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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066214 1 SC066214

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Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. The home provides care and accommodation for up to seven young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This includes two placements within a semi-independent flat.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted inspected this home in October 2017 and judged the service to be inadequate. As a result of this visit, Ofsted served a compliance notice on 6 November 2017. This notice related to failures by the provider to manage and reduce risks to young people’s safety and welfare effectively. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress made by the organisation to meet the requirements of this notice.

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This monitoring visit

Since November 2017, the acting manager has taken sufficient action to improve the quality of risk assessments. Young people now have suitable risk assessments in place. These highlight their known risks and consider other factors, such as peer pressure, that may influence and increase their risks. The acting manager has revised these documents and detailed the actions required of staff to reduce these known risks. For example, when staff are aware that young people are consuming alcohol, their risk assessments link to one-to-one keywork sessions. Staff use these sessions to encourage young people to recognise the negative impact this behaviour may have on their well-being. These improvements better promote young people’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Young people continue to go missing from the home, and there has been no significant reduction in these events since the last inspection. However, the acting manager and senior care staff have taken action to revise missing-from-home risk assessments. These documents now include clear and unambiguous guidance for staff, which details the steps that they must take in these circumstances. For example, risk assessments now specify when staff should contact the police, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066214 2 depending on when a young person goes missing and their individual vulnerabilities and circumstances. Furthermore, the acting manager now liaises with allocated local police personnel. This improvement means that she is able to establish protocols and reporting procedures for staff to follow, when young people are absent from the home. Consequently, when young people are away from the home without

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This monitoring visit

permission, staff actions and responses are consistent. This ensures that young people are quickly located.

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This monitoring visit

At the last inspection, young people were not safe in the home, because managers and staff failed to ensure that fire risk assessments were reflective of known fire risks. At that time, young people were in possession of cigarettes and lighters in their bedrooms. Furthermore, on one occasion, a young person used these materials to set fire to their bedroom furnishings. The home’s fire risk assessment now highlights the increased risk factors caused by young people’s behaviours and specifies preventative measures to reduce these risks. The acting manager has purchased anti-flammable furnishing and curtains for young people’s bedrooms to significantly reduce the risk of fire. Furthermore, a local fire and rescue service representative has attended the home to speak with young people and to provide additional fire safety advice and guidance. Managers and staff have also revised young people’s individual

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This monitoring visit

risk assessments. These now include any potential for young people to conceal lighters and flammable materials. For example, when staff suspect that young people are smoking in their bedrooms, they are subject to frequent room searches. Staff now also encourage young people to participate in one-to-one sessions relating to fire safety in the home. These actions create a safer environment for young people.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken sufficient action to meet the requirements of the compliance notice. The remaining regulatory shortfalls raised at the last inspection were not reviewed on this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/10/2017 Full Inadequate 14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Requires improvement 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066214 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)) 31/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who engage with them

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7(1)(b)(2)(a)(iv)) 31/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10(1)(b)(c)) 31/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and 31/12/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066214 4 understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(h)) 31/12/2017

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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. This specifically relates to the accuracy of fire risk assessments. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 31/12/2017

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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; and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 31/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 31/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. This specifically relates to incidents of fire in the home. (Regulation 40(4)(e)) 31/12/2017

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Recommendations

 It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. This specifically relates to recording actions for staff to complete. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should 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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066214 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC066214 6 to 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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