KEF

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Kef 1 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 holding camps since 2006. Kef provides a range of residential camps throughout the year for children aged from four upwards. Separate camps are held for different ages and gender groups.

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disabled children

This holiday scheme was registered with Ofsted in August 2017. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted at the same time.

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Overall experience 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 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: 27 December 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 2

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, the Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

improving the quality of care provided by the scheme. (Regulation 30(1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that this information is included in the Regulation 30 report. 01/06/2020 Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Kef 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, parents and volunteers described the camp experience as ‘amazing’. The holiday scheme enables children to have a fun, life-enriching break which both respects and promotes their cultural and religious traditions. The holiday scheme provides much valued respite for parents, with one parent stating, ‘They are like angels.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from personalised care that is based on comprehensive care planning. Scheme staff are able to care for children with a wide range of complex needs. This particular residential weekend was for older girls, to enable them to feel a sense of independence and enjoy peer friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are celebrated, and all children receive encouragement to try new experiences and maximise their potential. Where children are marking special occasions, such as a birthday, leaders and managers host a birthday party for them. Children look forward to their extensive activities, and one parent highlighted that their child enjoyed camp so much that they ‘did not want to come home’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take pride in who they are, and they are able to participate in Shabbos prayers, ceremonies and meals. Alongside being provided with a kosher diet, the diverse dietary needs and allergies of children are catered for. Although children are away from their families, they enjoy faith-based activities, which mirrors their home life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a good range of support which meets children’s health, educational, emotional, social and psychological needs. At this residential weekend, there was an on-call doctor and an on-site nurse. The level of professional support ensures the safe administration of medication and clinical oversight of children’s health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the holiday scheme is the quality of relationships between the staff and volunteers and the children. Children benefit from individualised support through their allocated volunteer counsellor. Children know these individuals from the organisation’s other schemes and clubs, which provides a very good continuity of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have an active voice within the holiday scheme. They express their wishes regarding their preferred counsellor and their daily activities. They also influence future planning by providing an evaluation at the end of each holiday scheme.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy their breaks in spacious, wheelchair-accessible buildings. Staff make great efforts to decorate and personalise the venue. Pictorial signage is added to doors and throughout the buildings, which helps children to become familiar with their new surroundings. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Kef 4

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

Children benefit from good safeguarding arrangements. Parents confidently told the inspector that they felt their children were safe. The organisation’s guidance, practice and documentation ensure that the safety and welfare of children are ongoing priorities.

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

Children receive a wide range of pictorial information which focuses on their well- being and their personal safety. This includes documents which help them understand the importance of fire safety, safeguarding and how to make a complaint. Mood signs help children to communicate their feelings, while one-to-one support provided by staff and volunteers helps them to discuss any issues of concern.

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

In the event of a fire, leaders and managers have devised individual evacuation plans for each child. Health and safety checks confirm the safety of the environment. The registered manager also establishes a protocol with the local police force, in the event of a child going missing.

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

Leaders and managers are keeping up to date on the current coronavirus pandemic. There is a specific policy which takes into account government guidelines. A social story is also available for children, which provides a summary of the virus. During the inspection, volunteers were observed sensitively discussing the virus with children.

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

All those involved in working at the holiday scheme have received safeguarding and child protection training. All staff have been subject to safe recruitment checks, and this helps to safeguard children. Security arrangements and a high staff-child ratio also ensures children’s safety.

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

There are no issues regarding managing children’s behaviour. Children respond well to the nurturing atmosphere, and boundaries are respected. A parent told the inspector that, ‘They [staff] are very accepting of behavioural issues.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a consistently good-quality service. Leaders and managers demonstrate a strong commitment to offering a holiday break which embraces the orthodox Jewish ethos and philosophy. The responsible individual is the founder of the organisation. Her decision to start the organisation was informed by her personal experience of caring for her disabled daughter . There is a heartfelt aim to serve the Jewish community, and the organisation succeeds in providing an inclusive, family atmosphere for children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the impact of disability on the whole family. Alongside the holiday schemes, the organisation provides a range of services for disabled children. They also facilitate a support group for mothers, and a Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Kef 5 recent introduction has been the organising of fun events for the siblings of disabled children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers endeavour to comply with regulations. However, the quality of care report does not meet regulatory requirements. The report does not include information regarding improving the quality of care, although this information is detailed in the organisation’s business objectives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A further issue relates to the need for the organisation to re-register with Ofsted as a different legal entity. Leaders and managers are aware of this area for development. They also know the organisation’s strengths, and they have ambitious plans for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Debriefings and evaluations after each holiday scheme contribute towards the improvements in the quality of care. Leaders and managers have been successful in accessing grants, which has enabled them to fund additional social activities for children. The organisation also holds a range of fundraising events, an example being an annual bike ride.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents praised the professionalism and the organisation of each camp. Children receive care from a committed and enthusiastic group of volunteers. Volunteers are valued; they receive extensive training and ongoing support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers take pride in the fact that they ‘have made special needs cool’. Staff positively use social media to keep in touch with families and upload photos. Parents are also reassured by daily text updates.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 6

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

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

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Inspector

Sharon Payne, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Kef 7 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 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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