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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2742846 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 manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024. He is currently undertaking his level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

At this inspection, there were four children living at the home. All were seen and spoken to by the inspector.

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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: 2742846 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2742846 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, four children have moved to the home and two have left. One child returned to live in their family home. This was after staff had worked with them to help them rebuild their relationships with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager considers the suitability of the home for children before they move in, and most settle well. When one child struggled to settle, the manager worked with multi-agency partners to help support the child. Despite all efforts from staff, the child struggled living at the home. Due to the effect of this on other children, the manager took the difficult decision to end the placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff form positive relationships with children, and after an unsettled period, they have been able to help children become more settled. Children have now resumed their previous interests. Children say they are happy living at the home and that they like the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are helping children to make progress. However, staff are not consistent in how to help children reach their targets or how they review their progress. In addition, the manager has not promptly shared information from children’s placing authority reviews, which could mean that staff are not working to the aims of children’s care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped by staff to understand the importance of education and see it as a positive. All children are in education and doing well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health. They make sure children attend appointments, have healthy diets, participate in exercise, have good sleep routines and understand about their sexual health. However, immunisations for one child are outstanding and have yet to be arranged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to seek support from other professionals when needed. Children see therapists and bereavement counsellors. This helps children to explore their past trauma and start the healing process.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value and respect children. They listen to the children and encourage them to express their views about all aspects of their care. When children have made requests, these are considered and facilitated where possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are always busy doing various activities. Staff take children horse riding, to theme parks, safari parks and places of interest. They encourage children to try something new, which helps them find new interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2742846 4 Staff help children to stay in touch with those who are important to them. Staff encourage visits, taking and collecting children no matter the distance.

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

Children are kept safe by a staff team that knows them well. Staff notice the subtle cues that indicate how children may be feeling and use a therapeutic, nurturing approach to help children manage their emotions. This approach, along with consistent boundaries and expectations, helps children to feel safe and secure.

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

Staff help children to understand online and technology related risks. Children are happy to hand phones in at night and allow staff to check them. Children tell staff if they are worried about anything that has happened while on their phones. As a result, risks of exploitation for children have reduced.

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

On occasion, staff do need to use physical intervention to keep children safe. However, this is only used when necessary.

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

On occasion, children have gone missing from home. When they have, staff have followed the child’s missing protocol and returned children to the home as quickly as possible.

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

When children have raised concerns about staff practice, the manager has taken those concerns seriously. She reports concerns to relevant safeguarding professionals and investigates as required. On one occasion, a child made an allegation against the manager during a physical intervention. This was reported correctly, and there is no evidence of harm to the child. However, leaders have not done any internal fact finding to make sure practice was appropriate. This means possible learning from the incident has not been identified.

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

When there are concerns about children’s relationships away from the home, staff take action to keep children safe. Staff supervise children’s visits to friends where needed and work with children to help them understand personal relationships and sexual health.

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

One child has experienced bullying at school. The manager has been proactive in addressing and challenging the school about this. This has included arranging for the child to move school when it was felt this was necessary. However, the manager has not made a record of those discussions or detailed the action taken. There has been one incident of bullying at the home. The manager and staff have managed this well. Staff completed work with children to help them understand the harm such behaviour can cause.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders show great commitment to this home and the children they care for. All are aspirational for children and want the very best for them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2742846 5 Leaders know the children well. They spend time with the children, take part in activities and show an interest in what matters to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed monitoring systems and has good oversight of children’s care and progress. When he identifies potential improvements to children’s care through monitoring, he takes action to make necessary changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carefully considers the staff who come to work at the home. This includes consideration as to whether they have the right attitude and values. He also includes children in the selection process, giving them the opportunity to provide questions to ask staff at interview. This careful selection process has resulted in there being a stable and consistent staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is good. Staff say they like working at the home, that they are supported well by managers, listened to and given opportunities to be part of the decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a comprehensive induction and ongoing learning opportunities that enhance their skills and knowledge to care for the children. In addition, staff receive regular reflective supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is not afraid to challenge others when he feels children are not getting the services they should have or when placing authorities are not listening to children’s views. His tenacity has meant children have not had to move to placements when they do not want to or remain in schools they are unhappy with. Inspection report for children’s home: 2742846 6

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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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that following any allegations against staff, action taken is in line with the home’s child protection policy. 26 July 2025

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv)) 26 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2742846 7 In particular, ensure that information from children’s placement reviews is shared with staff and incorporated into the home’s care plans. In addition, ensure that there are systems in place that show how staff are helping children to reach their targets.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should play a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for the child to ensure that others play their role and deliver the high-quality support that is needed. Specifically, that records are made of how staff are advocating for children and the action taken. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff have sufficient understanding of relevant health services, including the functions of the designated nurse for looked-after children in their area. They should support children to navigate these services, advocating on their behalf where necessary and appropriate. Specifically, ensure that staff have information on which immunisations children have received and take action when these are not in date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.8)

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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: 2742846 8

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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: 2742846 9 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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