Children's Home, Residential special school run by Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: SC048552 1 SC048552 Registered provider: Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to 50 children, irrespective of gender. It is a privately owned residential special school which is also registered as a children’s home. The home’s statement of purpose states that children at this home have identified social, emotional and mental health needs. They may also have learning difficulties. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are widespread failures that mean children’s welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 17 November 2021

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/11/2021 Full Good 13/08/2019 Full Good 12/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 3

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inadequate

Inspectors spoke to several children as part of this inspection. Children were observed to be confident and happy. They have positive relationships with the staff who care for them. Shortfalls identified in help and protection and leadership and management have had a negative effect on some children’s experiences. This has had a significant impact on some children’s overall safety.

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inadequate

Children benefit from age-appropriate routines and structure provided by staff. Discussions with children, and those with responsibility for them at the time of inspection, highlight progress made by children. Children’s plans are not comprehensive and do not clearly document children’s individual needs or the specific plans for their care. This means that inspectors were unable to view the individual progress made by children in line with their starting points.

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inadequate

Children are encouraged to access health services and they have a registered nurse and psychologist available to support their health needs. The information relating to one child’s health and health needs was not documented or available. This means that staff and managers do not always have the necessary information to identify and support this child’s individual needs.

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inadequate

Children attend the organisation’s independent school, and education is tailored to individual children. Because of this, some children have aspirations for the future and benefit from completing additional courses and qualifications which support their future goals. Furthermore, some children have been selected for local authority care awards for progress and attendance in education.

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inadequate

Staff encourage and support extra-curricular activities, which help children to engage in hobbies and activities. Children have benefited from a variety of enjoyable days out, after-school clubs and holidays, including the school’s ‘dungeons and dragons’ club and participating in the ‘I’m a celebrity’ experience. Furthermore, one child has been selected to be part of a rugby squad. Another has been chosen to play for a county football team. Daily assemblies are used to celebrate children’s engagement and achievements, where children are highly praised and rewarded in front of their peers.

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

There have been two incidents when children who display self-injurious behaviours have used a ligature to harm themselves. Staff have managed these incidents quickly. Despite these known risks, night staff who are responsible for the care of children have not completed the necessary ligature training. This has the potential to hinder children’s safety significantly. Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 4 Incidents of children going missing from home are infrequent. However, when incidents have occurred, appropriate action has not been taken consistently. During one incident when a child went missing from the home, staff were made aware of the child’s whereabouts, but they failed to take appropriate action and go to collect the child. This child was subsequently away from the home for seven days. Records indicate that the reason staff did not take appropriate action was due to a lack of staff availability and that they did not have access to a vehicle. This did not

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

safeguard the child and does not ensure that all staff have a proactive response to incidents of children going missing from care.

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

Not all risk assessments are robust, and they do not consistently provide proactive strategies to minimise the risks for all children. Shortfalls were also identified in relation to the assessments compiled for children who move into the home. These assessments do not assess sufficiently the risks children may pose to one another. Consequently, incidents of harm have occurred between children.

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

Staffing ratios are not sufficient to protect children and staff from harm. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that children receive three-to-one staffing. However, there have been several occasions when this has not been in place. On one occasion, a member of staff was left to care for four children alone. Children’s behaviours escalated and resulted in a child and the member of staff being harmed. During this incident, it was necessary for another child to seek support from additional staff to stop the incident.

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

There have been incidents of violence between children, which have not always been prevented. This means that children have been subject to harm and that the current staffing ratios do not meet the needs of the children placed. Staff confirm that ratios are an issue when incidents occur at the home. This does not demonstrate that the home’s day-to-day care arrangements ensure that children are protected from harm.

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

Incidents which have necessitated physically holding children are clearly documented. Holds are appropriate and proportionate and are used as a last resort to ensure children’s safety. Children are given the opportunity to discuss and reflect on incidents when they have been held. Children spoken to as part of this inspection said that they understand why they are held and why this is necessary.

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

Allegations of abuse are managed in line with the relevant policies and procedures. Managers consult with the relevant external professionals, and incidents are managed transparently. Children are happy with how these incidents are managed. They feel safe and listened to during these times. Additionally, staff have a good understanding of the home’s whistle-blowing and safeguarding procedures. This means that children have had the correct support when allegations of abuse have been raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 5 Monitoring and review systems in the home have not identified some of the significant shortfalls found at this inspection. These include concerns in relation to the staffing ratios to keep children safe, gaps in staff training, safer recruitment checks, staff appraisals, and deficits in information and documentation relating to children’s health.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff report that they feel well supported by managers and receive regular supervision sessions. Supervisions are detailed and demonstrate that some staff can speak openly in relation to any concerns and that managers acknowledge these. This demonstrates an open and transparent culture at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has several layers of management. Managers know children well. Children say that they can speak to senior leaders and identify them as those in whom they would confide. They know how to make a complaint but say this has not been necessary. As a result, children feel listened to and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inspectors deemed that managers have met the requirements made at the previous inspection. Leaders are keen to improve the shortfalls found at this inspection and had taken reasonable steps to address shortfalls in staff training and the resources available to staff. Ligature training was immediately sourced for staff, and additional vehicles had been ordered to ensure that the home has enough means of transport for children. A recruitment drive also remains an ongoing area of focus. Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home holds the relevant health records and information necessary to support each child’s health. 13 January 2023

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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.

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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

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; 13 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 7 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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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.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staffing ratios and the resources available to staff are sufficient and serve to reduce the risk of harm to children. 13 January 2023

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)) 19 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 8 * 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)) 19 February 2023

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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.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that plans in place for children identify the aims and objectives for each child’s care. 13 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, 13 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 9 if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC048552 10

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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 (Wings Education) 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

Natalie Bennett, Social Care Inspector Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 11 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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