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

Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 1 SC464762 Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides short-break care and accommodation for up to six children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments. The home is owned and operated by a local authority.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 November 2017

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are safe because staff have an excellent understanding of their individual risks and take appropriate action to reduce these.  Staff work in partnership with other agencies and young people’s families. This means that young people receive integrated and comprehensive care and support.  Staff provide young people with an inclusive and varied range of activities that enhance their social and emotional skills.  Young people are able to express their wishes because staff use an extensive range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools. This means that young people’s disabilities do not prevent staff from seeking their views.  Staff have a good understanding of young people’s complex health and medical needs. This knowledge means that young people are able to safely access this service.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Managers do not ensure that staff receive regular formal supervision to adequately monitor their practice and performance.  The registered manager does not include the views and opinions of young people, or feedback from others professionals, in the review of the service.  Staff do not incorporate individual targets or goals into internal care plans. This is a missed opportunity to monitor young people’s progress effectively.  Risk assessments relating to the suitability of the location of the home do not include strategies to reduce any identified risks.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/11/2016 Full Good 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

p.3

Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv)) 23/02/2018

p.3

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)) 23/02/2018

p.3

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. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(2)(b)(5)) 23/02/2018

p.3

Recommendations

 Review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should 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) Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This short-break service enhances young people’s life-chances, opportunities and day-to- day experiences. Staff provide good-quality care and support that take account of young people’s abilities, disabilities and vulnerabilities. Young people using this service have a range of complex and challenging needs. Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of these needs, and of the individual behavioural traits symptomatic of young people’s disabilities. As a result, young people benefit from consistent and dependable care.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff now ensure that young people’s case files include all necessary information and documentation. This means that young people’s internal short-break care plans reflect the aims and objectives of the local authority. Nevertheless, staff do not ensure that internal care plans include goals and targets for achievement. This is a missed opportunity for staff to monitor young people’s progress and to continuously support their development.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff are proactive in providing young people with stimulating and appropriate activities. These range from arts and crafts sessions to community outings, such as visits to local parks and activity centres. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection. One parent said, ‘[Name of child] does lots of activities and he really seems to enjoy these. He does things we couldn’t do with him at home.’ Staff ensure that young people’s disabilities do not curtail their activity choices. For example, young people regularly access general community facilities. This inclusion enables young people to expand their social circles and develop their social interaction skills.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to seek young people’s views and opinions. These include picture exchange systems and different forms of sign language. Young people are able to express their likes and dislikes because staff continually present them with either/or choices. When possible, staff further develop this initial simplistic consultation to enable young people to express their thoughts about the care that they receive from the service. As a result, young people are involved in decisions about their day-to-day care when they access this provision.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Partnership working arrangements with education providers are strengths of the service. Managers and staff ensure that behaviour support programmes used in school settings are transferable to this service. This consistency and attention to detail mean that young people experience a smooth transition from school to the home, and back to school. Furthermore, staff regularly liaise with young people’s school placements, and with their families. This means that staff quickly and appropriately address any barriers to education that young people may face. Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 5 Young people using this service have a varied range of complex health conditions. Staff work in partnership with young people’s parents, carers and allocated medical staff and health specialists. This means that staff have an excellent understanding of young people’s individual health needs. Medication administration systems are safe. Managers

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and staff regularly audit young people’s medication to reduce any potential for errors to occur. Furthermore, staff complete relevant specialist training courses, such as manual handling. This means that staff are able to meet all of the young people’s medical needs when they access the service.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to develop core hand/eye coordination skills that support their progress towards adulthood. For some young people, this means learning to make drinks, helping to prepare meals and completing basic domestic tasks. Staff help other young people to participate in their personal care tasks, such as brushing their own hair and teeth. As a result, staff support all young people to progress in this area of their development as they move towards adulthood.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are extremely competent in identifying young people’s risks. They are able to distinguish between behaviours symptomatic of their disabilities and those that young people can control. For example, staff know and understand when young people’s communication frustrations result in increasing levels of anxiety. In these circumstances, staff use risk-reduction strategies and distraction techniques. These help young people to compose themselves. When young people are mischievous or intentionally misbehave, staff use consistent verbal prompts and universal gestures. These help to remind young people of expected behaviours and to take responsibility for their own actions. This approach means that the use of physical restraint is extremely rare, as is the use of sanctions.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are not currently at risk of child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. Nevertheless, staff remain aware of these risk factors and alert to any behavioural changes that may indicate a cause for concern. Staff complete safeguarding and child protection training. The content of these courses include information about bullying, safeguarding referral processes and the management of allegations of abuse. This training reflects statutory legislation and promotes good safeguarding practice. This protects young people from harm.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff work with external safeguarding agencies, such as specialist police personnel, and in partnership with young people’s families to reduce the risk of young people going missing. There have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home since the last inspection. When away from the home on social activities, staff ensure that all young people receive one-to-one support. This greatly reduces the potential for young people to become lost and ensures that they can continue to safely participate in these activities. Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 6 There have been no complaints since the last inspection. A young person’s guide to making a complaint is available in a range of formats. Staff advocate for young people and ensure that they, and their families, have an appropriate understanding of how to raise any concerns that they may have.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff undertake regular health and safety checks around the home to maintain the safety of the environment. All young people participate in fire drills and practices on a group rota basis. Furthermore, all young people have personal evacuation plans in place. These define the levels of support that they require in the event of a fire. This promotes young people’s safety because they are aware of how to exit the home safely in the event of a fire. This purpose-built home is suitably located. However, when reviewing the locality risk assessment, the registered manager does not include any strategies to reduce any known risks. This potentially places young people at risk of harm when they are away from the home.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has been in post and registered with Ofsted at this home for over four years. He holds suitable qualifications for this role, including a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection in March 2017, the registered manager has taken some action to address the one requirement and two recommendations raised at that time. For example, a safe area location risk assessment is now in place. However, this does not include the strategies to reduce known risks.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has high aspirations for young people’s development. He uses a range of internal monitoring systems to review the quality of care in line with the individual and collective progress that young people make. Nevertheless, these monitoring systems do not include consultation with young people and their families, or feedback from external agencies. As a result, when reviewing the quality of care, the registered manager is unaware of the views and opinions of others. This shortfall potentially limits the development of the service.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The statement of purpose outlines the aims and objectives of this short-break service. This includes an overview of the opportunities and experiences available to young people. This means that social workers, young people and their families have a good understanding of what to expect from the service. Relationships between the home and external agencies are very positive. One social worker said, ‘This is a very inclusive service that ticks all the boxes. I know the families I support would be lost without it.’ Others echo this sentiment. One parent said, ‘The manager and the staff really understand what this setting means for the kids and for the families.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people work with a long-standing staff team which has the knowledge, skills and experience required to meet their needs. All staff hold suitable qualifications relevant to children’s residential care. However, opportunities for staff to expand their knowledge- base or to gain additional qualifications are minimal. Furthermore, staff do not Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 7 consistently refresh mandatory training courses within suitable timescales. This limits the ongoing development of the staff team.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff do not receive regular supervision. This failure remains outstanding from the last inspection. The registered manager has taken steps to ensure that the content of these formal meetings relate to staff practice. However, the irregular frequency of these sessions means that managers do not appropriately monitor staff performance. In addition, managers do not undertake annual appraisals for all staff. These shortfalls mean that the registered manager does not ensure that staff receive the support that they need.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall WS1 1TP

p.8

Inspector

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC464762 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9