Children's Home run by Kennet Care Limited in Reading

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 1 Registered provider: Kennet Care Limited Full 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 provides care for up to seven children aged between eight and 17 who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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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: 2611110 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/07/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with trusted staff who understand their needs. When children become anxious, staff react quickly and use redirection strategies at an early stage to support them. Following incidents, staff carry out debriefs with children to understand how they feel and how staff can help them in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care that reflects their unique characteristics and celebrates their differences. Staff have a good understanding of how each child thrives and how they like to be supported. This helps the children to have positive outcomes and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in their education and social development. Children who attend art therapy sessions at the home have made sound progress towards their goals. This helps children to recognise how they are feeling and to ask for help when they need it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to enjoy a wide range of enriching activities, including sport and leisure activities and opportunities to see their friends and family. This provides children with a good quality of life and a well-rounded experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek out the children’s views and listen to their opinions. They support children to make choices about their lives at the home. For example, during key-work sessions and house meetings, children choose their evening meals and discuss how the home is decorated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving into the home have their needs carefully assessed in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Local risks are considered along with the needs of the children already living in the home. Children getting ready to leave the home are supported to work towards independence.

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

Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. Systems and processes are in place to protect children from risks such as going missing from care. Leaders and managers understand their statutory requirements in relation to keeping the children safe from harm. However, the response to one allegation was not recorded effectively. There was no impact on the child involved. The allegation has been resolved with the child and staff member, and senior managers have followed the advice from the local authority designated officer. Nevertheless, the investigation was not recorded and Ofsted was not notified.

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

Staff are well trained to support children who experience anxiety and distress. There is a focus on positive behaviour support and staff provide the children with clear and Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 4 consistent boundaries. This is effective and has reduced the number of incidents in the home.

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

There are effective processes in place to record and administer the children’s medication. The manager has a good auditing system which ensures that the children’s medicines are monitored and accounted for. This means that the children safely receive their prescribed medicines.

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

Risks are identified, assessed and managed to reduce the likelihood of harm to children. Some potential hazards, for example around self-harm and ligatures, have not been reviewed to show that risks have changed or are no longer relevant. However, staff understand how to support children to keep them safe.

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

Safe recruitment records are kept centrally and reviewed by senior staff. Only vetted individuals work at the home and provide care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers share a vision for the home to provide children with nurturing care from a skilled staff team. The home is achieving this aim through using positive behaviour approaches and therapy for the children. This provides a high level of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some missed opportunities to notify Ofsted of incidents. Recent practice has shown learning from a sister home and notifications are now being sent to Ofsted as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Equality and diversity are promoted by the manager and staff team. Children attend monthly cultural awareness nights, learn about religious festivals, and have conversations to explore cultural differences and tolerance of other beliefs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers seek and listen to the children’s views. Following feedback from the children, improvements to the home have been made, including redecoration and repair work. Children have been supported to decide timelines for when they move from the home. As a result, children have felt less anxious and more in control of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meet with managers regularly to discuss their performance and any concerns they have. This helps to provide each member of staff with the necessary support and guidance to fulfil their role. Essential training has been completed but some staff have not received all training relevant to children’s specific needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Complaints are responded to in line with the complaints policy. Children’s complaints are listened to and taken seriously. Where shortfalls have been identified, prompt action has led to improvements through the use of reflective practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 29 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and training to be able to meet children’s health needs, help them to manage long- term conditions and, where necessary, respond to their specific individual health risks, such as self-harm and use of ligatures. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and arrangements in place to protect them and keep risk assessments reviewed and up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that investigations into allegations are recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)

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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: 2611110 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kennet Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kennet Care Ltd, C/O Goringe Accountants Waterside, 1650 Arlington Business Park, Theale Berkshire RG7 4SA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dennis Austin-Visser

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Inspectors

Stephen Challis, Social Care Inspector Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 7 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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