Children's home run by Kennet Care Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2523027 1 Registered provider: Kennet Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for two children. According to the home’s statement of purpose, its aims are to create a warm, caring, safe and supportive environment which enables children to recover from past life experiences and grow to achieve their full potential.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 28 September 2020.

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Inspection date: 28 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 28 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2523027 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the first full inspection on 11 and 12 May 2021. The registration of the children’s home was suspended on 13 May 2021. A monitoring visit took place on 16 June 2021. The suspension of registration was lifted following the monitoring visit, and Ofsted imposed a condition of registration that the home can provide care and accommodation for one child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home was judged requires improvement to be good at the subsequent full inspection in August 2021. That inspection reviewed the imposed condition on the home’s registration and changed the restriction from providing care and accommodation for one child to two. This notice of proposal was accepted by the provider on 5 October 2021.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This interim inspection reviewed the home’s requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Senior leaders have recently decided to close this home and move their staff team to other children’s homes operated by this provider. This is due to staffing shortages across the provider’s children’s homes. Senior leaders informed the inspector that this was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties it has caused them in retaining and recruiting skilled and experienced staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has agreed to inform Ofsted when it considers that the home is ready for children to move into. The responsible individual informed the inspector that this was likely to be in May 2022. There are plans to consider increasing the number of children who can be accommodated. The decor of the home is of a good standard, and all the rooms are ready for children to move into.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to the home’s closure, the staff have supported two children to move into another children’s home managed by this provider. The staff spent time speaking to the children about the move and made sensitive plans, in line with the children’s requests, to make sure the moves went as well as possible. For one child, the move mirrored their plans for gaining more independence and supported their future wishes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children made progress living in this home before they moved on. Both the children showed improvements in their educational attendance. This was reflected positively for one child at their most recent education review. There was also a noticeable decrease in behaviours that challenged the staff team, including incidents of the children leaving the home unsupervised. This meant the children spent more time with the staff and, in turn, their engagement with all professionals improved. Inspection report for children's home: 2523027 3 The staff understood the importance of the children attending routine health appointments. They took the time to explain to, and educate, the children about the roles of healthcare professionals and the potential outcomes of not attending places like the dentist or opticians. This approach meant that the staff, on occasion, were successful in supporting the children in attending their scheduled health

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

appointments. This was good progress, given the children’s starting points.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff regularly reviewed and updated the children’s plans. These plans included the necessary background information the staff needed to know to help them support the children in an informed and sensitive way. This included the review of risk management strategies after significant events in the home. This helped the staff to work in a consistent and unified manner, contributing to the decrease in risk- taking behaviours displayed at times by the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Senior leaders audit the agency staff folders with the agency provider once a year. This has driven improvements forward for this children’s home. This audit and review help senior leaders to ensure that the temporary staff working in the home are subject to the same safer recruitment checks as their full-time employed staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been no registered manager in the home since 28 September 2020. However, this home was managed by a permanent manager from 7 November 2020 until 17 May 2021. Their application to register with Ofsted was cancelled following their resignation from the home. There is now a new manager in post, and she has submitted her application to register with Ofsted. Therefore, this requirement has been met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When one child first moved into the home, their needs were not effectively assessed and planned for. There was a lack of scrutiny by leaders and managers to ensure that risks were fully understood and the staff’s skill set considered. As a result of this practice, not all the staff had the necessary training and skills in meeting all the needs of one child. Although the child’s progress in the home was good, it could have improved their experiences and enhanced the staff’s awareness. As a result, part of the leadership and management requirement has been reissued, and an additional requirement under care planning has been served. Inspection report for children's home: 2523027 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/05/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2523027 5

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 1 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 1 June 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2523027 6

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 for children's home: 2523027 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kennet Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Theale Lakes Business Park, Moulden Way, Sulhamstead, Reading, Berkshire RG7 4GB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dennis Austin-Visser

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Inspector

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2523027 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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