguarding permeates everything they do. A high staff ratio ensures that young people live in a safe environment. Young people are kept safe and protected as a result of the actions that are taken by staff. Young people have identified staff whom they can trust.

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Outstanding

The staff team’s in-depth knowledge of young people helps them to identify accurately any risks. Comprehensive, individualised risk assessments provide consistent and clear strategies. Staff manage and reduce potential risks to young people. Young people understand what actions the staff will take, as these are in an easy to read format within their care-planning document.

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Outstanding

Young people are no longer involved in missing from care episodes. They enjoy living at the home and do not feel the need to abscond. Young people are empowered through their involvement in the risk management process. Staff are highly vigilant of any change in behaviours that may indicate that a young person is planning to leave. Distraction techniques are used, and this pre-emptive approach offers further protection to young people.

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Outstanding

Positive reinforcement strategies are used. The positives far outweigh the negative consequences. Effective behaviour management approaches are applied consistently, with clear, strong boundaries set and predictable routines maintained by all staff. Inappropriate behaviour is always challenged and discussed with young people. Restorative justice approaches help young people to look at their own actions. Young people take responsibility for their behaviour, and develop more awareness of the consequences of their actions.

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Outstanding

The high quality and structured key-working sessions are responsive to the young people’s complex needs and behaviours. A marked improvement in young people’s behaviour is a result of them learning to regulate their behaviour and emotions.

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Outstanding

The deputy manager’s dog is a regular visitor to the home. Its calming influence has promoted positive changes in behaviour and anger outbursts have decreased. Young people develop empathy and are more relaxed. In addition, its presence at the home provides a further source of exercise.

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Outstanding

No young people are currently at risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff recognise that young people’s experiences make them more vulnerable and are mindful of strategies to keep them safe. Staff have an impressive understanding of internet safety. They take decisive action when they consider young people to be at risk, working closely and in collaboration with the placing authority and police. Such proactive behaviours ensures that a multi-agency approach is taken to safeguard young people at an early stage.

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Outstanding

The good relationships young people have with staff allow them to discuss safeguarding issues openly. Staff provide a range of information and advice to young people which empower them to keep themselves safe from harm and abuse. All young people speak of feeling safe, living at the home, because of the staff’s actions. Parents echo this. One spoke of how impressed she was at staff’s actions to stop her son from absconding, saying, ‘they would always follow at a distance’.

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Outstanding

The manager has extensive experience of working with young people with acute emotional and behavioural difficulties and is suitably qualified to undertake the role. She has been a registered manager for about 12 years and has held registered manager status at the home since its opening in October 2015. She is also registered as the manager of another home within the company and manages her time effectively between the two homes assisted by the efficient and supportive senior staff team.

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Outstanding

The manager recognises that managing two homes is a weakness, so has set up a system of meeting the senior managers at the beginning of the week to discuss outstanding tasks. The robust systems and procedures in place also allow senior staff to deputise effectively in her absence and any risks are mitigated.

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Outstanding

The charismatic and passionate manager provides the best possible care for young people. She has a natural talent for passing on her knowledge to staff, who are enthusiastic to learn new skills. Staff said that she is ‘always enthusiastic at work’. She is forward thinking and keeps up to date with new guidelines and current issues, and is creative and proactive in implementing new systems and structures. These include a dental cleaning pack, a parent’s consultation form and a ‘100 activities’ book. The management team has implemented a structured recruitment process, with young people being involved in the selection process. This involves young people and empowers them to take part in the recruitment of staff. Since their involvement, there has been a significant decrease in staff turnover. This leads to better consistency for young people.

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Outstanding

An extensive review of performance and capability takes place during the probation period for new starters. This means the manager can address any gaps in their learning and development at an early stage. Existing staff are afforded good levels of support to ensure their training needs are identified and met. The workforce development plan is reflective of the staff team and its strengths. The best possible staff are recruited and trained to care for the young people.

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Outstanding

The passionate and dedicated manager recognises the commitment of staff who, she says, ‘genuinely want to work at the home to make a difference’. They create a positive and purposeful environment for young people, characterised by mutual respect, trust and confidence building. Staff respond well to her approach and management style. She knows the young people well, and they also have a good relationship with her.

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Outstanding

Staff feel supported by the management team; have regular supervision and reflective team meetings, and offer support to each other. One member of staff said, ‘Managers listen to your suggestions and encourage the skills that you have.’ Staff all share the same ethos and want ‘children to get the best out of their lives’. The efficient and detailed monitoring systems in place allow targets to be set; strategies put in place and their effectiveness reviewed by staff. This ensures young people continue to make progress and flourish.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’. An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

are in place, however, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance, ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children 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 4234, 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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