Children's Home, Residential special school run by Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 1 SC048552 Registered provider: Wings Education 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

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 50 young people of both genders. It is a privately owned residential special school, which is also registered as a children’s home. The home provides for young people who may 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because: Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 2  The home’s risk assessments are not yet robust. They do not assess all potential risks to children living at the home. Consequently, staff do not have comprehensive risk assessments that outline the strategies identified to keep all children safe. This issue was raised at the last inspection and has not been met.  The use of external window restrictors is not in keeping with a homely environment. There are no risk assessments in place to support their use. Maintenance issues within the houses are not addressed in a timely fashion, for example ensuring that all curtains are hung correctly.  Staff do not always make best use of information provided by the placing authority to source additional support, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) at the point of admission. This results in delays in

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Key findings from this inspection

young people receiving the care that they need.  Record keeping is not yet robust. Staff have failed to chase outstanding information from partner agencies, such as placement plans and the minutes from strategy meetings. This hinders staff members’ ability to plan effectively to meet the needs of young people.  Documents such as placement plans, missing from care risk assessments and missing from care records are not sufficiently detailed. There are inaccuracies and conflicting information in the records, and they do not provide insight into the young people’s experiences and outcomes while at the home.  Monitoring systems are not wholly effective because they do not provide a thorough assessment of the care and protection provided in the home. Furthermore, they have not identified the shortfalls found at this inspection.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people said that they feel safe here. They said that they can talk to the staff about anything and that they enjoy living here.  Incidents of young people being missing from care are decreasing. Young people know that staff care about them, as they said, ‘They always come to find us.’  Young people benefit from being cared for by a stable and committed team that is skilled at nurturing positive relationships with young people.  Young people make good progress from their starting points, particularly in their education and emotional health. This is as a result of consistent routines, successful behaviour management strategies, and collaborative working with schools.  Young people’s social development is promoted through having regular opportunities to do a range of activities that they choose and enjoy.  The registered manager is committed to enhancing the outcomes for young people. This is reflected in the detailed development plan that she is

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Key findings from this inspection

implementing. Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/11/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 4

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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, 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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met standard, the registered person must ensure that staff –

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or performance to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are meeting in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure that the health and well-being needs of children are met and that they receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1) (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when referrals are needed to other agencies, such as the child and adolescent mental health services that these are completed at the point of admission. 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (2) (a) (i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the content of young people’s individual risk assessments accurately defines all known risks and is recorded in such a way that the reader is clear about 28/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 5 levels of risk, such as those concerning child sexual exploitation and going missing from care. 12: The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished, and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards. (Regulation 12 (2) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the external window restrictors are in keeping with a homely environment and that their use is risk assessed: ensure that repairs are identified and that action is taken to address issues such as damaged curtains, broken soap dispensers, and the strong odours in some bedrooms. Also, ensure that there is appropriate storage of items, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, to prevent cross contamination. 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered person maintains records ("case records") for each child, which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up-to-date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1) (a) (b) and (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records such as missing from care risk assessments, missing from care records, child sexual exploitation risk assessments, placement plans and medication records are sufficiently detailed. Ensure that these records do not contain conflicting information and that they reflect the current care practice. 28/07/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person actively seeks independent scrutiny of the home and makes best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under Regulation 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, ensure that reports are evaluative, identify the strengths of the home, any weaknesses, patterns and trends and the action taken to address them.  Ensure that the staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual young people in a non-stigmatising way that Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 6 distinguishes fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about young people should always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to them now or in

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Recommendations

the future. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, ensure that the home’s records on each young person represent a significant contribution to their life history. Also, ensure that the use of inappropriate terminology, such as ‘prostitution’, is not used.

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improvement to be good

Not all young people benefit from having statutory care plans or placement plans in place. Managers do not ensure that all essential paperwork is obtained for each young person from the placing authority. The lack of care planning documentation has prevented the home from devising its own personalised placement plans for some young people. Consequently, staff are not appropriately informed of every young person’s individual needs and vulnerabilities or what the local authority requests of them.

