Children's Home run by Kedleston (Wood Grove Childcare) Limited in Essex

Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 1 SC423453 Registered provider: Wood Grove (childcare) Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children‟s home is one of a small number of settings operated by the organisation. The home is registered to accommodate four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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 good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 20 February 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The staff ensure that the care planning is individualised and enables them to focus on each young person‟s areas of need.  The staff have a good understanding of safe working practices and have established effective partnership working with all relevant agencies to safeguard and protect the welfare of the children.  Parents and professionals report having positive, supportive relationships with the staff.  The staff welcome the children into the home, and they quickly settle.  The majority of the children attend educational provisions regularly and are making good progress.  The manager and staff ensure that there is a wide range of activities on offer both inside the home and in the local community.  The manager and staff ensure that contact with family members is encouraged and supported.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Improve systems for staff recruitment.  Improve external quality assurance reports.  Ensure that all of the required documentation is sent to Ofsted.  Ensure that suitable emergency evacuation plans are in place for those children who require them.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/11/2016 Full Requires improvement 09/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 10/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children‟s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the „Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟. The registered person must comply with the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b)) 19/06/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person‟s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and whether the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1)(4)(a)(b)) 26/06/2017

p.3

Recommendations

 As set out in Regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61 paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that the records are maintained of completed health checks for all employees.  Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 46 paragraph 9.36) In particular, ensure that the records of sanctions are reviewed by the manager to ensure that their use is fair, effective and that any patterns and trends are

p.3

Recommendations

identified.  Comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 4 however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than „institutional‟ impression. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15 paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure that each child who requires it has a suitably detailed individual personal emergency evacuation plan.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy constructive and positive relationships with the staff. Children express complimentary views about all aspects of their care and support. One child said, „The staff look after me really well.‟ A social worker stated, „The staff have extremely good insight into and understanding of him. His key-worker is much attuned to his needs, and he feels nurtured and cared for.‟

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager completes a thorough pre-admission assessment process ensuring that all appropriate information is considered. Consequently, placements are well matched and the children experience placement stability. The staff work closely with professionals and the parents to gather information pertinent to the care planning process. Detailed plans and assessments provide practical advice and support to staff. The plans enable the staff to provide individualised care to the children. Regular and effective review of the plans means that the plans are current and evolve, identifying any changes in need. As a result, those children who are new to the home quickly settle and build good relationships with the staff.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children all have clear health plans and are registered with all relevant primary healthcare services. The children understand the importance of good health, although some of the children continue to engage in unhealthy activities, such as smoking. Some children engage in the weekly onsite art therapy, which helps support the children who at times find it difficult to voice their feelings openly. The staff, where possible, bridge any gaps in support to access various support services to meet the individual needs of children.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have high aspirations for the children. The children are supported to make positive choices about their futures. Consequently, the majority of the children make good progress in relation to their education and fully engage in planning for their move on to college. This achievement is particularly significant as most of the children have previously been highly resistant to engaging in formal education. For example, one placing social worker said of a child in their care, „The fact that he is now managing to go outside of the home to attend college is massive for him.‟ The staff have developed good, effective relationships with education providers and the virtual school. Those children who have been excluded can safely be re-introduced to school or other educational provision. For example, one new child who has been absent from education for some time has engaged in a youth build project to undertake practical skills in

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

construction. Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 5 The children feel listened to and involved in day-to-day decisions about the running of the home. They benefit from regular key-work sessions which cover a wide range of relevant topics providing further opportunity to express their views. One child spoke of how much he liked his key-worker and how he is able to speak to him about anything.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff clearly understand the importance of and support family contact. The children are encouraged to maintain and improve relationships with their families and carers. One parent said, „The staff have been brilliant in facilitating contact, they bring him here and pick him up. This has been our lifeline.‟

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children receive support from the staff to develop independence and life skills relevant to their age, level of understanding and ability. One child said, „Staff help me to cook my favourite meal, spaghetti bolognese, which everybody eats.‟

p.5

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

The children feel safe. One child said, „Staff look after me really well.‟ Another said, „It‟s a really great place. I couldn‟t ask for anything better. It‟s a very good home.‟ While there are sometimes issues of peer conflict, the staff are alert to the situations and group dynamics which can lead to situations becoming heightened. The staff have taken appropriate action to support everyone through individual discussion and mediation. The children say that the actions taken by the staff have given them confidence in the staff‟s commitment to them. All of the children have someone who they can talk to about things that are worrying them, which helps ensure timely and responsive resolution. As a result, there have been no complaints made by children regarding the quality of care.

p.5

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

Despite most of the children placed having historical risks of going missing, there have been no incidents of this for these children since the last inspection. This is a significant reduction in risk for some, and demonstrates that the children feel settled and secure in their home. When in the past children have gone missing, staff have been highly responsive and tenacious in finding them, identifying and, where possible, addressing any additional risks.

