Children's home run by Wessex College Limited in Dorset

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the previous inspection on 10 August 2016, two requirements and three recommendations were made. The registered manager has improved systems for monitoring the quality of the service provided. The requirement regarding the independent visitor’s report has not been met. The independent visitor does not consistently contact the young people’s parents or social workers as part of the visit. In addition, young people’s views are not recorded.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The three recommendations made at the last inspection have all been met. Independent return interviews arranged by the young people’s placing authority are arranged following occurrences of young people going missing from home. The records of interviews for new staff now contain a clear explanation of the scoring system used to decide whether to employ or not. The records of key worker sessions that staff have with young people have improved. They now reflect the discussion held and the outcome of this discussion. However, there is further work required as regards young people’s records. On occasions, staff use vague and sometimes emotive language to describe young people’s behaviour during incidents.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Notification of significant events is made to Ofsted. There was one event when there was a delay in informing Ofsted. This was due to the registered manager awaiting the outcome. This should not have delayed the notification being made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager expressed concern about the level of engagement that one young person was receiving from their placing authority and the number of different social workers that this young person has had. The registered manager has failed to escalate his concerns to the appropriate persons.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Admissions to the home are well planned and include introductory visits. Currently staff do not record the work they undertake to prepare young people for admission to the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The safeguarding policies and procedures remain strong and are adhered to in practice by the staff team. The local authority designated officer for allegation recently wrote and praised the lead safeguarding officer of the organisation for their swift and effective work that safeguards young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team has worked well with young people to bring about a reduction in the number of times that young people go missing from their home. This work includes bespoke plans which are kept under review and developed to include strategies to reduce these events further.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to be cared for by a stable staff team whose members are very committed to the young people. They are well trained and keen to improve the service that they provide. The team receives good quality supervision, which includes reflective practice, as do team meetings. This approach aids the team members to develop their skills and knowledge.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people, irrespective of gender, who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is one of four children’s homes operated by a private organisation. The organisation also provides an independent school, which young people from this home can attend.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/08/2016 Full Good 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/12/2015 Full Good 11/11/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. This includes where a young person has had frequent changes of social worker which has not enabled them to build up an effective relationship. (Regulation 5 (a, b, c)) 31/03/2017

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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. In addition, the independent visitor should seek the views of all those interviews on the quality of care and service provided by the home. (Regulation 44 (1) (2(a)) 28/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  An effective introduction to a home will take into account the child’s abilities and capacity to understand and retain information. Such an introduction may take place over a period of time and may be delivered in different formats according to the child’s communication and cognitive abilities. The registered person should ensure that staff establish the child’s understanding of key information about living in the home and the expectations of their care in order to establish whether there are gaps in the child’s understanding. In particular, staff should evidence what work is undertaken in this area. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.8)

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Recommendations

 14.4 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, staff should not use vague or emotive language when recording events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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 0300 123 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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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