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improvement to be good

Staff are skilled at nurturing positive relationships with young people. Young people spoke positively about the staff team, and they were all able to identify a member of staff whom they can confide in. Staff members’ supportive approach is helping young people to settle and to develop a strong sense of belonging. A professional said, ‘I like coming here, they have a good, right approach. Staff are tenacious and are there for the young people. Young people get stability from the staff here. Staff don’t give up on the young people, they go out of their way to support them.’ One young person who had only been at the home for a few weeks said that the staff had made sure that he knew their names and had introduced him to the other young people. He said that everything was going well, but admitted that he had had a few ‘blips’. He said that staff had helped him to sort this out. Young people enjoy exchanging playful banter with staff, for

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improvement to be good

example discussing who is the best at playing pool or cooking.

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improvement to be good

Young people are making good progress with regards to their education. This is because of the effective collaborative working between the home and on-site school. Young people’s educational attainment is progressing well in relation to their starting points. A young person said, ‘It’s great, I just get up and walk across the grounds to school. I’m now on time, and I feel I am doing well’. A young person said that she is much more confident about moving on to higher education because of the support that she receives from staff. She said that she is now getting excited about going to college and meeting new friends.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s health needs are generally well supported. However, for a small number of young people, the home has been slow to refer them on to partner agencies, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). This resulted in a delay for one young person in receiving the advice, support and medication that they need. This was Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 7 addressed, and the young person said he is feeling much better now that he is back on his medication, as he can concentrate better in school. A number of young people are increasing in confidence and self-esteem. They are more able to reflect upon past experiences and to see how far they have come.

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improvement to be good

One young person, who was playfully impersonating the headteacher, said that if he was in charge he would insist on female staff wearing training shoes and tracksuits. When asked why, he said that it was so that they could go after a young person if they ran off. He quickly elaborated that this did not happen often, but that staff needed to be safe. This demonstrates young people’s increasing awareness of the world around them and the impact that their actions can have on other people.

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improvement to be good

Records for the administration of medication are not always recorded effectively. This is because staff record homely remedies as ‘cough med, cold sore cream and antihistamine’. They do not record the actual brands, hence records do not accurately reflect the medication administered. Also, the record for medication brought into the home is not sufficiently detailed. For example, it states ‘paracetamol x1’, but it is unclear whether this is one tablet or one box. Immediate action was taken by the school nurse and registered manager to address this particular issue. As a result, homely remedies are to be stored in the individual houses and not in the school. Young people said that the staff look after them well when they are ill.

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improvement to be good

The recent introduction of ‘care in mind’ meetings is a positive move for the home. This enables care staff, clinical psychotherapists and medical staff to meet together and discuss the needs of individual young people effectively. Staff said that this has meant that they can talk through a wide range of issues for young people and come up with plans and solutions. For example, they said that one young person had been struggling with being away from their family due to the distance from home so they had arranged a holiday close to the young person’s home. This meant that the young person was able to spend more quality time with his family. As a result, he was much more settled on his return to the home, and agreement for additional contact is now being sought with his social worker.

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improvement to be good

Young people enjoy a wide range of activities, including going swimming, playing pool, and going out with friends in the local areas and further afield. Staff provide appropriate support when young people are out on ‘independence’. Consequently, young people are aware of the rules about keeping in touch and meeting staff at a designated point and time. Staff said that this is working well and young people are increasing in confidence and are more able to keep themselves safe in the community. Young people enjoy spending time with one another, especially celebrating one another’s birthdays with barbecues. One young person who has only been at the home for a few weeks said that she was ‘amazed’ that staff had organised a party for her.

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improvement to be good

Young people have regular opportunities to meet with their friends and family. Staff are sensitive to their individual needs, and contact arrangements are sensitively managed. Consequently, young people are able to see and meet with those people who are important to them and to maintain positive relationships with them. Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 8

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improvement to be good

Young people said that they feel safe here. Staff have regular safeguarding training and have a secure understanding of the home’s procedures to report any concerns. However, some areas of safeguarding practice require improvement to ensure consistency across the team, in particular in how risk is identified, assessed and recorded, including how staff intend to manage risk. Some risk management plans omitted significant details, for example the action to take should a young person try to access the railway line, or where a young person may go if they are missing. This can hinder staff members’ response to specific situations. Risk assessments also contained conflicting information as to the level of risk associated with the young people. This does not provide clarity in records. Young people acknowledged that the incidents of missing from care are declining and said that they do not need to run away. Discussions with staff indicated

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improvement to be good

that they are aware of the young people’s individual risks and the action that they are taking to keep them safe, but have not recorded this.