p.5

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

The positive relationships that staff have with the children and partner professionals, such as the police and education professionals, help the staff to manage risk, balancing vulnerability with emerging independence effectively. One social worker said, „He is extremely vulnerable and staff really do understand that. Staff are very on the ball.‟ Suitably detailed individual risk assessments identify and guide staff as to the support required and key-work discussions focus on particular areas of relevant risk. Room searches are undertaken transparently and only in response to specific concerns.

p.5

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

Parents and placing social workers have confidence in staff‟s ability to keep the children safe. One parent said, „They take really good care of him for me.‟ A placing social worker said „He will be safe and well cared for here.‟ The staff undertake training in the wider safeguarding agenda, such as the „prevent duty.‟ Therefore, the staff are suitably equipped to identify and respond appropriately to any potential issues of concern. Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 6 The consistent boundaries, expectations and routines that staff provide give stability and security to children. Newer children say that the staff are very good at helping them understand the boundaries, and they begin to develop the self-management skills which they need in life. The staff seek to understand the children‟s histories and are reflective in their practice. The staff promote positive behaviour through discussion, which is

p.5

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

effective. As a result, physical intervention is rarely used and antisocial behaviour is relatively low. One social worker said, „His behaviour has really improved due to the stability the home offers and the consistent boundaries.‟ Sanctions are used appropriately. However, these are not consistently monitored by the manager to understand their effectiveness or identify any emerging patterns and trends.

p.6

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

The building is suitable, and health and safety arrangements are well managed. However, personal emergency evacuation plans for those children who have an autistic spectrum disorder or other special needs are either not in place or do not fully reflect the individual challenges faced. This lack of information has the potential to impact on the children‟s ability to understand and act swiftly in the event of an emergency.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service delivers good quality, individualised caring experiences to children in accordance with the home‟s statement of purpose. However, the provider has not provided Ofsted with a copy of the home‟s statement of purpose in the past year. This does not have any impact on the children, but it does mean that Ofsted as the regulator does not have current information regarding the service.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The skilled staff support the children to explore their identity and personal histories. They successfully demonstrate their personal caring commitment. Consequently, the children feel safe, nurtured, listened to, valued and consulted. As a result of the individualised care and support that they receive, the vast majority of the children make good progress from their starting points and are very positive about their experiences of living at the home. They rate it between good and excellent, and their comments included;

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

 „It‟s brilliant. It‟s the best place I‟ve ever been.‟  „They really help me.‟  „The staff are all good. I‟ve not got any problem with any of the staff.‟ The staffing arrangements facilitate the staff to spend the time to build positive relationships which underpin the success that the staff have with the children. The staff have built effective partnerships with the parents and other agencies to help promote children‟s outcomes. One parent said, „We have found our situation with regards to our child not being at home with us really stressful, but the staff team have been so supportive. They have been great and are always there when I need to just talk.‟ One placing social worker said, „Staff are fantastic and really do care.‟

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff feel well supported by formalised systems of induction and supervision, supplemented with regular child-focused and practice-based team meetings. All of the Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 7 staff who have been working with children for over two years have completed their level 3 diploma. The staff benefit from a variety of relevant core training which helps promote their professional awareness, competence and skills.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recording systems in the home are generally sound. However, there are specific areas which require improvement. For example, the manager has not reviewed all of the sanctions to ensure that they are appropriately used, and recruitment records do not always evidence that the required vetting information regarding employees‟ health is sought and scrutinised. This shortfall means that information which may potentially impact on suitability may not be identified.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The relatively new but experienced manager has a vision and aspirations for the home. The manager is working with the staff team to ensure that these aspirations are delivered effectively. The manager does not hold a suitable qualification, but there are plans in place to achieve this. The manager has an understanding of the strengths and areas for potential development in the home. However, the monthly independent visitor‟s report does not clearly evaluate whether children are safeguarded effectively and their well-being is promoted. Furthermore, these visits often take place when there are no children on site. In the absence of the ability to gain their views, there is not a comprehensive approach to effectively understanding the quality of care provided and promoting improvements in care. This does not have a direct impact on the care provided, but it does have an impact on the rigour of the review and ability to drive

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are a small number of requirements and recommendations set as part of this inspection. However, the areas for improvement do not impact on the quality of care or the children‟s positive experiences.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

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 children‟s home: SC423453 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wood Grove (childcare) Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/O Kedleston Group Limited, Office Suite No. 1, Ansell Gardens, Holloway Lane, Harmondsworth, Middlesex UB7 0AE

p.8

Inspectors

Joanna Heller, social care inspector Catherine Russell, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC423453 9 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.8

Inspectors

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 http://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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9