Children's home run by Wigan Council in Wigan

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC051856 1 SC051856 Registered provider: Wigan Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have physical and/or learning disabilities. The home is operated by a local authority.

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Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2017

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the full inspection on 25 October 2017 the home was judged inadequate. There were a number of significant breaches in regulation. These include deficiencies in the assessment and management of risk, which placed the young person at risk of harm, and inadequacy in the leadership and management arrangements. As a result, 11 requirements were made. Two of the requirements were the subject of compliance notices under regulation 12 and 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection the home was ‘not judged’.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person left this home on 13 November 2017, and the home has had no admissions since. The previously registered manager has resigned her position, and an interim manager is in place and is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC051856 2 The registered provider has indicated that the home will not operate in the immediate future. The registered provider is aware that they are required to inform Ofsted of their intention to accept any new placements prior to this occurring. Furthermore, the registered provider is aware that they must ensure that Ofsted receives an up-to-date statement of purpose which identifies a suitably qualified and experienced staff team prior to any new admissions being accepted.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2017 Full Inadequate 15/05/2017 Interim Not judged 12/01/2017 Interim Not judged 27/10/2016 Interim Not judged

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must consider, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, and 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. (Regulation 5 (c)) 29/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who develop positive relationships with them—

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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 regularly consult children and seek their 29/11/2017 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC051856 3 feedback about the quality of the home’s care.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each child has access to the home’s children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home;

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about the children’s guide and;

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(iv)(b)(ii)(c)(d)(i)(ii)) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

staff help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iv)(viii)) 29/11/2017

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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 mutual respect and trust, an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, this standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that— staff meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour by encouraging each child to take 29/11/2017 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC051856 4 responsibility for the child’s behaviour while helping each child to develop and practice skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)and(2)(ii)(iii)(iv)(xi) The protection of children standard is that children are

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Requirement Due date

protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b)) 10/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

* 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

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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child

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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 (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h)) 29/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(c)) 29/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; 29/11/2017 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC051856 5 a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(d)(i)(ii)) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1)(4)(a)(b)(7)(a)) 29/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

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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 quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)) 29/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC051856 6 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

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN

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Inspector

Nicola Thomas, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC051856 7 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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