Children's home run by Keswick Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2483830 1 Registered provider: Keswick Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private company. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Children may also have a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024 and is suitably qualified for the role.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and another child had recently moved out.

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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: 2483830 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2023 Full Good 06/06/2022 Full Good 06/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2483830 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and decorated to a high standard. Children are involved in the styling of the home and choose elements of the decoration and design. They personalise their bedrooms with home comforts, sensory toys and mood lighting. Inspectors spoke to one child who said, ‘I have a den under my bed and it is my safe space.’ This helps children to feel settled and secure in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek and prioritise the views, wishes and feelings of the children through weekly meetings, visual aids, and one-to-one discussions, such as ‘you said and we did’. This captures the voice of the child, adding to their sense of belonging. Children are involved in writing their care plans. This ensures that they are informed and understand their plan and have a say in the decisions that affect them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know and understand each child’s individual personalities, needs and behaviours. With support from the in-house psychologist, the staff understand how to tailor their care using a trauma-informed approach. As a result, children thrive and make sustained progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s family, carers and professionals play a key role in providing additional support and guidance for children. External feedback is overwhelmingly positive and recognises the progress the children make. Staff promote and support children to have family time, and one child has successfully returned to live with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use creative approaches to encourage children to attend health appointments. Staff buy games and books to educate the children around health and well-being. Timely referrals to external agencies and the in-house psychologist mean that children do not wait too long for specialist help.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to attend and engage in their learning. Staff are in regular communication with schools, including the head of the virtual school, to respond and resolve any emerging barriers to children’s learning. Staff attend parents evenings, and children’s educational attainment is celebrated.

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

Staff know the children very well and understand how early life experiences can impact on a child’s emotional well-being. Children say that they feel listened to and that they can share any worries or concerns. The staff help the children to find alternative ways to manage and understand their emotions.

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

On the rare occasion that a child has gone missing from home, the staff responded promptly and without delay. Documentation is clear and concise. It demonstrates the actions taken by staff to ensure children are not missing for long and safely return to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2483830 4 home. The manager’s oversight includes lessons learned, which enables staff to reflect on their practice.

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

Risk assessments are individualised to each child. They are a valuable tool that identifies strategies to reduce risk and where targeted discussions with children are required. Staff have engaged children in chats around internet safety, social media, self-harm and bullying. The staff help children to make safer and more informed choices.

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

Children respond well to the firm but fair boundaries and the consistency in staff practice. The use of physical intervention is extremely rare and has only been used once to prevent the risk of harm to a child. All staff are trained to use physical intervention techniques and receive yearly refresher training to equip them with the skills and knowledge to de-escalate situations.

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

Staff undergo a rigorous recruitment process that ensures they are suitable to work with children. The home does not use agency staff and relies on a pool of bank staff that undergo the same recruitment process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is enthusiastic and aspirational for the children in her care. She recently registered with Ofsted and is gaining confidence in developing effective management and leadership skills with support from the responsible individual. The manager is a good advocate and only wants the best for the children in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has seen a number of staff changes, but there remains a committed but small staff team that knows the children well and understands their individual needs and risks. Staff are well supported by the manager. Her visual presence provides staff with an extra layer of oversight and direction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All the staff have a good insight and understanding of the children in their care. They work collaboratively to support the children and each other. The team is currently of a size to meet the needs of the child living at the home. Recruitment is underway to strengthen the staff team and their capacity to provide care for an additional child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from receiving regular supervision and team meetings. The quality is consistent across supervisors, and staff use the meetings to learn, share and encourage development. Continuous professional development is encouraged, and this has helped to retain staff through internal promotion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are up to date with their mandatory training, and additional, more specialised training has been completed. This includes training on medication, adverse childhood experiences, exploitation and mental health. Staff have access to the in-house psychologist, who supports practice reflection and discussions. The training that staff receive helps to improve their practice and meet the individual needs of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483830 5 All complaints and allegations are clearly recorded. They are taken seriously and investigated in line with the providers procedures. The manager’s monitoring systems and oversight help to identify any service shortfalls. She welcomes constructive advice and suggestions from others to improve the home and children’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483830 6

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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: 2483830 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keswick Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 17 Cedars Business Centre, Barnsley Road, Hemsworth, Pontefract WF9 4PU

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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Rachael Moore, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2483830 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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