Children's Home run by KerryLynnCare Ltd in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 1 Registered provider: KerryLynnCare Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since the home was registered in October 2023. The manager was also registered in October 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak about the child in a warm manner and with high regard. Staff are nurturing, and the child is relaxed in their company. Staff take the time to understand the difficulties the child has faced. The child is supported by caring staff who give praise and incentives for things that the child has achieved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All professionals and family members say that the child is making progress. Staff capture the progress made in a photobook. Staff implement a consistent routine and boundaries that provide the child with stability. Additionally, staff have lots of discussions with the child. They seek to understand the child’s views, while also giving advice. One parent said, ‘I have seen a big improvement with [name of child].’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has not accessed education for some time; however, staff have offered ongoing encouragement and support. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] was refusing to attend; they [staff] have been instrumental in helping us.’ This has resulted in the child’s attendance improving, which will help the child to reach their academic potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly seek the views of the child in various ways. This includes direct discussions and house meetings. Staff encourage the child to share their views, advocating on their behalf. The child contributes to a ‘my plan’; however, the child does not have ready access to this once it is completed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is maintained to a high standard. The manager has plans to use the outdoor space in preparation for the summer months. Some areas of the home lack personalisation, but there is a plan for staff to support the child to choose items.

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

Staff are proactive when a child is missing from home. They work with partner agencies and family to locate the child. Managers recognise trends and advocate on behalf of the child. This has led to an agreed plan for the child, which has led to a reduction in missing-from-home incidents.

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

Staff also support the child’s family members. They follow the child’s plan to support progression. A social worker discussed how staff liaise with the parent to ensure consistency of routines and boundaries, to support a return home. Parents feel able to openly discuss any issues with staff. This enables the child to see staff and family work together in their best interests.

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

There have been no occasions when staff have had to hold the child when they are upset or struggling to manage their emotions. Staff use effective de-escalation Inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 3 techniques to avoid crisis situations. They recognise which strategies are effective due to their relationship with the child.

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

The child has a comprehensive placement plan which is completed by managers. There are clear areas of the child’s needs that are detailed; however, the staff are provided with a brief description of the action they need to take. This makes it difficult for staff to fully understand the specific support required by the child.

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

The managers ensure that the child has up-to-date risk assessments. There is a range of risks identified, although not all are a current active risk or vulnerability for the child. Furthermore, there is a significant amount of duplication of documents, which results in inconsistencies within the paperwork. Documents are also difficult to locate in the child’s file. This means it is difficult for staff, particularly those new to the home, to source or complete the relevant documentation.

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

There is no system to ensure that the child has access to non-prescribed medication for pain relief. This means that when a child is in pain, their needs are unable to be met quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a wealth of experience, and he is keen to cascade this information to his staff team, particularly to new staff members. One staff member said, ‘I have learned quite a lot from [name of manager].’ Staff say that he is approachable, and he has an excellent way of engaging with the child. This means that staff value the manager’s experience to inform their own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions and attend team meetings. There is a range of discussions, such as on the child, any personal issues and training. The manager recognises that sessions could be more reflective. He has plans to develop sessions to ensure that they are more effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have access to a range of training. However, some essential training is not yet completed, and the training matrix is not kept up to date. This means that staff do not all have the relevant skills and knowledge should a situation arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring and auditing systems are not effective. Some of the documents and systems are not kept up to date, or they are missing information. For example, there is a delay in the manager escalating a request to the placing authority to acquire some statutory documents in relevant timescales. Additionally, the manager has a limited understanding of some legal frameworks relating to children who are living away from home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leader and manager communicate with partner agencies effectively. Professionals say that staff are proactive in asking for advice when needed. Likewise, the leader and manager are open, transparent and receptive to feedback. This Inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 4 means that they have plans to improve the service and staff’s practice to ensure the best outcomes for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet The Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person 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;

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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)(c)(h)) 17 June 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there is challenge to partner agencies to acquire relevant documents to support and understand the needs of the children. Additionally, the registered person should ensure that they have a clear understanding of the legal frameworks relevant to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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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: 2729959 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: KerryLynnCare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tyne and Wear, Gateshead

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Inspector

Jess Elliott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 7 regulates and 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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