KEF

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF KEF 4 Decoy Avenue, London NW11 0ET Inspection under the social care common inspection framework

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disabled children

KEF is a Jewish, London-based charity supporting the lives of children and young adults who have physical and learning disabilities and their families. The organisation has been running camps since 2006. KEF provides a range of residential camps throughout the year for children aged four upwards.

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Overall experience and progress of

children and young people, taking into account:

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good

How well children, young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential holiday scheme for disabled children provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 15 March 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential holiday scheme for disabled children is good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children enjoy fun-filled breaks and thrive within a nurturing environment which celebrates their Jewish orthodox faith.  Children have the option of observing daily prayers and their religious traditions. They also benefit from a nutritious kosher diet.  Children enjoy a range of enriching activities, which enhances their personal development and their self-esteem.  Children develop friendships, which gives them a sense of belonging and camaraderie.  The health support for children is commendable. There is an on-site nurse and a doctor, which ensures professional oversight of children’s health conditions.  The high staffing ratio and good matching arrangements ensure that children benefit from individualised support which effectively meets their diverse needs.  Children benefit from a wide range of pictorial information, and there is greater consideration of their sensory needs.  Children receive personalised mementoes which document their camp

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Key findings from this inspection

experience. Dedicated photographers also share collective memories on the organisation’s social media account.  Children benefit from good safeguarding arrangements. The protection of children is an integral part of the camp’s working practices.  Children benefit from an enthusiastic team of staff who undergo a wide range of safeguarding and general training to ensure that they can deliver the best possible care.  Camps are well organised, and parents provide excellent feedback. The organisation offers a valued service to the community.  Leaders and managers are effective. They are ambitious not only for children but also for staff and their overall practice. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive within a fun and nurturing environment which celebrates and strengthens their Jewish heritage. A child said ‘I love camp’, and a parent described the service as ‘excellent’. Camp offers parents a much-appreciated respite from their caring role. Parents explained that it gives them an opportunity to ‘recharge’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Extensive planning ensures that each child receives the support that they need. Individual care plans consider the views of children, their parents and school staff. Children are well matched to a volunteer counsellor, who takes responsibility for their care. Children with high levels of need have several counsellors assigned to them, enabling the rotation of carers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Health support for children attending camp is very good. There An on-site nurse and a doctor lead on the administration of medication. This ensures professional oversight of children’s health conditions. Most of the staff are first-aid trained. Specialist training, such as gastronomy, is available to meet the more complex needs of some children. Staff can also help children with their physiotherapy exercises.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Camp offers children a high level of socialisation. Children develop friendships, which gives them a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Children benefit from the different groups within camp which meet their individual needs, age and gender. There is active consideration of their different interests and preferences. An example of this is the development of more activities and options for children who have sensory needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The wide-ranging programme provides children with a range of familiar and new experiences. Activities are life enriching and enable children to m aximise their potential. Children engage in fun activities in the local community, such as going ice skating, trampolining and bowling. Children enjoy high-quality, interactive entertainment, which includes daily shows. Children learn to appreciate animals through trips to the zoo and an on-site animal showcase event.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Participation in the camp enhances children’s personal development and contributes to their increased confidence and self-esteem. Staff recognise and celebrate children’s achievements by awarding medals and certificates. Children proudly wear their medals. Talent shows offer children an opportunity to showcase their skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Camps offer children the option of strengthening their faith and observing their religious traditions. The daily routine includes the option of prayer time. Children celebrate the Shabbat, and during this camp a girl had her Bat Mitzvah. Staff provide children with a nutritious kosher diet, and children’s diverse dietary needs are also catered for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Camp gives children the opportunity to develop their independence. Children make choices throughout the day, and they also prepare their own packed lunch. Further Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF examples of their achievements are feeding themselves, learning new words, sleeping through the night and learning to share.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a book, a daily diary and a slideshow to creatively capture their memories of camp. Dedicated photographers document the camp experience, and the photographers are then shared on the organisation’s social media account. This keeps parents updated on camp activities and reassures them that their child is having fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s opinions matter, and they complete pictorial evaluations at the end of each camp which influence the development of the holiday scheme.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a wide range of information in a pictorial and easily accessible format. The use of specific symbols-based software creatively explains important matters affecting them. An example of this is their personalised welcome pack. Visual timetables and social stories also assist with expanding children’s levels of understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Camps are located within wheelchair-accessible venues. Staff personalise the building with organisational bunting and pictorial signs in English and Hebrew. This helps children to become familiar with their new environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have the option of sharing dormitories or residing in a room on their own. This venue had a range of communal areas, including a swimming pool and a sports hall. The organisation also hired large inflatables and soft play equipment, providing an additional recreational area.

