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

Good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people receive personalised care that reflects their individual needs. This means they make progress in all aspects of their development.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people are safe in the home because risk assessments are detailed, although these need to be reviewed when young people‟s risks change.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff work in partnership with young people‟s families and with a range of health professionals and education staff. This partnership working practice means that young people receive integrated care and support.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people have good relationships with staff. These enhance their feelings of safety and security and means that they make good progress in the home.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff use their varied range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills to seek young people‟s views, wishes and preferences. This means that young people are involved in decisions about their care.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 There are some areas for improvement. These include revising internal monitoring systems and reports, making sure that staff have access to all relevant information to support young people and providing all staff with regular and practice-related supervision.

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(a)

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Requirement Due date

(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. 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must— (2)

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)(c)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 28/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person reviews and updates the children‟s guide as necessary, and makes sure that children are given an explanation of any changes. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.23)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff understand factors that affect children‟s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child‟s relevant plans. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home‟s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home‟s care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the review of the premises include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home‟s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered manager considers what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home‟s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides short break care and accommodation for up to six children who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments. A local authority owns and operates this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/09/2015 Full Good 25/03/2015 Full Good 22/12/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people make good progress in all areas of their development because this short break service enhances their day-to-day experience through the provision of good quality and bespoke care. Staff devise internal support plans and placement plans to reflect young people‟s specific and often complex care and health needs. Managers and senior staff review these plans regularly to track young people‟s progress in line with their personal goals and targets. Staff liaise with young people‟s families and other professionals with a responsibility for their care. This means that young people receive well-planned support. However, the case files for some young people do not include all necessary documentation, such as up-to-date statutory short break plans or review meeting minutes. This shortfall means that some internal support plans do not include the most up-to-date information relating to young people‟s developmental needs and the actions required to meet these.

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Good

Staff use their verbal and non-verbal communication skills to seek young people‟s views and opinions. Staff are confident in the use of „picture exchange communication systems‟, signs and symbols, electronic communication tools and sign languages, and use these mediums to gain young people‟s preferences and feedback. Staff encourage and enable young people to make informed choices regarding their care and support. The scope of these choices is dependent on young people‟s individual cognitive understanding and their communication skills. For example, some young people are able to decide between a wide and varied range of food options and activity options while others are encouraged to choose between only two options. This degree of bespoke and personalised care means that staff incorporate the wishes of all young people in relation to daily routines in the home. Furthermore, staff recognise the importance of developing positive

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Good

relationships with young people to enhance their communication skills and social interaction skills. Staff make sure that they embed this ethos in their practice and in the daily routines in the home. This supports young people‟s development and means that their overall experience of the service is immensely positive, providing them with learning and leisure opportunities that would otherwise be difficult for some young people to access.

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Good

Partnership working practices between staff, young people‟s families, external health professionals, such as occupational therapists and specialist medical consultants, are effective. This means that staff are able to meet young people‟s diverse and often complex health needs when they access this short break service. For example, staff complete specialist training to enable them to administer percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding routines. This means that young people‟s complex medical conditions do not prevent them from participating fully in their short break experience.

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Good

Young people continue to attend their education placements when accessing this service. Staff make sure that practical transport arrangements are in place and regularly liaise with allocated teaching staff. These interrogated working arrangements mean that young people benefit from consistent care and support in all of their living and learning environments. For example, when allocated teachers set young people educational development targets, care staff incorporate these into internal placement plans. This integrated approach to meeting young people‟s needs enhances their progress and personal achievements.

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Good

Young people are safe in the home because staff understand the specific risk factors that increase their vulnerability. In devising internal risk assessments, staff take account of young people‟s physical and/or learning disabilities, their sensory and communication needs and their deliberate actions. The registered manager uses these risk assessments to consider the compatibility between different groups of young people. This analysis enables staff to identify, manage and reduce known risks to young people‟s safety. However, staff do not always revise or review some young people‟s risk assessments, in a timely manner, when their known risks change or when staff identify new risks. For example, an increase in the self- injurious behaviour of one young person is not included in his risk assessment. This potentially reduces the effectiveness of young people‟s risk assessments.

