Children's home run by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council in Walsall

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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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Young people do not receive personalised care that reflects their individual needs, vulnerabilities or progress. This prevents young people from investing in this placement.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Risk management strategies are weak and do not encourage young people to take responsibility for their own actions or behaviours.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Staff fail to motivate older young people to continue with their education. This means that young people do not recognise the importance of continued learning.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Staff do not inspire young people to participate in new or stimulating activities, to widen their social circles or to learn new skills.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Staff do not prepare young people for adulthood. Independent living plans are weak and incomplete.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 The registered manager has not instilled an inspirational culture in the home, so young people are not encouraged to strive to reach their full potential.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 The registered manager has not taken responsibility for her continued professional development. This is detrimental to the development and leadership of the service.

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The children’s home strengths

 Staff work in partnership with the placing authority and other professionals.

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The children’s home strengths

 Staff consult with young people regarding the development of the home.

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The children’s home strengths

 Staff address young people’s health needs. Young people benefit from immediate access to specialist health services, when required.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6. The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(b) (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 29 August

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Requirement Due date

8. The education standard In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(a) (ix) help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. 29 August

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Requirement Due date

9. The enjoyment and achievement standard In order to meet the enjoyment and achievement standard, the registered person must ensure that staff help each child to: (2)(a) (i) develop the child’s interests and hobbies (ii) participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences. 29 August

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Requirement Due date

11. The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(a) (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. 29 August 12. The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(a) (i) 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 (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe. 29 August

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that: (1) (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential, and (b) promotes their welfare. 29 August

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29(4)) 29 August

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff provide a nurturing and welcoming environment. This specifically relates to the timely removal of graffiti from young people’s bedrooms. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the children’s home produces a children’s guide. The children’s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure that they understand it. This specifically relates to producing a guide to the self-contained, semi- independent flats. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a local authority. The home provides care and accommodation for up to seven young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This number includes two placements within semi-independent flats.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Requires improvement

A lack of personalised care hinders the overall progress and experience for some young people. Internal care plans are generic and do not consistently identify the individual needs of each young person. Staff do not ensure that they always reflect the content of statutory care plans in internal support plans. Contradictions between these documents mean that some young people are unsure who is responsible for making decisions about their care. These shortfalls negatively affect young people’s day-to-day experience of living in the home, and means that the care they receive is not sufficiently personalised to reflect their needs.

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Requires improvement

Young people have good relationships with staff. One young person said, ‘I like all the staff and get on well with them. They want me to be happy and they want to help me. They don’t hold grudges if I’m not good.’ Staff hold one-to-one sessions with young people. These meetings review young people’s challenging behaviours, but staff do not use these opportunities to review young people’s progress or to set clear boundaries and expectations. For example, when young people are eligible for ‘free time’ away for the home, staff do not ensure that the restrictions on these arrangements are clear. This means that some young people spend a considerable amount of time away from the home and disassociate from the home’s environment. This prevents young people from investing in their placement and making continual progress in all areas of their development.

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Requires improvement

Staff work in partnership with other agencies, including education providers and health services. Relationships with allocated nursing services and specialist organisations, such as drug and alcohol misuse agencies and mental health professionals, are strong and effective. Young people are able to make use of these support networks immediately, if required. This supports their development. All young people have suitable education placements or apprenticeship opportunities. However, when young people are no longer of compulsory school age, staff lack influence in encouraging them to continue with their learning. As a result, young people’s motivation to continue with their education reduces.

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Requires improvement

Young people are involved in the development of the service. They participate in regular ‘residents’ meetings’ to discuss development plans for the home, group living expectations and internal procedures. Although staff use these consultation meetings to plan group activities and holidays, supporting young people to pursue their individual hobbies and interests is not a priority in the home. Staff do not provide young people with information in relation to local community clubs, leisure pursuits or social gatherings. As a result, young people are not encouraged to expand their social circles or friendship groups, or to experience new activities.

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Requires improvement

Transition planning and supporting young people to move toward independence is a key objective of the service. However, the quality of this support is variable and is dependent on young people’s engagement. For example, some young people refuse to participate in budget exercises, menu planning or the completion of essential independence tasks. In these circumstances, staff do not devise suitable independent living plans. They do not adequately prepare all young people for adulthood. This means that young people are not encouraged to learn the practical and emotional skills they need to move forward.

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Requires improvement

Staff are competent in identifying risk factors and behaviours that potentially compromise young people’s safety. Although staff record and grade these risks, strategies to reduce these are weak. This is because these strategies rely on staff delivering effective one-to-one sessions, and on young people participating in these meetings. When young people do not engage, alternative approaches are not considered. As a result, staff do not sufficiently help young people to understand how to keep themselves safe. This is detrimental to their welfare and well-being.

