Children's home run by Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC402370 1 SC402370 Registered provider: Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home with a school on the same site. It is part of a group that provides care and education across the country. It is registered to accommodate up to 54 children, but its statement of purpose says that it can take up to 39 children, aged between nine and 17 years old. The current occupancy is 31. Children are usually experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and they may have additional needs. The home’s stated vision is: ‘To create a safe and caring community where there is a passion for learning and mutual respect for all. Young people have the opportunity to develop to their full potential in preparation for their future life.’

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who is currently undertaking the relevant qualification.

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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: 5 September 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC402370 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/09/2017 Full Outstanding 22/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/11/2016 Full Outstanding 18/11/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC402370 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people, many of whom have very complex needs, make significant progress as a result of the consistent care and support provided by this children’s home. The in-house clinical team, teaching staff and care staff work extremely well together to improve outcomes in all aspects of young people’s lives. Comprehensive placement plans, clear objectives and focused key-work sessions are instrumental in helping young people to achieve their goals and make progress. One young person’s social worker commented: ‘He is a very different young man to what he was before he started at this home. He has reverted to the person we used to know, who is doing well in school and being involved in things.’ Another social worker said: ‘My young person has made significant progress in all areas of her development. She is much calmer, displays far less aggression, and missing incidents have significantly reduced.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Prior to any admission, there is a well-considered, multi-disciplinary assessment of whether this home (and school) can meet a young person’s care and educational needs. This takes into account the needs of the other young people. The clinical psychologist provides an assessment of the impact of a young person’s previous experiences and trauma, which then informs the interventions required to assist staff in providing appropriate care and support. She provides individual therapy for young people if this is deemed appropriate. Given the very complex needs of the young people, this additional tier of readily accessible professional expertise is a vital component of the comprehensive package of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s health needs are exceptionally well met. The home employs a nurse, who has established close and highly effective working relationships with external healthcare providers. Excellent communication and partnership working have resulted in fewer hospital admissions and incidents of self-harm. In addition, the nurse has developed and implemented a successful smoking cessation programme. Many young people no longer smoke and are benefiting from the positive health outcomes as a result of their success. The nurse monitors all the young people’s health needs to ensure that immunisations and check-ups are up to date. He also provides specialist advice on issues such as puberty, transitioning and sexual health. This excellent oversight from a healthcare professional promotes prompt access to relevant resources when these are required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Many young people have had poor educational experiences prior to coming to this home. All now attend school and their attainment is good. For some, this is a significant achievement. School and home staff support the young people exceptionally well through regular twice-daily communication, joint working and consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Positive experiences are a strong feature of this home. One young person said: ‘The best things about here is going out to loads of places.’ There are regular activities in the community and further afield, many of which the young people have never experienced before. For example, 19 young people have been to Paris for a week. Most of the young Inspection report children’s home: SC402370 4 people had not been abroad before, so this trip is extremely aspirational in providing an exciting and new experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and young people build strong and effective relationships based on respect and an in-depth knowledge of the impact of young people’s previous trauma and experiences on their current behaviour. In the words of a young person: ‘Thank you for helping me be the best I could be. I’ve completely changed thanks to you guys.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s participation is encouraged. They have been consulted about how to improve the environment and some young people have started to decorate parts of the home. They have also been involved in interviews for new members of staff. Young people are also encouraged to understand the world in which they live. They have shown empathy and made a positive contribution through fund-raising. This increases their self-esteem as well as helping them to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Transitions out of the home are well thought out. The occupational therapist is developing this process further, in conjunction with the school and care staff, to ensure that all young people are equipped with the necessary practical skills and emotional resilience to make a successful transition to the next stage of their lives. She works with the local authority to ensure that the next placement is suitable to meet the young person’s needs and provides all the information that is required to help the new placement provide effective support.

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

The help and protection afforded to the young people ensure that they become significantly safer during their time at this home. For example, young people who used to go missing regularly from their previous placements have either stopped or have significantly reduced this behaviour. When young people do go missing, the staff manage this exceptionally well. The records provide a clear audit trail of their actions, including contact with the local authority in relation to the return home interview. In addition, staff undertake a very high standard of work with young people to help them understand the risks. Staff use any information they can to reduce the number of further incidents. Risks from self-harming behaviour have also dramatically reduced because of effective partnership working and a high standard of care and support.

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

Bullying is another area that this home addresses extremely well. Senior managers have a proactive approach to identifying young people who may be either vulnerable to being bullied or who may be potential bullies. Staff work with these young people to help them understand the impact of their actions and what sort of behaviour may be seen as bullying. Incidents are regularly monitored by the senior leadership team and further action taken if required.

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

Incidents of physical intervention are regularly and extensively evaluated. This approach has resulted in a significant reduction of incidents in which young people have had to be physically restrained. Consequently, more positive relationships are fostered, and young people’s behaviour is managed in a more proactive and positive way. Inspection report children’s home: SC402370 5 The manager has a good working relationship with the designated officer. Any allegations against staff are referred appropriately, and the manager works in partnership to ensure that the correct outcome is reached.

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

Risks are comprehensively assessed, documented and updated. This includes, on an individual basis, an assessment of the risks from extremism and radicalisation. The risk assessments provide staff with the information they need to keep young people safe. Young people are also involved in devising their own risk management and behaviour support plans so that they have a sense of control over their lives and ownership of what needs to be done to keep them safe. The risk assessment for the trip to Paris was of an extremely high standard. All eventualities were considered and addressed, including the translation of essential documents into French. This approach to risk management ensures that young people can benefit from activities that a more risk-averse approach would prevent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is exceptionally well led and managed by an extremely aspirational and committed registered manager. Although she has been in post for less than a year, she has worked at the home for a number of years, so has an excellent understanding of its ethos and aims. She has a clear vision and detailed plans to implement further improvements. There is no sense of complacency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring systems, both internal and external are extremely rigorous and highly effective in identifying strengths and areas for development. The independent visitor provides reports of a very high standard and these are used to drive improvement. The manager regularly audits all aspects of service delivery, including young people’s outcomes. There are a number of systems to ensure that young people continue to make progress. These include child in mind meetings and objectives monitoring, as well as statutory reviews.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel very well supported by the leaders and managers at all levels. They have regular supervision and annual performance appraisals, there are a variety of staff meetings and they describe the senior managers as accessible and approachable. Training is regular, relevant and of a high quality. This ensures that staff are competent and have a good understanding of the needs of the young people. This is supported by the clinical team. The clinical psychologist and occupational therapist provide training, advice and consultation to the care staff. Care staff have embraced different psychological theories and embedded them in their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working is highly effective. Social workers are provided with regular updates on young people’s progress. Communication was described by two social workers as ‘fantastic’. A multi-disciplinary approach to the provision of care and support ensures that young people make as much progress as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people’s case records are excellent in terms of the quality of the information and Inspection report children’s home: SC402370 6 its accessibility. Young people’s achievements are celebrated and documented, including the use of photographs, certificates and picture books. This provides young people with a positive and accurate reminder of their time at this home, should they choose to access it in the future.

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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: SC402370 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office Suite 1, Ansell Gardens, Holloway Lane, Harmondsworth UB7 0AE

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Inspectors

Ros Chapman, social care inspector Rachel Griffiths, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC402370 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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