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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 1 SC048552

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Registered provider: Kedleston (Wings Education) 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

This home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to 50 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is a residential special school which is also registered as a children’s home. The inspectors only inspected the children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 35 children were living in the home.

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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 serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 30 October 2023

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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

30/10/2023 Full good 28/02/2023 Full good 15/11/2022 Full inadequate 17/11/2021 Full good Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 3

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inadequate

There is a disparity in children’s experiences of living in this home. The home consists of six separate houses located near to each other. The quality of care that children receive is variable. Children who have unplanned moves do not experience positive endings.

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inadequate

Staff are inconsistent in their responses to children. Children say this is causing confusion about staff expectations. This does not provide children with stability or clear boundaries.

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inadequate

Some children cannot access all communal areas of the home. Staff say that they lock internal doors to separate children from each other to manage behaviour. Leaders and managers say that they are unaware that this practice is in place. This is restrictive for children and does not enable them to learn acceptable behaviours.

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inadequate

Children say that they have shared complaints and allegations with leaders and managers about the care that they receive. However, some children feel that their complaints are not taken seriously or acted on. This does not ensure that the systems in place to listen to and support children are effective.

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inadequate

Staff support some children to develop independence skills. However, staff’s expectations for some children are unrealistic and not in line with children’s needs and vulnerabilities. For example, one child did not have access to clean clothes as they had missed their rostered washing day.

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inadequate

The home is made up of six individual homes. Some communal areas of the homes are well maintained. However, other areas of the homes, including some children’s bedrooms, are unkempt. Damaged furniture is left unattended, and some garden areas are overgrown. This does not provide a safe, homely and nurturing environment for children to live in.

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inadequate

Children attend education in line with their individual plans. Some children make progress in their education. For example, one child has completed a language course and has ambitions to work in tourism.

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inadequate

Children access a range of activities. This helps children to build their confidence. Some children say that they are happy living in this home and that they have good relationships with some of the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 4

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

Leaders and managers do not ensure that children are protected from harm. They do not take appropriate steps to manage and reduce the risks for children. Accessing the trainline is a known risk for some children. Despite this, the registered manager failed to repair the fence on the property that leads towards the trainline. This increased the risk to children.

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

Children’s risk assessments and plans do not always include their known risks or detail the steps that staff must take to keep children safe. Staff do not understand what is expected of them. As a result, children have experienced inconsistent and poor care from staff. This has increased the risk to children.

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

Staff do not always understand the needs of children or the steps they need to take to keep children safe. For example, one member of staff did not know where the ligature cutters were when caring for children who have a known history of self- injurious behaviours.

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

Medication is not managed safely, and leaders have not taken the necessary steps to ensure that staff understand how to administer and store controlled drugs after a significant medication error. Managers and staff remain confused about the expectations of how to safely manage controlled medication.

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

Staff do not consistently use de-escalation strategies in line with children’s individual plans. As a result, some incidents escalate, and the police are used to manage behaviour. This criminalises children. Direct work is completed with children, but the quality of this is variable. This means that children are not supported effectively to learn to manage difficult feelings safely.

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

Children say that they have been physically harmed by staff and that they are physically held for no reason. Records demonstrate that staff do not hold children in line with agreed holds or to keep children safe. When the registered manager holds children, he has not ensured that an independent overview is provided, signing off his own records. Leaders have failed to explore poor staff practice or demonstrate any learning for staff. Consequently, poor staff practice has continued.

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

Following physical interventions, children are blamed for their behaviours, and there are limited opportunities for children to safely reflect on what happened during and after the intervention. Leaders and managers do not provide staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice when they have held a child. Management oversight of physical interventions is poor, which has meant that unsafe practice has continued.

