Children's Home run by Kedleston (Wood Grove Childcare) Limited in Essex

Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 1 SC423453 Registered provider: Kedleston Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home, which is run by a private organisation, provides long-term placements for up to four children who have experienced trauma and may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 10 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2019 Full Good 19/09/2018 Full Good 09/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children all benefit from a sense of stability and security at this home. The manager gives very careful consideration to the needs of any new children who move into the home. The four children live together amicably, and there are very few behavioural incidents. This is a considerable achievement for children with traumatic childhood experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children all have an education provision tailored to their learning styles and needs. Two children have excellent attendance at school and two children attend regularly. Staff encourage a routine that supports the children to attend school. The staff work closely with school professionals to address any barriers to learning that the children experience. This minimises gaps in children’s learning. The children benefit from structured days and social interactions with school peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The established relationships between the children and staff are central to the progress that children make. Staff prioritise spending quality time with children. Following any behavioural difficulties, staff talk to the children and try to understand their responses. These discussions support the children through difficult times and help them to learn from incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a range of stimulating and exciting activities that support their interests. One child has joined a local gym, another child plays football and one child has individual music lessons. Developing children’s interests and skills improves their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live a long way from family and friends are supported to spend time with them regularly. The staff work closely with the children’s parents. One parent said, ‘I am involved in everything, and my views are taken into consideration.’ This supports children’s family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children aspire to build their life skills, develop their independence and plan for their futures. They recognise and value the importance of this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from homely communal living areas and spacious personalised bedrooms. There are photos of the children, and records of their achievements, displayed around the home. One child designed the rear garden to include a pleasant outdoor seating area and decking. However, inside the home, two of the bedrooms have stained carpets and the bathrooms need redecorating. The flooring in the hallway is damaged and the stair carpet is dirty. This does not provide children with a consistent standard of accommodation. Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 4

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

The children experience stability and develop a sense of security and belonging. This is largely due to the strong relationships that they have with the staff. Children benefit from good daily routines and consistent supportive care.

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

Children show acceptance and tolerance of one another. There are very few behavioural incidents and none that quantify bullying. Tensions between children are successfully resolved with support from the staff. Children are learning how to resolve conflict and manage difficult feelings.

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

Children rarely leave the home without agreement from the staff. There have been two incidents of children going missing from the home. These are recorded clearly and the actions taken by the staff are in line with agreed strategies in children’s risk assessments. When children have been missing from the home, the staff are thorough in their attempts to check whether the children were at risk of harm or exploitation. The manager actively seeks the children’s views to understand possible triggers and causes.

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

The staff use positive reinforcement and rewards to help children change their behaviours. They encourage the children to use alternative strategies for managing their feelings. Children are encouraged to have ‘ten top tips’ to use when they feel angry or overwhelmed. Staff occasionally use sanctions, which are meaningful and link to the children’s behaviour. These help the children to learn from behavioural incidents. The manager monitors the use of rewards and sanctions. His oversight ensures that the staff are fair and proportionate.

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

Staff carry out regular fire checks and teach children about safe fire evacuation. However, the fire door seals are not checked. Following the replacement of several interior doors, three fire seals have not been replaced. The missing fire seals have gone unnoticed in the routine health and safety checks. Although this work is booked in, the lack of seals could reduce the effectiveness of a fire door and place the children at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified for the role. He provides an approachable and hands-on management style and genuinely enjoys spending time with the children. The manager and the deputy manager have developed a team culture that maintains a strong focus on children. This focus has provided children with meaningful experiences and positive memories of living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff take great pride in the children’s achievements and the positive changes in the children’s behaviour and attitudes. The staff lead by example. They are energetic and creative in overcoming barriers to children’s successes. The staff recognise children’s individual potential and capabilities, and this belief helps children believe in themselves. Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 5 The manager and the staff team have been recognised for their work with children by winning a national award. The staff have supported children to raise money for charities, helping them to make a positive contribution to the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has carefully assessed new children’s needs and provided a clear moving-in plan. He has ensured that, before children move to the home, the staff are suitably trained and understand the child’s learning needs, any health diagnosis and their background.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents, extended family and professionals are extremely positive about the quality of care provided and the difference that this has made to each child. The staff work well with social workers and parents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has significantly improved the staff morale. A high number of staff provided very positive feedback. There is a consensus from the staff that the manager has been instrumental in creating a happy workplace. Staff retention is good, and children benefit from a settled and motivated staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are some aspects of managerial monitoring that require better oversight. There are numerous copies of risk management plans in the children’s files. The supervision records do not demonstrate all the actions taken when minor practice concerns are identified. The statement of purpose contains some inaccuracies regarding fire training. This general lack of oversight does not detract from the excellent care provided but has the capacity to do so if not addressed. Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 6

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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

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

ensure that children’s risk assessments clearly identify current and relevant risks;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the health and safety arrangements include checks of the fire doors; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the supervision records include accurate details of any actions taken. 28 January 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, ensure that stained carpets and damaged laminate flooring are replaced and that all areas of the home are decorated and cleaned to a good standard. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 7

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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 Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 8

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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

Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC423453 9 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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