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Requires improvement

Partnership working arrangements between staff and external specialist agencies, such as police units and multi-agency teams, are good. When young people are missing from the home, staff liaise with the local authority, local police and young people’s families. When appropriate, staff work with specialist police officers and allocated social workers to complete bespoke child sexual exploitation risk assessments. These interventions ensure that all agencies are aware of the social and emotional factors and circumstances that potentially place young people at a significant risk of harm. This understanding means that practice methods between agencies are consistent and effective, and this helps to keep young people safe.

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Requires improvement

Staff complete training in relation to safeguarding and child protection. The content of these courses includes child sexual exploitation, bullying and safeguarding referral processes. Staff knowledge and understanding of the management of allegations is sound, although the registered manager has not refreshed her training in these areas. This shortfall potentially compromises young people’s safety.

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Requires improvement

Incidents of physical restraint continue to reduce. Staff only use this measure of control as a last resort when young people’s behaviours place them or others at immediate risk of harm. Records of these interventions are detailed. They include young people’s feedback and comments. This enables managers to review these events to ensure that staff actions are necessary and appropriate.

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Requires improvement

Staff develop behaviour management plans for young people. These highlight behaviours of concern, such as cannabis use and physical violence. However, follow-up work with young people is weak. Staff do not consistently challenge unacceptable behaviours or encourage young people to develop an awareness of the implications of their actions. This means that young people do not view their negative behaviours as socially unacceptable. Young people do not learn a sense of responsibility for their conduct. This is because staff do not help them to consider the wider consequences of their actions or the impact of these on their future.

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Requires improvement

Young people say that they understand how to make a complaint. One young person said, ‘If I’m not happy about something I can make a complaint and things are sorted out quickly.’ However, when young people’s complaints relate to incidents of bullying, staff do not always manage these events appropriately. For example, there have been occasions when young people have reported bullying by their peers. Staff have not immediately addressed these incidents or ensured that young people understand that bullying is unacceptable.

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Requires improvement

Staff undertake regular health and safety checks around the home to ensure the safety of the environment. Young people participate in fire drills and practices. This means that they are aware of how to exit the home safely in the event of a fire. The home is generally comfortable and welcoming, although staff are slow to ensure the timely removal of graffiti from some young people’s bedrooms.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has been in post for a number years. She is currently working towards completing a suitable qualification relating to the management of residential services for children and young people. She is required to complete this qualification by April 2017. The registered manager has been away from the home since May 2016 and interim management arrangements are now in place.

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, there has been a lack of focus on prioritising young people’s needs. Staff practice does not consistently encourage young people to aspire to reach their full potential. This is because the registered manager’s leadership does not instil a culture in the home that promotes young people’s welfare. For example, there are occasions when the registered manager has failed to address incidents of unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying, in a timely manner. This means that although some young people make progress across aspects of their development, this is not consistently the case for all young people.

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Requires improvement

Staff receive regular supervision. The acting manager has taken the lead in ensuring that these sessions are now practice-related. They enable staff to review their performance and to reflect on incidents and events that hinder young people’s progress. Staff are appropriately qualified for their role. Training programmes are up to date and staff have the opportunity to refresh mandatory courses, such as first aid and food hygiene. However, some training courses completed by the registered manager have now expired. These include safeguarding, physical restraint and fire safety, and no actions have been taken by the registered manager to address this shortfall.

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Requires improvement

The statement of purpose is up to date and is amended when necessary. This detailed document clearly highlights the aims and objectives of the service. A young person’s guide to the home provides an overview of the daily routine, and the rules and expectations. However, the guide does not include the purpose or function of the self-contained, semi-independent flats that form part of this home. As a result, external agencies, young people and their families do not receive appropriate information relating to this aspect of the service.

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Requires improvement

A range of monitoring systems are in operation to review and evaluate the quality of care provided by the service. Recent amendments to these assessment tools, made by the acting manager, means that the strengths and weaknesses of the service are identified. Action plans highlight areas for development, and this demonstrates the home’s capacity for improvement.

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Requires improvement

Relationships between the home and external agencies, including the placing authority, are positive. The acting manager takes a lead in this area of practice in light of the registered manager’s current absence from the home. When the practice of other professionals falls short of acceptable standards, the acting manager challenges these shortfalls. This collaborative approach and subsequent accountability ensures that young people have access to the help and support they need. One social worker said, ‘I am kept on my toes to make sure that I don’t let things drift for my young person. I think this is good because it shows [the acting manager’s] passion.’

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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 children looked after 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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