Children's home run by Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 1 SC402370 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 is a privately owned home with a school on the same site. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 54 children aged between nine and 17 years. Thirty-three children were living at this home at the time of the inspection. Many of the children have emotional and social needs, and some children have additional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an experienced manager leading the home, who is 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: SC402370 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/05/2022 Full Good 07/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/10/2021 Full Inadequate 23/07/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living at the home. They are well cared for, feel safe and have strong relationships with staff. The manager and staff ensure children are listened to and work hard to understand their needs. They support children through difficult times and do not give up on them. One child said, ‘Staff are really good and have really helped me out a lot.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff know the children well. They create detailed care plans which include children’s views, wishes and feelings. Children are actively involved in their care planning. The staff consult with children regularly and children can discuss their concerns and ideas. As a result, children are articulate and can express their views confidently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a comfortable and newly decorated home. There have been considerable improvements since the last inspection, such as new bathrooms and kitchens. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, which helps them to feel settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff provide children with a range of exciting experiences, including holidays abroad, day trips, cultural events and creative activities. Children develop new interests and hobbies through charity events and work experience. One child has won a scholarship with a local football club, which is a significant achievement. As a result, children grow in confidence and master new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are attending school. Some children were not in education before living at the home. They are now engaging in a full educational timetable. Attendance has particularly improved over the last 12 months. Children have taken exams and aspire for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff support children well with their health needs. Children attend routine appointments and receive specialist support where needed. There is a nurse who undertakes regular sessions with children on a range of issues, and children engage well with this work.

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

The manager and staff work hard to protect children from harm. They understand the risks posed to and from children well. Risk management plans provide guidance on measures to help children stay safe. Where new risks emerge, children receive support to help them understand how to manage their behaviours. For example, staff undertake direct work about sexual relationships and ways to manage conflict. There have been occasions when risk assessments have been carried out but not necessarily recorded, such as for trips out. Managers understand the importance of ensuring that risk assessments are recorded for all situations.

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

Overall, staff use their skills and experience to manage children’s behaviour well. Some incidents could have been managed better, however, shortfalls in practice are Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 4 quickly addressed. Children are able to repair relationships with staff when needed. There has been one occasion when a consequence was recorded for two children which was also understood by staff to be a safeguarding measure. This can confuse children in terms of responses to their behaviour.

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

Staff have responded sensitively and safely to incidents of self-injurious behaviour. This has helped children to feel comfortable in discussing their feelings and getting the support they need. As a result, children learn to manage their distress in healthier ways and reduce the number of times that they hurt themselves.

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

The managers work effectively with external agencies to support children with issues. There has been some effective work regarding the risks and consequences of using substances. Children have also been supported with managing aggression, to reduce incidents of children hurting each other. This is beginning to create a safer environment for children.

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

Staff are confident to raise their worries about practice with managers. Managers take swift and effective action and concerns are investigated thoroughly, with clear outcomes. There has been effective use of disciplinary procedures when necessary. This means that poor practice is kept to a minimum and the quality of care for children does not deteriorate.

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

The manager and staff provide a well-coordinated response when children are missing from care. Staff look for children and they work tirelessly with other agencies and families to ensure children are returned safely. For children who have frequently gone missing, these incidents are reducing. This helps to keep children safe from risks of exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have recently appointed a manager who is new to the organisation. She is passionate about providing good care for children and has demonstrated a strong commitment to them. Her child-centred approach comes through in all areas of her decision-making. The manager has brought new ideas that have been effective and are having a positive impact on children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses. She is working closely with the responsible individual to make improvements where needed, including strengthening monitoring systems to improve accountability of practice. The manager’s colleagues have confidence in her skills and abilities and have welcomed her initiative.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy their work. They speak warmly about the children and each other. Staff are well supported by leaders and managers, and they are proud of their home. There are regular training opportunities and reflective supervision, which provide the team with the knowledge and skills they need to care for children effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 5 Staff are recruited safely, with robust vetting procedures. Where concerns emerge about new staff, managers take appropriate action to ensure that children are not at increased risk of harm. This means that children are cared for by suitable adults. There are some care staff vacancies in the home. These are currently filled by regular agency and bank staff. Agency staff have access to a good induction and complete most of the mandatory training that permanent staff complete.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers consider children moving into the home. This means that children already living there experience minimal disruption to their lives. It also prevents children having to move on in unplanned ways.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s policy on behaviour management addresses general principles for behaviour management, providing a clear distinction between what is a consequence and what is a safeguarding measure, making sure children’s rights are upheld. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.35)  The registered person should ensure staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. The registered person should ensure that these steps are recorded in children’s records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 41,

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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: SC402370 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 (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

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Joanne Vyas, Social Care Inspector Kay Challand, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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