Children's Home, Residential special school run by Wandsworth Borough Council in Wandsworth

Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 1 SC470513 Registered provider: Bradstow School (Wandsworth Local Authority)

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority run service, which provides care and accommodation for up to 56 young people who have learning disabilities. The registered children’s home comprises a small number of homes attached to an on-site school; it accommodates young people for both 38 and 52 weeks of the year.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 29 to 30 November 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good progress in the home through their positive relationships with staff who are attentive to their individual needs. Staff interact warmly with young people, and recognise what they enjoy, but also the changes in environment that may cause them anxiety or distress.  Young people access a varied range of activities, including trying trips to new places or different pastimes. They are encouraged to expand beyond what they already like to do, and to reduce repetitive routines.  Young people make progress both educationally and socially while living in the home. Targets are clear and staff regularly evaluate how well young people are progressing in relation to these.  Staff are vigilant in their oversight of young people and recognise their risks and vulnerabilities. They do all they can to protect young people, without stunting their progress and access to new experiences.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The management team does not always differentiate between what is school and what is home. This leads to the current evaluation tool for children’s homes not being fully adhered to. Communication between the homes and the school is not always as strong as it could be.  Young people’s plans are thorough, but do not explore the young person’s identity and culture beyond their ethnicity and religion.  Safeguarding is mostly robust within the home. However, the paper-based system can lead to information being lost or misplaced.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2017 Full Outstanding 13/07/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, do not prop fire doors open with wedges and other items which prevent the doors from automatically closing should the fire alarm sound. 12/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home full if satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, retain relevant information about staff including proof of registration with professional bodies for therapists working with children and young people. 12/01/2018

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Recommendations

 Children should be supported to express themselves as individuals and should be given an appropriate degree of freedom and choice in relation to day to day arrangements for their care, depending on their individual needs and the setting in which they are cared for. This is in relation to both activities and personal items such as clothing, technology and leisure items. Children’s reasonable preferences in relation to day to day arrangements should be met with consideration given to safeguarding, particularly in relation to the use of technology. Where a child’s preferences are unreasonable or cannot be met for safeguarding reasons, staff should discuss this with the child to help them understand why. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 4 standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21) Specifically, include information about young people’s culture and identity beyond their religion and ethnicity in their

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Recommendations

individual plans.  In addition to the requirements of this standard, the registered person has specific responsibilities under regulation 34 to prepare and implement policies setting out: arrangements for the safeguarding of children from abuse or neglect; clear procedures for referring child protection concerns to the placing authority or local authority where the home is situated if appropriate; and specific procedures to prevent children going missing and take action if they do. The policy on protection of children from abuse and neglect should include arrangements in relation to dealing with allegations involving staff in the home, e-safety and to counter risks of self-harm and suicide. All policies should be reviewed regularly and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19) Specifically, ensure that the system for reporting and recoding safeguarding concerns is strong and

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Recommendations

does not allow information to be lost or misplaced, and that centrally located information on policies and procedures if a young person goes missing, are up to date.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress while living in their home. Staff are increasingly understanding that it is the young people’s home and are making a concerted effort to make the environment more homely and personalised for those living there. This includes photographs and pictures in communal areas, and personalised bedrooms with standard furniture for some. Some young people have even donned overalls and painted their rooms themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of each of the young people they care for and are thoughtful of their needs. Plans are detailed and ensure that staff can meet young people’s needs in a manner that is most supportive to them. Those who require extra space and time to process and transition are afforded this. For example, for one young person, staff were seen making a transition to their next activity into a game, as this was recognised as positive for the young person. Staff interactions are measured and centred on making young people feel safe and secure. They identify the individual’s needs, such as a quiet corner with a blanket to relax or playing football to burn off anxious energy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s views are sought through a variety of mediums, such as house meetings, individual discussion and exploration, and for some, the use of their own web-based profiles. These allow young people to add pictures, music or views to their profile if they wish. Staff, families and social workers also have access to these individualised sites, ensuring that all are able to access the information the young people and other contributors would like to share. These are still in their infancy though, and not all young people have access to them yet. Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 5 Young people are prepared for their futures through a personalised skills for life programme. Plans are tailored to the young person’s needs and abilities, in consultation with the young person and those who care for them. The whole-school approach results in key targets being identified for the education day, and soft skills and targets, such as

