Children's Home run by Wiltshire Council in Wiltshire

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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Experiences of young people

 Personal belongings of young people living in the home are not always respected.  Some young people do not receive personalised care that meets their assessed need detailed in their care plan.  The environment is not accessible to all young people due to maintenance issues particularly in the Woodland Garden.

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Safeguarding

 The Registered Manager does not follow safer recruitment practices when employing new staff, particularly in relation to identifying gaps in employment.  Impact risk assessments for new admissions are not completed. Therefore the Registered Manager cannot demonstrate the identification and management of risk to young people who could be placed and those already receiving a short break who have complex needs.  Risk assessments are not completed in a timely manner when young people present with new risks during an incident.  Behaviour management records are not explicit. Behaviour leading up to a physical intervention are not always recorded. This means records indicate unwarranted restraint practices are taking place.  The Registered Manager has not undertaken a review of the location of the home to measure if children are effectively safeguarded.

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Leadership and Management

 The Statement of Purpose does not provide details on all areas in schedule 1 despite its review in March 2015. This shows the Registered Manager has failed to lead the home in meeting new legislative framework.  Independent monitoring of the home is ineffective. Young people are not seen during independent visits and the reports do not measure if young people are effectively safeguarded or the quality of care that is being provided.  Monitoring by the Registered Manager does not indicate reflection and learning takes place to improve practice in the home. Consultation with young people, parents and placing authorities does not form part of the monitoring process.

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The children's home strengths

 Positive relationships have been developed between staff and young people. Staff get to know young people well and how they like to be cared for.  Staff have good knowledge of communication systems that are individual to each young person.  Working in collaboration with other agencies such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, social workers, fire service, schools and parents is strength.  Young people have individual goals they are working towards which is supported by their keyworker.  Staff are developed by the Registered Manager and provided with a wealth of training opportunities to increase their skills.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff treat each child with dignity and respect. provide children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. This specifically relates to young people's personal belongings being respected and in particular that they have a wardrobe to hang their clothes.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (2) (b) (iii) (vii)) 21/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff protect and promote each child's welfare, provide personalised care that meets each child's needs as recorded in the child's relevant plans. This specifically relates to young people sleeping in specialist beds who do not have an assessed need that requires this piece of equipment.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (2) (b) (ii) (v)) 21/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. This specifically relates to producing impact risk assessments for new young people being placed and putting risk assessments in place as soon as risks are identified following an incident.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (2) (a) (i)) 21/07/2015 16: Statement of purpose

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety. The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit the registered person must help the independent person if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit which sets out, in particular, the independent person's opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children's health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent persons report to HMCI.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1) (2) (a) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)) 21/07/2015 45: Review of quality of care

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

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Requirement Due date

The system must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purpose of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c)

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure maintenance is carried out swiftly to maximise the experiences of young people during their stay, paying particular attention to the Woodland Garden. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards (3.7))

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline:  This is a local authority short break children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than 8 children of either sex from 5 years to 17 years at any one time. The home may provide care to children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

21/10/2014 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2014 CH - Interim Inadequate Progress

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requires improvement

One young person is currently living in the home permanently. Staff do not ensure that all of this young person’s belongings are respected The young person does not have a wardrobe and some of their personal belongings were stored in the corridor. Neither the Registered Manager nor staff caring for the young person had challenged this practice. Two bedrooms have specialist safe beds which are large restrictive pieces of equipment. For young people who have an assessed need to use these beds, consent is gained from parents and reviewed adequately. Detrimentally, some young people sleep in these beds that do not require this specialist piece of equipment. Staff say ‘if we have eight children in then we could use them but not shut the doors or lock them in’. As a result, some children are using specialist equipment that has the facility to restrict them and that is not necessary for their individual needs. There is a danger this will have a negative impact on young

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requires improvement

people in the future. Young people have written care plans that describes how to look after them. Staff are thorough when collating information from young people, parents, social workers and teachers, using this to inform the care plan. Staff review the plans frequently, which enables the documents to develop with young people as their needs change. Staff know young people well and develop positive relationships with them. Young people look comfortable in the home and relaxed in the presence of staff. Staff interact in a warm and caring manner with young people. Young people are supported to use communication methods that are personal to them. Staff are skilled in using ‘schedules’, ‘picture exchange systems’ and ‘makaton’ as means of communicating. As such, young people are enabled to make choices about the care they receive during their stay. For example, choosing their meals and activities they wish to participate in.

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requires improvement

Staff support young people to achieve goals and targets. Staff maintain close relationships with parents and schools meaning young people benefit from a consistent approach from their main carers. Young people’s attendance in school is excellent. Keyworkers often visit young people at their school to develop practice in the home. Staff receive specialist training and are skilled at meeting the complex health needs of young people, some of whom have invasive medical treatment as detailed in their care plan. The staff team have strong links with child and adolescent mental health services meaning young people can access this provision promptly. Young people access a range of activities during their stay. Yoga and art therapy is available in the home. Activities outside of the home include visits to parks, bowling, cinema, beaches, zoo’s and other popular tourist attractions. The garden and paddock area offers outside space for young people to relax and play.

