Children's Home run by Wessex College Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 1 SC037596 Registered provider: Wessex College Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is one of six homes operated by a private organisation. The organisation operates an independent school which young people from this home can attend.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 11 and 12 May 2017

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are not receiving care from a consistent, suitably trained and experienced team. Since last inspection, 42 different members of staff have cared for the children. This has reduced to 20 different staff in the two months prior to the inspection. This has led to inconsistency in the quality of the care children receive, as some staff do not have a good understanding of the children’s needs and how to meet them. This negatively affects the quality of care provided and the ability of the team to develop good, supportive relationships with children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staffing arrangements are safe and effective. For example, on two occasions a senior member of staff sent a new worker out Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 2 on their own with children while the new worker was undertaking a shadow shift. On one occasion, two male workers, who were both sessional staff, cared overnight for an all-female group of three children. There was a female member of staff on call throughout the night but they were not actually in the home. This is of concern, particularly as one child has expressed that she does not cope well with male workers.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are not working consistently with the children to help them to improve their behaviour. As a result, the number of concerning incidents occurring in the home has increased. For example, some children who had not been involved in illegal substance misuse prior to moving into the home, now use illegal substances. Staff have failed to maintain boundaries or follow children’s care plans consistently. On occasions, staff have carried out searches of children’s bedrooms. However, staff failed to record in detail the rationales behind these room searches.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Strategies for preventing children from going missing from the home have failed. On a number of occasions, children have gone missing from the home to obtain harmful substances (aerosols). Multi agency work, including work with the local police has been undertaken taken to put in measures to prevent this from happening, but these measures have been unsuccessful. Further work is required in order to prevent these dangerous incidents from reoccurring.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection five children have left the home. Three have successfully moved on to independence or returned home. Two have moved to some of the organisations other homes. Four new children move into the home, but only one still lives there. The registered manager gathers all of the required information about new children before they move in. She carries out impact risk assessments to make sure that the children will be compatible. Although these assessments contain a lot of useful information, in one case the manager has not highlighted the potential risks that the children may present to each other. In addition, not all of the presenting risks are included.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home does not provide children with a comfortable, warm, homely environment throughout. The house is in a state of disrepair due to the damage caused by the children. Some broken door frames and a hole in the lounge wall were poorly repaired; blinds were missing in bathrooms; some areas of flooring were in a poor state; and there were no mirrors in the bathrooms. Children’s bedrooms were untidy, with clothing, personal possessions and crockery on the floor.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and mangers do not keep a record of the actions taken when there are concerns about staff practice or when staff raise concerns. The registered manager said that she does not consistently record discussions with staff about poor practice issues. These shortfalls do not assist the registered manager in monitoring staff practice or helping the members of staff concerned to improve. In contrast, some of the debrief sessions held after incidents are good, and demonstrate how staff have reflected on their practice to improve their responses in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Notifications made to Ofsted about significant incidents do not provide sufficient Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 3 information. In addition, staff failed to notify Ofsted of an incident involving the police.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Reports on the visits from the independent visitor are not sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. The last report to be received was dated 28 September 2017.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2017 Full Good 22/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/05/2016 Full Good 05/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

33: The quality and purpose of care standard.

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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; 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 understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6(1)(a, b)(2)(a, b)(i, ii, iv, vii)(c)(i, ii)) 30/04/18 Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 4 10: The health and well-being standard.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; understand the child’s health and well- being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10(1)(a, b, c)(2)(a)(i, ii, iii, iv)) 31/03/18

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the 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; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; are provided with supervision and

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Requirement Due date

support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; de-escalate 31/03/18 Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 5 confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a, b, c)(2)(a)(i, ii, iii, iv, v, vii, ix, x, xi))

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the homes day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard.

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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 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 work as a team where appropriate; 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; 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a, b)(2)(a, b, c, d, e, f)) 30/04/18

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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 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child’s relevant plans are 31/03/18 Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 6 followed.

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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 requirements are that the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, records of these supervision sessions should provide sufficient detail about the discussion held, and record any actions or goals set as outcomes of the discussion including staffs involvement in restraints and discussions about poor practice. 31/03/18

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 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)(7)(a)) 31/03/18 Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 7

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Recommendations

 A child’s bedroom should not generally be entered without their permission. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20). In particular, ensure that records set out the rationales behind room searches.  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56,

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Recommendations

paragraph 11.4). In particular, the pre-admission risk assessment must highlight the risks a child may present to the other children and vice versa.

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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

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

Provision sub-type: Children’s home Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 8 Registered provider: Wessex College

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ward Goodman, 4 Cedar Park, Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne, BH21 7SF

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037596 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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