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

getting dressed and managing free time, being monitored in their homes. Young people were observed cooking their own meals, folding laundry and learning to tolerate others in their space. Staff stretch young people beyond their comfort zone, but are careful not to cause distress. Successes are celebrated and young people congratulated when they have completed a task.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. Exercise is encouraged and freshly prepared meals are available daily. Medication administration is sound and the home uses a nationally recognised system. Young people with specific health needs are supported well, with specifically trained staff caring for them. They have access to varied specialist therapies through the on-site school, such as speech and language and occupational therapy.

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

Young people’s actions and demeanour indicates that they feel safe in their home. Young people were seen to approach staff for help or to guide them to what the young person needed to feel comfortable or secure. Staff understand each young person’s vulnerabilities and what may cause them to feel anxious or upset. Staff will tailor the environment to meet young people’s needs, while recognising that others also live in the home. Impact risk assessments have been used to great effect when the young people moved houses in September 2017.

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

Staff are confident in their roles and how to respond to any safeguarding concerns they have. Issues are reported effectively to partner agencies and guidance followed diligently. The current paper-based in-house system of reporting can potentially lead to information being misplaced or lost. The home manager recognises this as a risk. The centrally located file for responses to young people being missing does not contain the most up-to-date policy and procedures, although staff have access to the most recent version.

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

Staff are not risk-averse, and will endeavour for all young people to have the opportunity to experience activities comparable to their peers in the wider community. They ensure that young people are not infantilised, and offer outreach support for parents to support contact visits in the family home. They recognise what is of concern for each young person and do all they can to reduce the likelihood of any risk occurring. Young people have individual responses plans should they be missing, and young people who are able to access the internet independently have a laminated guide on how to keep safe. Monitoring of internet access is a particular strength within the home and on-site school.

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

Young people are supported to manage their behaviour through the consistent guidance of staff. Individual plans are clear and direct those caring for young people in how to Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 6 respond should they become anxious or distressed. The home has sought and used guidance from a nationally recognised charity to validate its approach to managing incidents that may briefly restrict the liberty of young people. All instances of young people being supported to stay in one area are thoroughly recorded and evaluated by the management team.

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

Young people are protected from avoidable hazards through regular monitoring of the houses for health and safety concerns. They engage in regular fire drills and were observed to congregate in the agreed location with minimum disruption. However, there is an endemic use of wooden wedges to hold fire doors open throughout the homes and on-site school. It was noticed during an unplanned evacuation that it took longer than necessary to exit the building as staff had to move wedges and close not only the doors from the room they were in, but many along the corridors on the escape route.

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

Staff recruitment is robust and follows safer recruitment guidance. However, confirmation that the therapists are registered with the appropriate professional bodies was not available within staff files.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well run by an experienced management team. The team works well across all the houses and liaises with the on-site school staff effectively to ensure that key information is shared. Staff say that they feel well supported by the management team, and that they can always access its members if they need to. They have regular supervision sessions, and say they feel listened to. Training is well planned and all staff have either completed or are working towards a suitable level 3 qualification. The induction process for new staff is detailed and robust; however, home managers may not know how well new starters are progressing through the induction package.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They utilise detailed reports from the independent visitor, and take action on their advice. This is not always as swift as it could be, such as taking several months to implement impact assessments. The registered manager evaluates the homes and service provided at regular intervals and identifies areas for continued improvement in the development plan. Work is ongoing in recognising the difference between the school and children’s homes on-site, and how this is demonstrated in line with the differing inspection frameworks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has high aspirations for young people, and in turn so do staff. Young people’s progress is regularly monitored and evaluated, with individual targets and plans updated in response. Young people’s plans are clear, but lack detail about young people’s identity and culture beyond their ethnicity and religion. Managers are critically evaluative of progress and will hold multi-agency meetings if they feel a young person is not progressing as well as they could. Managers challenge partner agencies if they do not feel that they are providing the correct service or acting in a young person’s best interests. Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 7

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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.

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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: SC470513 8

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Inspectors

Jennie Christopher, social care inspector Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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