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

Leaders and managers have not used all known information to assess fire risks to all the children. Staff say that children have lighters in their possession and smoke within the grounds of the home. This is not considered within the fire risk assessment. Following a fire in one of the houses, leaders and managers failed to Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 5 review fire safety processes or ensure that all children know how to leave the home safely in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is not visible in the children’s homes, and there is limited evidence of day-to-day management and oversight. The registered manager does not have high aspirations for children and has failed to address poor staff practice. This has impacted on children’s lived experiences and does not ensure that children receive consistently good care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management arrangements are chaotic, and as a result, roles and responsibilities are unclear. Some children say that they have been physically and emotionally harmed by managers. Although children have reported the concerns, no action has been taken. Senior leaders took immediate steps during the inspection to safeguard the children and report concerns to all safeguarding professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager did not identify learning from incidents or disseminate this to staff to inform the care that children receive. This has meant that risks are not fully understood, and incidents reoccur. The registered manager failed to share allegations with relevant agencies to allow a thorough investigation into safeguarding matters. This does not support staff to understand what is expected of them or to ensure that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff report that they have supervision. However, some records are duplicated, with the date changed. This does not enable reflective practice. The registered manager did not ensure that staff who are given responsibility for supervising other staff are suitably trained to do so. This does not ensure that staff are supported to learn and reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not ensured that all staff have the skills, knowledge and experience to care for the children. Information-sharing between day and night staff is also inconsistent. One member of staff said that they do not always know of incidents that have happened during the daytime. Staff say that personal information about children is shared between staff using their own mobile phones. As a result, information about children is not treated with respect or handled securely. Leaders took immediate steps to address this during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from external professionals is variable. Some external professionals say that communication from managers is inconsistent, and others say that they have good working relationships with house managers. Staff say that they enjoy working in the home and feel supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders provided assurances about the shortfalls identified within this inspection to ensure the immediate safety of the children. This included immediate changes to leadership and management arrangements in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 6

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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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 8 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 7 Specifically, the registered provider must review all children’s risk assessments, ensuring that all known risks are identified and have clear actions for staff to follow.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all staff understand the risks and their responsibilities for children in their care. This must include following risk assessments.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must undertake a review of the staff’s experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of the children in their care. When shortfalls are identified, the registered provider must ensure that there is always sufficient staff on shift to meet the children’s needs and identify a plan of support and training for these staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must review the location of the premises and take steps to mitigate known risks. This should include ensuring that children cannot access the railway lines.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all staff understand that children are only to be held by staff when needed to keep children or those around them safe. The registered provider must ensure that staff only use agreed holds and for the shortest time needed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must review fire risks assessments to include all known information. The registered provider must ensure that staff understand known fire risks and take steps to keep children safe.

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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 staff work as a team where appropriate; 8 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 8 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that interim management arrangements are reviewed and be confident that the managers identified have the skills, knowledge and experience to undertake the role. This should include out-of- hours management arrangements and governance arrangements.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must review their monitoring and auditing processes to ensure that they can identify any shortfalls in staff practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must review supervision arrangements for all staff, ensuring that the interim managers have oversight of these.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must review their procedure for when allegations are made so there is a clear understanding by all staff of how allegations are responded to, investigated and shared with relevant partner agencies.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that there is clear management oversight of all incidents and of children’s plans. This should include the registered provider disseminating learning from incidents and taking steps to ensure that staff understand any changes made to practice to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 9 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; and

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that staff meet children’s emotional needs and help children to learn to manage difficult feelings safely. 5 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 10 is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that any restrictions on children’s access to communal areas of their home are used only to safeguard children and are kept under review.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character; and

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the register provider ensuring that there is a manager in place who demonstrates the skills to manage the home and lead the care of children. 5 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 11 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that when children have been held, they are given the opportunity to share their views about this. This also relates to the provider ensuring that records of physical intervention have effective management oversight.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 12 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(viii)(c)(i))

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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

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that children's records are stored securely and that information about children is treated with respect. 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 13 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 14

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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 7 Brook Business Centre, Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 2FX

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Inspectors

Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Donna Ryan, Social Care Inspector Paula Shepherd, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC048552 15 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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