Children's home run by Kedleston (Wings Education) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 1 SC402370 Registered provider: Kedleston (Wings Education) 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 owned by a large national provider and is registered to provide care for up to 16 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a school on site but only the social care provision was considered during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 13 children were living at the home, and inspectors spoke to children to gather their views.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and was present throughout the inspection.

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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: 3 September 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: SC402370 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Good 31/05/2022 Full Good 07/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the number of children being cared for in the home has reduced. Children live together in one large home across two floors. Although this is a large home, care and attention have been given to making this a warm and welcoming environment for the children. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised and reflect the individuality of the children, their hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are making progress from their starting points, and the staff team celebrates and recognises every achievement, however small. Some children have made exceptional progress, and their outcomes and life chances have improved because of the care they have received. One child has received a national award for their inspirational leadership and mentoring in the community with younger children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care from a team of dedicated staff who talk about the children with pride and affection. One professional spoken to said, ‘There is genuine care from staff and managers; you can feel this. It is the love they have for the child.’ Children have positive and trusting relationships with staff, and this has helped them to feel safe and cared for and more able to seek support when this is needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are in education and are making positive progress. Some children have recently sat their exams and have sourced college placements. Children have aspirations for their future and are supported to achieve their goals. The staff work closely with staff from the school to support the children and are creative in engaging them in education through modified timetables and individualised tutoring.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met, particularly their emotional health and well-being. Children have access to an on-site clinical team. The lead nurse is a visible presence to staff and children and has a positive and trusting relationship with them. The clinical team is actively involved in supporting children’s emotional health, creating safety plans and using research-informed practice to enhance plans for children’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Self-injurious behaviours are well-managed. Staff have received additional training to support them to have a better understanding of how to support and safeguard children who may display these behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to keep in contact and maintain their relationships with those who are important to them. Time spent with their families has increased because children are being supported to develop these relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in hobbies and interests, including helping them to engage in clubs and classes away from the home. Staff recognise the value of children becoming involved in sports clubs and other activities in the community. Through this participation, some children have received awards and secured part-time employment. Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 4 Children are developing a sense of belonging in their local community, and a summer fair is being planned that the local community will be invited to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a strong voice in the home and their views, wishes and feelings are heard and responded to. They are regularly consulted on their own plans and about how the home can improve. An independent advocate visits weekly, which gives children additional opportunities to express their views.

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

Children’s individual needs and risks are understood by staff. This is because staff spend a lot of time with the children and know them well. Staff are skilled at recognising signs that a child may be becoming distressed and at providing support to try and prevent an incident occurring. This has led to a reduction in incidents at the home.

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

Risk management and support plans are clear, detailed and kept under regular review. They are individualised to each child and provide staff with clear direction on the strategies to help and support children. The use of physically holding children is always a last resort, and staff are skilled at using other de-escalation techniques to manage incidents. The manager provides good oversight of all incidents and completes a review and debriefs to identify any learning to prevent recurrence.

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

Safeguarding concerns have been well managed, and relevant professionals have been informed and consulted. The manager has taken swift action in response to any concerns to ensure that children’s risks reduce. Staff have received comprehensive training in safeguarding. They understand risks and report concerns to leaders and managers, providing assurance that even minor issues are carefully considered. Senior managers provide additional scrutiny and oversight of any safeguarding concerns.

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

Children seldom go missing from the home, and there are policies and risk management plans in place to manage any missing-from-care incidents. Since the last inspection, there has been one incident of children from the home, together with children from the school, going missing. Staff from the home followed the agreed plans and worked with other agencies to try and locate the children. Some staff came into work when not on shift to offer additional support in searching for children.

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

Staff have been recruited in accordance with safe recruitment practices and have been assessed as being suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dedicated to the children and role models child-centred practice. She is passionate about her role and committed to providing children with safe and nurturing care. She has high expectations and aspirations for children and the staff team and has worked considerably hard to make improvements. These improvements have benefited children and improved their life chances. Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 5 The manager has excellent oversight of the home and has comprehensive systems in place to provide analysis and quality assurance. She is very well supported by senior leaders and managers, the principal and a dedicated management team. Since the last inspection, this team has greatly improved the oversight and scrutiny of the home. The development plan for the home sets out areas for further improvements and the plan is reviewed regularly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide variety of training and development opportunities to help improve their skills and knowledge. Training has been provided by external specialist agencies, which has provided staff with additional depth of knowledge in key areas, such as safeguarding and mental health in children. Most of the staff have a relevant qualification for working with children, and newer staff have relevant experience and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and reflective supervision and annual appraisal of their working practices. A new supervision form has been introduced that captures staff reflections on practice and working with the children in more detail. Regular team and house meetings provide staff with additional opportunities to reflect and learn from practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well-supported, and morale is high. Staff commented on the support they receive from the manager and how this helps them in their roles. There has been very little staff turnover in the last year. Staff say they are happy at the home and enjoy working there. This has provided children with stability and consistency and has allowed positive relationships to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has formed good relationships with external professionals and works well within a multi-disciplinary team, internally and externally. The manager is a strong advocate for children and has challenged other professionals when there are concerns around care planning and the impact this has on children. The manager has advocated for children to remain at the home to provide additional support and stability to facilitate children’s transitions into adulthood. Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 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: SC402370 7

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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

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Phillip Morris, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC402370 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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