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Good

High supervision levels and young people‟s individual support needs mean that there have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home. Staff remain alert to the possibility of young people separating from staff when undertaking activities. In response to this potential, staff complete detailed activity risk assessments that state the location of an activity, staffing levels and young people‟s individual support needs. This comprehensive approach to planning activities means that risk management strategies are proportionate and effective.

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Good

Staff complete regular training in the use of physical restraint and de-escalation techniques, however, the need for staff to use this measure of control remains rare. Staff promote positive and appropriate behaviours though the use of verbal or signed praise. Internal policies and procedures encourage staff to use incentives and personalised rewards to motivate young people to display socially acceptable behaviours. Staff do not consistently adhere to this policy or use incentives in a structured manner to support young people to recognise acceptable behaviours. This means that behaviour management strategies are inconsistent, and they do not support young people to take responsibility for their own actions and behaviours.

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Good

The home is purpose built and the layout means that the internal environment is institutional in parts. Managers and staff continue to consult with young people to create „homely‟ communal areas for young people to relax and socialise in. The registered manager has reviewed the use of the internal electronic „fob‟ access door locks. For some young people this means that they now have unrestricted access around the home. The registered manager is committed to continuing to identify and review any potential restrictions to young people‟s freedom of movement. This promotes young people‟s safety and welfare.

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Good

Staff regularly update health and safety records and implement fire safety checks. These records highlight any outstanding concerns that may affect young people‟s safety. Young people have personal evacuation plans that specify their support needs in the event of a fire. Staff review these plans regularly to make sure that these continue to reflect young people‟s needs. The registered manager reviewed the „local area‟ risk assessment in 2016. This document lacks sufficient detail and does not take account of statutory guidance. As a result, this assessment does not fully reflect the potential risks to young people‟s safety that may exist in the local area.

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Good

The manager successfully registered with Ofsted in July 2013. He has a number of years‟ relevant experience of working in and managing children‟s residential care and holds the relevant skills and qualifications required for this role, including the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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Good

The registered manager prioritises young people‟s needs and this means that they make good and sustainable progress in all areas of their development. He retains a detailed overview of young people‟s needs and vulnerabilities and tracks their progress and achievements against the aims and objectives detailed in their statutory short break plans.

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Good

Relationships between the registered manager and external professionals, such as social workers, independent reviewing officers and safeguarding leads, are positive. One social worker said, „Staff are always professional and I believe we all work well together in the best interests of the young people.‟ This sentiment reflects the opinions of young people‟s families. One parent said: „This service is amazing and I really don‟t know where we would be without it. The staff are so kind and caring. They really understand my son. They know how he thinks and how he feels. I know he is safe when he is here and I can relax.‟ The statement of purpose for the home clearly defines the aims and objectives of the service but the registered manager has not revised the young person‟s guide. This means that the current document does not provide young people with an accurate or up-to-date overview of the home.

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Good

Staff say that they feel supported by the registered manager. They have the necessary skills and experience to meet young people‟s needs and all eligible staff hold the relevant qualifications for their role. However, not all staff receive regular or practice-regulated formal supervision to review their practice and consider their learning and development needs. Some staff have yet to have a formal appraisal of their performance. This means that the registered manager and other senior staff have failed to note that some staff have yet to refresh mandatory training courses, such as fire safety and food hygiene, as required.

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Good

Monitoring tools allow the registered manager and other senior staff to collect data and information in relation to the service, but these do not enable him to review effectively the quality of care. For example, the registered manager monitors admission records to make sure these include all necessary information, but he does not evaluate this information to identify any patterns in relation to why young people may stop accessing this provision. Subsequently, the registered manager does not use this data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home, or to support the development of effective action plans to review and improve the service.

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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 that 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 that 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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