Children's Home run by Kinsman Residential Homes Limited in Herefordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2806161 1 Registered provider: Kinsman Residential Homes 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 privately owned and provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered in November 2024. The manager is qualified to level 5 in leadership and management.

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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: 2806161 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This was the home’s first inspection since it was registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager fully considers the needs of children moving to the home and the impact these could have on children already living there. This helps children settle quickly. When a child was anxious about moving to the home, the manager asked another child to write a letter to them. The child described what it was like for them living at the home and helped reduce the child’s anxiety in advance of them moving in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show real care and nurture towards children. They provide structure, consistency and realistic boundaries, which children accept. This results in positive relationships being formed and children making excellent progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to reflect on their past experiences and behaviours. Some children have a history of substance misuse and smoking, but this has stopped since moving to the home. One child’s progress has meant they are able to return to the care of their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to understand the importance of education. Staff have been proactive sourcing a new school placement for a child who had been out of education for some time. Staff have also helped children to maintain their school placements despite some being a significant distance from the home. Staff take and collect children from school each day. This has helped children’s attendance in school dramatically improve and children to become more aspirational.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped by staff to access any professional support that they need. This includes attending appointments with their doctor and advocating for referrals to other professionals such as child and adolescent mental health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to follow their interests and try something new. One child who could not swim has had swimming lessons and is now swimming independently. Another child has learned to skateboard and is due to begin drumming lessons. Children are taken by staff on holidays. This has included going to the provider’s caravan in Devon. Staff also take children out to places of interest, funfairs, theme parks, zoos, shopping, meals out and walks in the countryside.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to maintain links with family and friends, with staff going out of their way to make sure children can see them. This includes driving children long distances and waiting for children so that they can get back safely. Inspection report for children's home: 2806161 3

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

Staff put in place consistent boundaries and expectations for children. This helps children feel safe and secure in a nurturing environment where they are kept safe.

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

Staff help children to understand risks associated with their behaviours. Through discussions and learning, children are better able to make positive choices and keep themselves safe.

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

There are some identified risks for children when they are online. To help manage these, staff have put safeguards on the home’s Wi-Fi, and they work with children to help them identify online risks and the actions they need to take to keep themselves safe. Children are encouraged to take breaks from online activities, especially at night. Children see the benefits of handing in their phones at night, so they get a good night’s sleep.

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

Staff help children to take responsibility. Staff trust children when they are away from the home. Children answer calls from staff when checking on their welfare, and children return to the home on time.

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

When a child told staff about their involvement in concerning behaviours before moving to the home, the manager took steps to address this. They reported the concerns and supported the child to share the information with others that needed to know.

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

Children feel settled, and their behaviour is good. There are few incidents, and staff have not needed to use physical intervention to keep children safe.

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

The manager has safer recruitment processes in place to ensure staff are safe to be working in the home. However, she had not checked why one worker had left their previous roles. This omission means the manager did not have all the information needed to assess the suitability of the worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A committed and supportive leadership team manages this home. All are aspirational for children and want the best for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders carefully consider staffing at the home. Throughout their selection process, they think about the experiences and skills needed to meet the needs of the children. This has created a staff team that has a natural nurturing approach and positive outlook.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from staff and professionals is positive. All felt that the staff do a fantastic job, that everyone is child focused and that the manager advocates well for children and challenges others appropriately. All said that children receive excellent care and that they are provided with many opportunities. Inspection report for children's home: 2806161 4 Children have a voice. The manager and staff consult with children using different methods on a daily basis. However, the records do not always fully reflect the discussions held and could mean that the manager may miss vital views from children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are supported well by the manager and that she is always available to them. They receive regular supervision, although some records do not show the detail needed. There is limited information about how staff reflect on their practice or what actions need to be taken to improve their skills and knowledge. In addition, while regular team meetings take place, records are brief and do not show the depth of conversation, reflection or details of discussions about children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a comprehensive induction and ongoing training that includes online and face- to-face learning. In addition, they have opportunities to shadow more experienced staff. However, staff have not yet had an opportunity to do any training in relation to the home’s identified model of care or trauma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems to monitor the home, staff practice and records. When staff practice is not of the required standard, the manager takes actions to address this and support improvement. On some occasions, through the manager’s monitoring, the manager has not promptly picked up when records have been inaccurate, for example children’s ‘about me’ documents. Inspection report for children's home: 2806161 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff having training on the home’s model of care and trauma. In addition, ensure that the registered person completes all recruitment checks as set out in schedule 2. 30 May 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children, which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. In particular, they should ensure that records relating to children are accurate and up to date and that there is Inspection report for children's home: 2806161 6 consistency in the recording quality of those records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. Those records should have details of the reflective conversations that have taken place and any actions set. (‘Guide to the Children’s

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Recommendations

Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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: 2806161 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kinsman Residential Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Manchester House, Grosvenor Hill, Cardigan SA43 1HY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jonathan Williams

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Inspector

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2806161 8 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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