Children's home run by Wigan Council in Wigan

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of young people since the last inspection. The inspection identified significant shortfalls in safeguarding practices. Deficits identified included staff’s lack of identification, assessment and management of all of the potential risks to young people. For example, individual risk assessments omitted significant information, such as the risk of l child sexual and/or criminal exploitation and risks related to drug misuse. Staff do not take effective action to ensure that young people are safe when they suspect that a young person may be under the influence of an unknown substance. On one occasion, staff failed to monitor a young person throughout the night despite staff members having concerns that the young person had taken ‘drugs’. Poor quality risk assessments and the staff’s lack of response to significant safeguarding concerns is compromising young people’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are not making measurable progress from their starting points, in particular, with their education. Only one young person is attending school regularly, and although the other young people have full-time education provisions in place, they often refuse to attend. During the inspection, staff were observed struggling to encourage a young person to get up to attend education. She remained in her bedroom until late afternoon. One staff member said, ‘We keeping knocking, but she swears and tells us to go away.’ This highlights ineffectual behaviour management strategies. Furthermore, when young people refuse to attend school there is no clear structure or formal plan around their day. As a result of the poor routines, ineffective behaviour management strategies and a lack of structure to young people’s day, their opportunities to reach their full educational potential is very much limited. This in turn affects their future life

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although there has been some improvement in the administration of medication in the home, including the introduction of a new recording system, staff are not consistently following this. On one occasion, the amount of pain relief given to a young person was not recorded on their medication sheet. In other medication records reviewed it was difficult to reconcile how much medication had been given and what amount therefore remained in stock. The registered manager acknowledged that the practice for the recording of medication administration was not sufficiently robust and failed to show that safe systems are in place to administer and monitor medication given to young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management records continue to be a concern. For example, one young person’s plan noted that she required 2-to-1 staffing in both the home and while out in the community. However, there was no evidence of this in practice. During discussions with the registered manager, she reported that the information was factually incorrect. The plan for the young person included strategies to manage behaviours and risk. However these referred to another young person who had already left the home. Despite this being the case since 5 January 2017 and reported to have been read by managers and staff, this error was not identified and corrected. Furthermore, inconsistencies remain in the oversight and evaluation of both restraint and sanction records. At times, there was no evidence that young people’s views had been sought, or of any effective management overview of the incidents that have happened. Consequently, behaviour management records do

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

not demonstrate sufficient transparency or objective scrutiny to ensure that staff only use suitable, safe and effective measures.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Insufficient action has been taken to ensure that all rotas clearly show which staff are on shift and the hours they have work as when changes are made, they were crossed out or overwritten. This made it difficult to identify who was working within the setting, when and where. During discussions with the registered manager, she accepted that the rotas still failed to include all required information. The manager also acknowledged that the errors in the recording made it difficult to understand what actual hours staff had worked. The manager reported that she had insufficient staff to manage the home and this has had an impact on the quality of care. Although there were plans in place to introduce a new rota recording system, this had not yet been implemented. As a result, it is not possible to adequately evidence that there are sufficient staffing levels to deliver the necessary care and support required.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Similarly, staff are still not signing and dating all records and reports to ensure that it is clear who the author is and when the input was made. As a result, the tracking of young people’s progress and staff’s accountability for this is undermined.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has not taken sufficient action to ensure that all of the requirements raised at the last inspection have been adequately addressed. Out of the 11 requirements raised, eight have been repeated. This highlights weaknesses in the manager’s monitoring of the service and raises concerns regarding her capacity to continually improve the service. In addition, some staff members have still not received regular supervision. This does not provide them with opportunities to reflect on their practices and identify areas of improvement. The registered manager acknowledged that there are unresolved actions from the last inspection and subsequent breaches in regulations. This was attributed to staff shortages, organisational restructuring and the compatibility of the previous group of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite these shortfalls, transition planning for young people moving out of the home has been positive. One young person has successfully moved to his own property. He purchased a car for himself and has continued with his apprenticeship, winning an award for his continued hard work and commitment. He remains in contact with the adults whom he had built a positive relationship with. Two other young people were supported to move to alternative placements and are reported to be making progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Furthermore, the home’s statement of purpose was updated and the registered manager has reviewed the complaints procedure and ensured that staff are fully aware of young people’s rights to make a complaint. This is still to be tested since there has not been a complaint made since the last inspection. With one exception, the reporting of significant events has improved and notifications are now being sent as required to Ofsted. This allows the regulator to keep an overview of events and to make any necessary enquiries. The manager has discussed the content of notifications with the staff team with a view to improving the quality of the content. Discussions have also taken place with the person completing the independent monitoring of the home and copies are provided to Ofsted as required. The independent visitor reports have improved and are now more evaluative. The reports do highlight issues requiring to be addressed. However, the manager must

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

ensure that action is taken to consistently address these.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by the local authority. It provides residential care to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/11/2016 Full Requires improvement 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/11/2015 Full Requires improvement 19/03/2015 Interim Improved 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

In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(a) that staff: (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: (1) that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (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; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

14/04/2017 (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 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 ensure: (1) that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that: (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous

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Requirement Due date

improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. They must also ensure that a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(c)) 14/04/2017

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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)) 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records 14/04/2017 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out: (1) (a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and (b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (2) The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (3) The registered person must ensure that: (a) 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: (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need

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Requirement Due date

to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’): (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, ensure that all sanctions and restraints are fully recorded and that there is effective oversight and scrutiny of all

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Requirement Due date

sanctions and restraints. 36: Children’s case records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which: (a) include the information and documents listed in schedule 3 in relation to each child; 14/04/2017 (b) are kept up to date; and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (a)(b)(c)) 37: Other records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep in and maintain in the children’s home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)) In particular, ensure that rotas are an accurate and up-to-date record of actual hours worked and that these are legible. 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if: (4)(b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 14/04/2017

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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 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 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

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

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

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