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requires improvement

Trampolines, swings, cricket bats and balls were in use during the inspection. Some outside space requires immediate attention to enable young people to maximise their experiences during their stay. The ‘Woodland Garden’ is overgrown and the hot tub has been out of action for some time. Managers have not determined the timescale to rectify these deficiencies.

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requires improvement

Staff do not undertake assessments to ascertain whether the home is suitable for young people pending admission. For one young person who recently moved in on a permanent basis no risk assessment is available to determine potential risks to them or risks to young people who already live in or visit the home. It is unclear how safe admission decisions are made taking into account the needs of young people and staff in the home.

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requires improvement

Staff can identify when a risk presents itself through an incident however, the management of this risk is poor. A risk assessment for one young person was put in place 11 days from when the risk presented itself. The risk being managed could potentially have a detrimental significant impact on the young person other residents, staff and visitors to the home.

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requires improvement

Young people to not knowingly participate in risk taking behaviours. Incidents of self-harm are linked to the young person’s disability. Good staffing ratios means the opportunity for young people to go missing is reduced and there have been no missing incidents. However, the staff are not prepared if such an event should occur as young people do not have ‘missing profiles’.

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requires improvement

Positive handling plans are in place and identify how to manage a young person’s behaviour when it becomes challenging. They give a clear indication of triggers that staff can identify and provide de-escalation strategies that support the young person. Staff have the information to manage young people’s behaviour well. Despite this the quality of incidents, sanctions and physical intervention records completed by staff are poor. Behaviour management records maintained by staff require improvement. The staff team do not routinely record a description of behaviour prior to a physical intervention. Records therefore imply that physical intervention is being carried out unnecessarily. In addition, records indicate young people are restricted in an enclosed soft play area while they calm. The management team’s monitoring of these records lack rigor and challenge of practice. Debrief with young people and

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requires improvement

staff is inconsistently taking place, which means learning from incidents is minimal.

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requires improvement

The recruitment of staff is not conducted in a safe manner. The Registered Manager does not always identify or explore gaps in employment history. This puts vulnerable young people at risk from staff that have not been vetted through a safer recruitment process.

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requires improvement

A review of the locality of the home has not been conducted by the Registered Manager to assess the suitability of its location. Young people therefore stay at a home where some risks associated to the location maybe unknown. Risk intelligence from other agencies has not been collated which increases the vulnerability for young people.

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requires improvement

Young people receive their short break in a safe environment that has been adapted to meet their needs. Equipment to support moving and handling is serviced regularly and staff are trained to use this. All young people have an active personal emergency evacuation plan and fire evacuations are carried out routinely including night-time evacuations. In addition close links with the community mean the fire service visit young people in the home and talk about fire safety.

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requires improvement

Staff have sound knowledge of safeguarding procedures in the home and are confident in how they would use it. This provides a sound level of protection to vulnerable young people who visit the home. Safeguarding training is conducted once a year and is specific to safeguarding disabled children. In addition refreshers take place every quarter.

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requires improvement

Young people know how to complain and information about complaints is available in symbol format. One young people utilised the independent advocate who visits to the home to make complaints. The process was followed robustly and the outcome communicated to the young person which shows this young people was valued.

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requires improvement

Managers have not reviewed the home’s Statement of Purpose to meet the new legislative framework. In particular, the document does not describe the location of the home or how it has been adapted to meet the needs of young people. It fails to demonstrate how the home will meet the cultural, linguistic and religious needs of children and the approach to anti discriminatory practice. These are key areas for the group of young people who stay at the home.

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requires improvement

Independent visits to monitor the quality provided to young people do not include opportunity to seek their views as visits take place when young people are at school. Neither have parents and placing authorities been consulted. Visits are not routinely undertaken and the quality of reports is poor. The Registered Manager has not challenged the internal system in place for these visits and cannot effectively utilise the independent visit as part of her monitoring or to confirm young people are effectively safeguarded. The Registered Manager has undertaken some monitoring of the home. The monitoring lacks analysis of information and it is unclear how she plans to develop the home. Young people, parents and placing authorities are not part of the Registered Managers monitoring process. This limits the opportunity to learn from feedback by the main stakeholders.

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requires improvement

The development of the home is slow-moving. The Registered Manager lacks capacity to drive improvements forwards due to the amount of time she is managing staff personnel issues.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has been in post for three years and is suitability qualified with the required management diploma. The Registered Manager is visible to young people who enjoy being in her company. A member of staff said ‘she is committed to getting the best for the children’.

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requires improvement

Staff receive a robust training programme and as such, are suitability skilled to meet the complex needs of young people who visit for a short break. The Registered Manager is investing in staff to qualify them to deliver training in an identified area such as behaviour management or manual handling.

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requires improvement

A system of ‘staff champions’ is implemented which enable staff to take a key responsibility within the home such as education or leisure. These responsibilities help to improve outcomes for young people and provide a consistent approach to care.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has established close links with young people’s education, health professionals and social workers. This creates a collaborative approach to care planning for young people. A social worker described ‘they (staff) go into school, come to reviews and change things here so they are doing the same thing everywhere’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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