Children's home run by Keswick Care Limited in Wakefield

Inspection report children’s home: SC067865 1 SC067865 Registered provider: Keswick Care Limited

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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 is a privately run children’s home. It is registered to care for three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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: 13 December 2016

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not judged

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC067865 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children are loved and nurtured by the staff.  Children have the opportunity to embrace and enjoy their childhood and gain rewarding childhood experiences.  Children’s care is planned in true collaboration between themselves and staff, and the child’s voice is strong.  Children are listened to and staff provide care based on children’s expressed likes and dislikes.  Staff are innovative in their practices. The staff use children’s stories to help explain to children pertinent issues, for example, ‘The boy who cried wolf’, to address allegations and telling the truth.  The home is maintained to an excellent standard and presents as a welcoming home.  The manager is supported to go above and beyond to maintain the stability and security of children’s placements in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 There are some minor procedural shortfalls in completing some aspects of paperwork. However, these do not impact on the care or safety of children.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2016 Interim Not judged 22/09/2016 Interim Not judged 15/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC067865 3

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the date, time and location of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(iii)) 07/07/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  Make best use of information from independent monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) This is with particular reference to ensuring that the independent visitor’s report is sent to HMCI before the end of the month that follows the month in which the visit took place.  Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (Regulation 36 (schedule 3(14)). This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any

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Recommendations

gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care (see paragraph 15.2). (‘Guide the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46 paragraph 9.31) This is with particular reference to the registered manager consistently monitoring these records and ensuring that all staff members involved sign the record, as the record directs.  The children’s guide should help children to understand: how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (’Guide the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24 paragraph 4.22) Inspection report children’s home: SC067865 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive care that is warm, loving and caring from staff who are truly compassionate and nurturing. This provides children with the most fantastic care experiences. A professional reported that: ‘There is nothing further that the home could be doing. They have tried very hard with X and, although she is a sweet child, she is very difficult. X has tried to break the placement, but the staff are sticking with her in the longer run, which is better for her.’ Children are highly involved in the planning of their care, and the care delivered by staff is completely child focused. Children’s views and feelings are central to their records and the care provided to them. For example, the children’s consultation book informs staff what the children enjoyed before they came to live in the home. These preferences are responded to and implemented, such as going to funfairs, dressing nicely and receiving

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

hugs. However, although each children’s voice is heard, they need to be provided with the contact details of the children’s commissioner. Children’s complex histories are understood by staff. Staff excel at giving children the opportunity to enjoy childhood experiences that they may have missed out on, for example, riding a bike, building sandcastles and puddle jumping. In addition to these traditional activities, staff also assist them in building the skills that they need to live in today’s society. A parent reported: ‘The staff do a brilliant job.’ The manager ensures that, as far as possible, children’s needs are fully understood before they move into the home. In addition, staff are very experienced and skilled in supporting children who have experienced trauma, such as neglect. This is having a positive impact on the children’s stability. For one child, this is the most stable placement since she entered care, as she previously had seven foster placements within the space

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

of a month. Children regularly attend school. This is a successful and pleasurable element of their daily routine. Staff have quickly built relationships with a new school provision and a headteacher reported how impressed she was with the staff practice. Children are helped to lead a healthy lifestyle. They are supported to form good habits to maintain good health through innovative ideas. For example, the manager provides a dental ‘welcome pack’. This provides children with an electric toothbrush and other tools and guidance for oral hygiene. Children live in a house that feels like a normal family home. The environment is welcoming and the quality of the decorations and furnishings is of a high standard. When damage is caused to the home, this is repaired immediately. Inspection report children’s home: SC067865 5

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

Children are kept safe due to high levels of vigilance and close supervision by staff, and a willingness to doggedly keep children in sight if they try to go missing. As a result, missing from home incidents are rare. Children are supported by a team of committed staff who maintain their patience and a consistent approach during the positive, but also difficult, times. This provides children with a sense of stability and security in the home. A member of staff reported: ‘As a team, we support each other so that we provide the same standard of care to the children, including always having a smile.’ Children’s admissions into the home are well researched and planned. There are clear considerations of the risks and impact of children coming to live in the home. This helps children to settle in and make a good start, as staff can begin to respond immediately to their needs. When children present with challenging behaviours, staff are adept at turning this

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

around by a mixture of firm guidance and boundaries, coupled with a clear focus on positive behaviour. This helps children to improve their behaviour and learn how to respond to situations in more socially acceptable ways. Children are cared for by staff whose practice is very child focused. They are innovative in their approach to key working sessions, which helps children better understand their behaviours. For example, in order to help a child understand the impact of false allegations, staff used the story of ‘The boy who cried wolf’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly experienced and, as a leader, is inspirational to her staff team. She continues to strive to gain the optimum achievements, experiences and outcomes for both the children and the staff team. The manager is extremely passionate about her role and in helping children to experience a good childhood, while helping them manage the troubles from their past. The needs of the child are absolutely central to her approach. For example, the manager has identified that the current child in placement needs a solo placement. The provider is supporting this arrangement as, despite this being a multiple occupancy home, no other children will be placed. The manager continues to strive for excellence by looking at ways to develop and improve staff practice. The team are committed to exploring current care processes and the impact of their work. They have successfully drawn on research and used their

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

strong links with other agencies to improve the quality of their work. For example, the local authority designated officer completed a session to discuss their role and support the staff to implement best practice. The well-being of staff is given the utmost importance, and the company has invested in an independent counselling agency for the staff team. This counselling service is also Inspection report children’s home: SC067865 6 available to the children’s family members. The implementation of this service has been well received. Partnership working is a strength of the home, and this has not only improved practice but also the opportunities for the children. For example, staff have built up new relationships with a school, and they systematically work together to meet the needs of a child. This joint working enabled a child to go on a school trip to the seaside. The management team is creative in its approaches to the care afforded to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff continue to develop recording practice, ensuring that the records are simplified, individualised and written to have meaning for the children. However, there are some shortfalls in relation to recording. Restraints should be accurately recorded in accordance with the regulation, and the independent visitor’s report and any notifications should be sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. The manager should also ensure that records are signed off as required, and that children know how to contact the children’s commissioner. None of these shortfalls has a negative impact on the care and safety of children.

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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 differences 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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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: SC067865 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keswick Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hylton House, 150 Barnsley Road, Hemsworth, Pontefract WF9 4PQ

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC067865 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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