Children's Home run by Kennet Care Limited in Reading

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 1 Registered provider: Kennet Care 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

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to seven children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The children are aged between eight and 17 and live in two houses on the same site.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

The children refer to staff as adults, and this is reflected in this report.

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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: 15 October 2024

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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: 2611110 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/10/2024 Full Good 30/08/2023 Full Good 27/07/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy warm and caring relationships with the adults who look after them. The adults know the children well, nurturing and enabling them to start to flourish and grow emotionally. Children make progress in many aspects of their lives; no matter how small, these milestones of development are celebrated and recognised, giving children a sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel able to relax in the home and know that their views are listened to. Children who are struggling to adapt to, and accept, the adults’ support are nevertheless made to feel welcome and loved in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Strong working relationships with professionals mean that there is consistency across all aspects of the children’s lives, and children know what is expected of them. Children are supported to have their voices heard by those who make decisions about their lives. The adults advocate for them effectively, to ensure that the children’s wishes are understood, even if they cannot be fully acted on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in education. Those who are struggling to attend formal education settings are supported with a wide range of additional activities agreed with the virtual school. The adults support children with a range of in-house activities, creating a consistent timetable in the home to ensure that children do not fall out of a routine, while preparing them to be able to attend education outside of the home in the future. Children particularly benefit from mentors with lived experience to help guide and support them through the many challenges of adolescence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health are held in high regard. Children have access to the organisation’s therapist, with sessions adapted to each child’s needs and their understanding of where they are in their therapeutic journey. Those with specific health needs are helped to understand the impact of their diagnosis, with the adults supporting them through the range of emotions a lifelong condition can cause. Joint working with medical professionals is strong and children are helped to attend appointments, even when they are incredibly anxious. The adults seek out medical services that have staff who are experienced in supporting children who struggle to attend appointments.

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

The adults have an excellent understanding of each child’s risks and vulnerabilities. The adults in the home support the children to understand the risks that they face, while working hard to reduce the level of risk. Children are protected through strong responses to any safeguarding concerns, which are reported to appropriate partner agencies in the local authority and wider safeguarding network. Individual time with children is used to help them to understand the risks that they may be at and how they can remove themselves from potentially challenging and dangerous situations. While children Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 4 struggle to do this at times, adults unconditionally support them and help them to understand and navigate tricky social situations.

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

Children do, on occasion, go missing from the home. Swift action is taken to locate the child at these times, and there are slick procedures in place in the event of a child going missing. Joint working with specialist agencies further help to protect children who are at risk of exploitation while they are missing. This strong joint working means that the team of adults around the child is kept abreast of any changes in the child’s presentation and risks when they are out in the community.

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

Adults recognise that the children’s behaviours of distress are a form of communication. They work as a team with the child and other professionals to help them to recognise when they are struggling and to develop healthier patterns and responses should they be upset or distressed. A restorative approach means that responses to inappropriate behaviours are thoughtful and in line with the child’s understanding and emotional well- being needs. Physical intervention is rarely used, but when it is, there are thorough debriefs with both children and adults to consider if concerns could be managed differently in the future.

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

Children are protected from being cared from by inappropriate people through thorough safer recruitment checks, with the same high standards being held when agency or temporary appointments are made. In addition, children practice evacuations to ensure that they know how to respond to an emergency in the home. The home and grounds are physically safe, although the decor and maintenance are not of a consistently suitable standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed by a competent and experienced management team. As a team, the registered manager and the two assistant managers have high expectations for adults, and they role model how they believe children should be cared for in the home. The adults feel well supported and say that the team works effectively together, with children at the centre of practice in the home. Additionally, the responsible individual regularly visits the home, and the children know who he is.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults are supported through regular supervision and group supervisions, and they have the opportunity to share their views and ideas in team meetings. All adults commented positively about the support that they get from the management team and each other, as well as the wide variety of training that is available to them. As a result, adults are confident in how to support children in a consistent manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers in the home have excellent oversight of children’s development and progress. Children’s plans are regularly updated in line with any changes to their needs or presenting behaviours. This ensures that they are not stagnant and that they continue to be aspirational. The managers within the home know the strengths of the care provided and are reflective regarding any shortfalls or weaknesses, taking swift action to adapt approaches if required. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 5 Strong joint working with partner agencies is evident throughout the children’s care and plans, as is suitable challenge if they feel a professional is not providing a child with the service that they require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s individuality is promoted, with children being able to access a range of activities, clubs and pastimes that reflect their individual interests and identities. Additionally, children learn about others’ differences in a positive way through living together, and through targeted discussions and activities where they get to experience other cultures. The home’s location means that there is easy access to a range of culturally diverse activities, shops and communities. Any concerns regarding discriminatory behaviour or language are thoroughly addressed in an educational manner, recognising that this is a learned behaviour for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers make use of visits by the independent visitor to consider how to develop the home and approach to care. Additionally, they use their own regular monitoring to identify areas for improvement to practice and the environment. However, they had not recognised the need for the home to be decorated and for the grounds to be well maintained. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all areas of the home and grounds are well maintained and decorated. 30 September 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2611110 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kennet Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Goringe Accountants Waterside, 1650 Arlington Business Park, Theale, Berkshire RG7 4SA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dennis Austin-Visser

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611110 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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