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

Children benefit from good safeguarding arrangements. A parent said that the camp provides ‘a happy, entertaining and safe environment for the children’. A staff member said that ‘safety is of the utmost importance’. Pictorial information helps children to learn the fire safety, complaints and safeguarding procedures.

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

The organisation has clear safeguarding practices, policies and procedures, which meet regulatory requirements. Children also receive protection through the organisation’s recruitment procedures, which help to ensure that unsuitable people do not work with them.

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

During camps, children can keep in touch with their relatives through telephone calls, emails and social media. Children also have details of who to contact if they want to make a complaint or if they feel unsafe.

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

Children enjoy being at camp and there are no issues with them going missing. Security arrangements and a high staff ratio also help to ensure their safety. Children benefit from consistent and firm boundaries. There are no concerns in relation to self-harm, behaviour management, bullying or extremism. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF Children receive protection due to good health and safety arrangements. Leaders and managers visit venues prior to the camp to ensure that they are suitable, given the needs of the children. The risks to children are identified and understood. A wide range of risk assessments and evacuation plans are focused on the individual and collective needs of children.

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

The organisation ensures that staff undertake an extensive range of training, which focuses on safeguarding children. The registered manager is one of the lead safeguarding officers within the organisation. Camp leaders additionally take responsibility for safeguarding during each camp.

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

Staff are clear about the child protection reporting procedure and their whistleblowing responsibilities. The protection of children is an integral part of documentation and the camp’s working practices. This helps to create a safe environment which focuses on children’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a camp which is led by individuals who have a heartfelt desire to provide a quality service for children within their orthodox Jewish community. Children enjoy their breaks in a warm, family atmosphere which is underpinned by professionalism, organisational precision and structure. A parent described the organisation as ‘completely amazing’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from the effective leadership and management arrangements at this service. The holiday scheme provides a fun-filled break for children with multiple and complex physical and psychological needs. The organisation also provides a range of additional services for disabled children. These include out-of-school activities, recreational events and a support group for mothers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual is the founder of the organisation. The camp has continued to grow, and includes volunteers and children from other parts of the country and Belgium.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been successfully organising camps for approximately eight years. The registered manager has enrolled on a relevant leadership and management course. She is aware of the need to complete this qualification within the required timescale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Each camp has a high staffing ratio. Children receive care from a committed, enthusiastic and resilient staff team. All staff are volunteers from the orthodox Jewish community. Volunteers use their skills, experience and talents to serve their community. There is good continuity of care, as most children know the staff through their participation in other activities within the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The small family feel of the organisation enables leaders and managers to have an in-depth knowledge of the service, children and staff. There is a good-quality Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF assurance system in place. Leaders and managers evaluate the service in accordance with regulations. Leaders, managers and the overall staff team demonstrate a clear commitment to the continued improvement of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recommendation from the previous inspection has been effectively addressed. The statement of purpose has been updated to clearly detail the sleeping arrangements for those children who require support at night. Children and parents benefit from their own information guide, which clearly outlines the aims and objectives of the camp.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious not only for children, but also for staff and their overall practice. Staff feel valued, and leaders and managers appreciate their hard work and reward them with gifts and treats. This atmosphere of positivity is clearly seen in the high-quality care that children receive and the excellent feedback received from parents. Staff undertake extensive training, and they receive clear guidance and support from their daily meetings.

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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 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 the 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 residential holiday scheme for disabled children 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 Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: 4 Decoy Avenue, London NW11 0ET Responsible individual: Shelley Groszman Registered manager: Michelle Wittenberg

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Inspector

Sharon Payne, social care inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: KEF to 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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