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improvement to be good

Child sexual exploitation risk assessments do not provide sufficient insight of the level of risk for young people. This because strategy meeting notes had not been sourced to inform staff membersplanning. Therefore, there was confusion as to whether a young person was now at a low risk of child sexual exploitation or whether this remained high. If the young person was reported as being missing from care, staff said that they reported her as being at a high risk of child sexual exploitation, yet her plans said that this was low. Consequently, there are inconsistencies in staff members’ understanding of the risks for some young people.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s behaviour is improving. One young person is delighted that, as a result of continuous improving behaviour and rewards, he has been able to purchase a budgerigar. He is extremely proud of his achievement and happily explained why he had chosen a rare species and how he intended to train it to talk and fly to him. Staff provide consistent support and guidance to young people. For example, explaining in a calm voice why a young person could not have free time that evening. This careful, considered response enabled the young person to understand why this decision was in place, and, while he remained unhappy at the outcome, he accepted the decision.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention and restraints have decreased, and this is down to staff helping children to deal with difficult emotions in a safer way. Physical interventions are always used as a last resort and are generally well recorded. However, on one occasion an intervention took place over several minutes. The young person agreed to speak to a member of staff involved in the incident, as they have a good relationship with them. However, they did not have the opportunity to talk to someone independent. This does not promote transparency. The registered manager identified that sanctions were not being consistently well recorded by staff. Consequently, she addressed this with all staff, and the recording of sanctions is improving. Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 9 Young people live in a range of bungalows and houses within the grounds of the school. The bungalows are similar in design and layout, and several contain the same prints and

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improvement to be good

pictures, such as the house rules. There are a number of maintenance issues which have not been identified, such as curtains not being hung correctly, broken soap dispensers, writing on mirrors and some strong odours in bedrooms. The installation of external window restrictors does not provide a homely environment. Staff said that they have been in place for many years and that they think they are ‘awful’. The restrictors consist of metal bars, pieces of decking and chains. Risk assessments have not been completed as to why these are required, and staff cannot provide sufficient information as to why these are in place. This creates an institutional feel and is detracting from the homely environment that staff are trying to create.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A suitably qualified and experienced registered manager runs the home with the support of a head of care and several team leaders. She is relatively new to the home and, in her time here, has brought about a number of positive changes. This has included the recruitment of additional qualified and experienced staff to work with young people. The registered manager is committed to improving outcomes for all young people. She has devised a detailed development plan. This identifies some of the issues from this report concerning record keeping, and action is being taken in response to this. However, staff have not had the opportunities to embed this in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has taken suitable action concerning a number of incidents in the home whereby young people have gained access to the car or master keys. However, the records of their actions, including staff supervision and team meetings, do not reflect all of the work carried out to address this. There are improved procedures in place to ensure that young people cannot gain access to keys,. This will help to keep young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Records are not yet sufficiently detailed, as they do not accurately tell the young person’s story of their time at the home. Careful consideration should be given to some of the terminology used, such as the word ‘prostitution’, and how a young person may feel when they see this in their records. The shortfalls in records have not been identified by internal or external monitoring by the independent person. For example, it had not been identified that the information in one missing from care record was about another young person and not the named child. Reports by the person carrying out the visits are not evaluative and do not clearly identify what the home does well, any shortfalls, patterns or trends or the action taken to address these issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Although the home requires improvement to be good, there have been improvements achieved since the last full inspection in November 2016. These include an increase in staffing, which has provided enhanced stability in the team and continuity of care. There has also been additional training around safeguarding, as well as regular ‘care in mind’ meetings, which have informed staff practice and understanding of young people’s Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 10 needs. Increased levels of consultation with staff and young people mean that they feel that they have a voice and are heard and listened to.

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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: SC048552 11

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wings Education Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Chris Scully, social care inspector Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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