Children's Home run by Knossington Grange School Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC436386 1 SC436386 Registered provider: Knossington Grange School Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

An experienced manager leads this home and has been in post since November 2022. She is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC436386 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/03/2022 Full Good 27/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/09/2019 Full Good 03/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC436386 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is welcoming and decorated to a high standard. Their bedrooms are decorated according to their requests. They all reflect the individual personalities of the children. One child said that she liked having the walls painted dark as she could not cope at night if they were too light. There is a lot of space so the children can have time away from their peers and have some quiet time in a safe space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are nurturing and caring in their approach to children. Consistency in their approach to care is also important. Children have good routines and boundaries, and staff work together to achieve these. Staff do not shy away from difficult conversations, and they demonstrate empathy and understanding towards the children. Staff recognise that children may need information to be repeated so that they can learn. Staff do this patiently. They take time to explain and explore situations with the children. This assists children’s understanding in learning from situations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education every day and are achieving well. The care and education staff work closely together and have a seamless approach to supporting each child. Staff encourage children to extend their learning outside of school. They support children to read, complete art and craft activities and enjoy cooking together. This helps the children to maximise their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At times, children struggle to manage overwhelming emotions. Staff work hard to enable them to recognise different emotions and develop their responses. A parent gave an example of when her child recently called her. The child felt annoyed by other children in the home. They took themselves out to the trampoline area to ‘get into a better frame of mind’. This achievement was possible due to the support from staff. The parent acknowledged that this was significant progress for her child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are continually sought. A child said they felt listened to. They provided an example and spoke about the ‘menu and activities for the week’. Staff work hard to accommodate children’s wishes. Recently, a new format for the children’s meetings has been introduced, which has proven positive. The children expressed what they wanted. Their wishes are clearly captured and actions already taken by staff.

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

Observations of the children and staff reflect the good relationships that exist between them. The children look relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff. This contributes to the children feeling safe and cared for. No children have gone missing from home over the last five months, and the use of physical intervention to manage behaviour is rare. Inspection report for children’s home: SC436386 4 The children have individualised behaviour management plans and risk assessments. These are very detailed and reflect the complex needs of the children. The managers review these on a regular basis and update them as required. These documents provide staff with the guidance they need to keep children safe.

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

The manager and staff have a preferred model of therapeutic care for the children. This model provides a framework for staff and guides their practice. As a result, relationships are good, and children know they can turn to the staff if they have any worries. Staff listen to and acknowledge children’s worries or concerns. They discuss these with the children and provide them with coping strategies. This has made the children more able to manage their emotions or challenges in life.

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

The children cannot always judge if they are at risk. This includes times when they are accessing the internet or using a mobile phone. Staff use various tools when helping children understand risk. However, children can struggle to retain information shared. Staff recognise this and continually weave safeguarding information into everyday conversations. This supports the children’s learning and helps them remain safe.

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

Clear policies and procedures are in place that support staff in their role to safeguard children. These are detailed and updated regularly. Children know how to make a complaint. Complaints packs have been put into all the children’s bedrooms, and it has been explained to the children how to use them. When a child struggles to express themselves verbally, they use the complaints pack to write a letter about their wishes and feelings. Staff respond to this, so the child knows that they are being heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is relatively new. She has high standards and is aspirational for the children. The manager has a clear vision for the home, and children are at the heart of her plan. The manager has spent time getting to know the children. She is proactive in her approach and works alongside the team. A staff member commented that the manager is great in taking staff along with the vision and plans for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been significant staff changes since the last inspection. This has proven difficult for the children to cope with. Staff recruitment has been ongoing, and new staff have been appointed. The children struggle with change, and the arrival of new staff is likely to cause worry. Reassuring the children is a priority, and every effort is being made to build relationships between the staff and children as soon as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong workforce development plan. Training is a key objective to ensure that all staff are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to care for children. Specific training is also planned and delivered to meet the specific needs of some children. Team meetings are held regularly and are structured, with staff fully Inspection report for children’s home: SC436386 5 participating. Staff receive regular supervision, and there is a focus on developing their skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals and parents is positive. A parent commented, ‘Communication is fantastic.’ Staff invited parents to the home so they could see where their child lived and meet the staff. This gesture was appreciated and helped reinforce the link between parents and carers. A parent also stated: ‘Staff do an incredible job and extend the care and compassion out to the family.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team knows where changes are needed to improve outcomes for children. Where the manager has already made changes, positive results can be seen. An audit system has been established. Paperwork is being reviewed, and the children’s files require some attention to bring them up to date. Inspection report for children’s home: SC436386 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 registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to children’s records being reviewed and updated in a timely manner. 30 June 2023

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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: SC436386 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Knossington Grange School Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL1 4AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Van Niekerk

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Inspector

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC436386 8 inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

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Inspector

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspector

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Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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