Children's Home, Residential special school run by Kedleston (High Peak School) Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 1 SC484134

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Kedleston (High Peak School) Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to 24 children with learning disabilities and/or emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private company runs the home and offers education on site at a registered school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 and 27 January 2021

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out in line with Ofsted’s procedures for monitoring services during the current period of suspended routine inspection activity.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was carried out using a combination of on-site and off-site activity, specifically focusing on safeguarding practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection of the home in April 2020, the senior leadership team has been strengthened by the recruitment of a new head of care. An experienced manager has also recently transferred from another setting within the same company.

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This monitoring visit

The head of care and registered manager work closely together in keeping the home’s records and practice under review. There is a strong focus on behaviour management given that the children display highly complex needs and challenging behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s safety is paramount at this home. Staff at the home respond quickly and robustly to incidents of a safeguarding nature. They refer to outside agencies where necessary and implement measures to reduce the risks. Managers show good initiative Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 2 in consulting and chasing up outside agencies in response to allegations affecting children, but this is not always timely and effective.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders provide good means of support and guidance to staff by helping them develop the skills necessary to de-escalate behaviour; they also monitor practice closely. The monthly RPI (restrictive physical intervention) analysis reports ensure that any patterns, trends and areas for development are assessed and acted upon. Through training, staff are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to deal with behaviours such as self-harm.

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This monitoring visit

By viewing the physical intervention records, staff and children are able to reflect on incidents as part of debriefs. Good use is made of emoji symbols to enable children to express their feelings after the events. These are recorded in the debriefs. The information is used to inform the behaviour support plan. Physical intervention is not excessive and is only applied as a last resort. However, the records are not always reliable and, in some instances, contain conflicting accounts of events. They do not include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures when de-escalation or physical intervention has been used.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans contain relevant detail and are tailored to the specific needs of the young people. Risks are rated according to their prevalence. However, strategies to guide staff in their response to incidents such as self-harm and aggressive behaviour are either absent or not clearly set out. This therefore needs stronger management oversight to ensure risk assessment implementation is fully effective.

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This monitoring visit

Robust measures are not always taken to ensure the premises is kept to a high standard. Although the home environment is warm and welcoming, some areas such as young people’s bedrooms are in need of minor attention.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken to were able to demonstrate good insight into children’s complex needs and awareness of the steps that would be taken to manage and reduce any risks. They also help children develop the skills and strategies to self-regulate their behaviour. A social worker reported that, as a result, there had been a recent reduction in behavioural incidents for one child. The social worker also added that having consistent routines and boundaries in place was helping the child stay settled.

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This monitoring visit

Feedback from other social workers is, in the main, positive. They receive regular updates from the home about incidents and progress. However, some report that information can be lacking the necessary detail. They are satisfied that staff at the home know the children and the triggers for their behaviours well and ultimately are doing all they can to keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, children are not able to do the things they would normally like to do. While they do engage in activities, such as walks to the park and arts and crafts, they have indicated that they do get bored sometimes which leads Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 3 to incidents. It is unclear from the records that children’s wishes and feelings are consistently acted upon.

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This monitoring visit

The children spoken to, as part of the visit, indicated that they are happy in their placement. They have trusted people they can turn to if they are worried. Children who had experienced being restrained by staff showed a good awareness of why this was necessary. They also talked about the support they were given by staff after the event that helped them understand their behaviours and the impact.

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This monitoring visit

Children are well supported to maintain contact with family members. Staff spend time helping children understand and manage the complexities of family relationships, and provide good support before, during and after contact. This contributes to making contact a positive experience for all those involved. More importantly it helps children maintain a sense of identity and connection with family.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/03/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/06/2019 Full Good 05/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to making sure that there is the necessary consultation with the placing authorities when there are ongoing safeguarding allegations affecting children’s care and contact arrangements. 26 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff acting on children’s views and ideas to inform the care that they receive and the response to their behaviours. 26 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 26 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to making sure that risk assessments for all children are kept up to date as incidents occur. Risk ratings must reflect the current level of risk. Risk assessments must also include clear strategies that staff understand and can implement in practice.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) 2(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that robust checks of the premises are made periodically, and records of incidents are kept accurate and reviewed consistently in a timely manner by senior managers to inform improvement through any lessons learned. 26 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 26 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 6 The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the manager’s evaluation of the effectiveness of each intervention and ensuring this is done in a timely manner.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 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 (High Peak School) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8 Brook Business Centre, Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 2FX

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Inspectors

Michael Charnley, Social Care Inspector Mandy Nightingale, HMI Social Care Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC484134 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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