Children's home run by Keswick Care Limited in Wakefield

Inspection report children’s home: SC448129 1 SC448129 Registered provider: Keswick Care Ltd

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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 privately run children’s home provides care and accommodation for one child or two children where one is the parent. The manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has been registered to manage this home since December 2015.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 July to 1 August 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC448129 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2017 Full Outstanding 13/12/2016 Full Outstanding 22/06/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC448129 3

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Recommendations

 Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) This is specifically in relation to recording the steps taken to address young people’s identity needs and secure documents to prevent the loss of paperwork.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive high-quality care and protection in a friendly, supportive and nurturing environment. Staff invest in their success from the start of placements, and the statement of purpose supports this view. It states:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘When a young person walks through our doors, we have a golden window of opportunity to provide them with nothing but the best life chances and opportunities possible, and the amazing team at Hardwick Close [is] committed to doing just that!!!’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a home that is located on a quiet cul-de-sac within easy reach of community facilities and transport routes. The home is clean and tidy. Furniture and decorations are to a very good standard, providing a pleasant habitat that reinforces the high value that the staff team places on the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people’s detailed plans show how most of their individual needs will be met. They remain under review to ensure that they continue to be current and effective. However, not all the information in the plans with regards to young people’s identity clearly shows the steps taken to address such needs. The staff recognise that they are not always able to meet young people’s changing needs in a safe way despite their determined and unconditional efforts. Young people who have moved on since the last inspection have done so with positive memories of their life at the home. They have formed strong bonds with the staff who in turn express genuine fondness and miss them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s meaningful participation in their key work sessions provides exceptionally good accounts of the issues in their lives, for example, discussions about education, bullying, positive relationships and keeping safe. Young people’s active involvement in their plans and suggestions about the running of the home makes them feel listened to and respected. Staff are fervent advocates for the young people and speak up for them. Although young people know how to complain, they have found no cause to do so. Inspection report children’s home: SC448129 4 Young people’s engagement with primary and specialist healthcare services promotes their physical health and emotional well-being. This has been met with varying degrees of success. The staff team’s good collaboration with health professionals and the in- house therapist enables the young people to receive targeted support to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team places a high value on educational attendance and attainment. New young people genuinely look forward to engaging in education after the summer holidays, so they can reach their goals and improve their life chances. Barriers to learning are countered through the proactive measures taken by the manager to facilitate young people’s right to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s involvement in a range of activities exposes them to productive ways to spend their free time. Opportunities to engage in familiar activities, learn new skills, share new experiences and socially integrate into the community broaden their experiences. These include going to the cinema, singing, laser quest, swimming, attending the youth club and going on day trips. Young people’s achievements are recognised and celebrated, which enhances their self-esteem and shows that staff care about them. Appropriate contact between young people and family and friends is supported and facilitated by the staff team. This helps young people to maintain the important bonds in their lives. The relationships between the staff team and parents help them to work together in the young people’s best interests.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding young people and the procedures to follow in the event of a safeguarding concern. They talk openly to the young people about keeping safe, so they can protect themselves. Furthermore, the effective relationships between the staff team and other safeguarding professionals stimulate exceptionally good communication and appropriate challenge. A regular review of the young people’s comprehensive risk assessments protects their vulnerabilities, thus keeping them safer.

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

Missing from home incidents have resurfaced after several months of non-activity. When young people go missing, the staff members follow them, making every effort to persuade them to return. The missing from home protocols are followed when young people cannot be found. The productive relationships between the staff team, the police and community leaders ensure an effective response to helping to divert the young people from the risks of child sexual exploitation. This includes the availability of specialist workers, facilitating young people’s attendance at events and promoting leisure activities. Young people feel safe and cared for by these interventions.

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

The thorough behaviour management plans support the staff’s response to young people’s challenging behaviours and promote a restorative approach. The therapeutic input informs any changes to the team’s approach to managing behaviour and supports staff resilience. Despite some highly challenging behaviours from young people who Inspection report children’s home: SC448129 5 have since moved on, the strong, nurturing relationships maintained during these difficult times has been remarkable. A professional said, ‘They managed challenging behaviours in a creative and nurturing manner.’

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

Staff training in physical intervention techniques helps them to focus on de-escalating behaviours. If physical intervention is necessary, the use of minimum force is for the shortest time possible, enabling the young person to regulate their behaviour. Young people and staff are de-briefed following the incidents to ensure their safety and well- being.

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

Allegations against staff, disclosures and concerns are handled promptly and sensitively and reported to the appropriate professionals, including Ofsted. The local authority designated officer confirmed productive communication with the manager and raised no concerns about the handling of allegations and disclosures that the young people have made.

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

Suitable recruitment and vetting practices help to prevent unsuitable adults from working with children and young people in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager was registered in December 2015. Since the last inspection, she has successfully completed the level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The well-organised manager takes her role very seriously. Her excellent and unwavering ability to enforce a culture of high aspiration, ambition and respect for young people, lead the staff team by example and promote high-quality care has retained the staff team through an extremely turbulent time. The competent staff team shares the manager’s high levels of motivation and unrelenting drive to achieve the best outcomes for young people. Staff members show empathy and resilience. They respect the manager. One staff member said, ‘I could not have a better manager.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff reported an abundance of management support. They feel highly valued, which inspires them to aspire for the young people irrespective of their behavioural challenges. The manager’s investment in the staff team recognises their importance. The manager said, ‘It’s about your team. You can only be as good as you make the team.’ Consequently, incentives, such as the ‘staff member of the month’ awards and the team spa day planned in recognition of staff’s hard work, all motivate the staff team to want to do more. One satisfied staff member said, ‘If you treat the staff right, you will get the results.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Frequent, reflective and effectively recorded supervision refuels and invigorates the workforce. The therapeutic support, staff debriefs and handovers make for an impressively robust and confident staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular team meetings allow for constructive team reflection, support and shared ownership about childcare practice and decisions. Formal and informal staff learning and Inspection report children’s home: SC448129 6 development opportunities further strengthen the pool of knowledge and inform care practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Exceptionally good internal and external monitoring systems help the manager to understand what they are doing well and act on what they can do better. Realistic development plans support the improvement agenda. A new independent visitor is a ‘critical friend’ to the manager, providing effective scrutiny and challenge. Lessons learned from practice shortfalls and the issues raised at this inspection are positively acted on, which aids continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s skilful and proactive ability to form and sustain professional relationships with other agencies promotes young people’s safety and welfare. The manager and management team hold to account, without fear or favour, the professionals who fail to fulfil their responsibilities to the young people. This is commendable.

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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: SC448129 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC448129 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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