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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 1 SC048552 Registered provider: Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited

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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 experience 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. However, they are not in work at this time.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 29, 30 and 31 May 2024. Ofsted found that children had suffered harm due to serious and widespread safeguarding failures and that the leadership and management arrangements were ineffective.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted made the decision to restrict accommodation at the home under section 22B of the Care Standards Act 2000. Compliance notices under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) were also issued.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was brought forward due to a noticeable increase in safeguarding incidents. Inspectors found that there is a culture of poor and unsafe practice that places children at risk of harm. The children live together, are educated together, and they have some of the same staff working with them at home and in school. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 2 The arrangements for safeguarding across the settings continue to lack coordination, which leaves all involved vulnerable.

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This monitoring visit

Children say that they have suffered harm due to poor and unsafe care practices in relation to physical interventions. Physical intervention records identify that staff are not de-escalating situations effectively and use excessive force to hold children. In many instances, physical intervention is being used to discipline children and to force compliance.

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This monitoring visit

Following physical interventions children are blamed for their behaviours. There is no independent oversight of the holds to check that they were proportionate and the discussion with the child is to reprimand them for their behaviour, not to consider their safety and welfare. Consequently, when children have suffered an injury appropriate medical advice is not sought.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last visit, the interim manager has tried to change poor safeguarding practices. She has provided care managers and staff with additional guidance and training on safeguarding practices and reinforced their roles and responsibilities. Despite this training, staff have failed to inform the interim manager when serious safeguarding matters arise. This included two separate incidents when children were arrested and taken to the police station overnight. This does not enable effective management oversight of practice and continues to place children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are not being transparent with safeguarding professionals and Ofsted. Safeguarding information is not readily shared to enable effective decision-making regarding children’s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

Information is not recorded to understand the actions taken when serious incidents occur. When incidents are recorded, there is no professional curiosity by leaders and managers to assure themselves that children are safeguarded.

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This monitoring visit

The administration of medication continues to be poor, with further shortfalls identified. Although the provider has introduced medication checks and supported care managers and staff to attend refresher training, practice has not improved. This places children at risk and does not demonstrate that procedures are followed to keep children safe. Furthermore, the current medication procedures and processes between care and education are unsafe and fail to protect all involved.

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This monitoring visit

Bullying incidents between children are poorly managed, and staff are not taking appropriate action to reduce the risk of bullying. This has meant that children continue to harm one another.

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This monitoring visit

Allegations, which remain unsubstantiated pending police investigation, have been made by children and have not been taken seriously, nor have they been responded to appropriately. Leaders and managers have failed to follow the necessary steps to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 3 inform relevant safeguarding agencies and local authorities to allow a thorough investigation into the concerns.

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This monitoring visit

There is a lack of communication and coordination of safeguarding between school and care. Staffing arrangements, and roles and responsibilities, are not clearly defined. This lack of accountability leaves children vulnerable.

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This monitoring visit

Despite recent additional training, staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Staff failed to follow the whistle-blowing procedure when they witnessed inappropriate and poor staff practice. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Police assistance has been requested to manage the behaviours of some children. This had led to the children being arrested and held at the police station overnight. Staff did not attend the police station with children and failed to alert the interim manager that children had been removed from the care home by the police. This does not demonstrate good parenting and placed the children at risk of criminalisation.

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This monitoring visit

Given the concerns highlighted above, Ofsted has suspended the home’s registration. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Inadequate 30/10/2023 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 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, The 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 with 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. 8 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 6 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, t he registered provider must ensure that all leaders, managers and staff understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must help staff to understand what action they are required to take when a child makes an allegation, who this should be reported to and the importance of sharing all information with relevant partner agencies.

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Requirement Due date

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. These assessments must be shared with staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must carry out 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 review fire risk 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

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all staff understand that restraint can only be used to keep a child safe and not for compliance and discipline. If children are harmed during 28 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 7 intervention, this must be reported to the relevant person without delay.

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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;

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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

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 carry out the role. This should include out-of- hours management arrangements and governance arrangements. 8 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 8 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 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.

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Requirement Due date

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 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 9 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.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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. 5 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 10 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

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. 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 11 (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, this is recorded with an accurate record of the incident and the adults involved. Children should be offered an opportunity to share their views about this. The provider must ensure 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.

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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

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)) 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 12 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

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 13

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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

Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector (lead) James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC048552 14 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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