Children's home run by Wiltshire Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC032439 1 SC032439 Registered provider: Wiltshire Council

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Full 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 a short-break service for up to seven children. Some children may have a physical disability, learning disability and/or sensory impairment. The local authority operates the home. The home has a vacancy for the post of registered manager as the registered manager resigned in April 2018. A manager was appointed in July 2018 and is in the process of making an application to register with Ofsted.

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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: 28 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC032439 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 10/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC032439 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

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—

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Requirement Due date

uses monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) and (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that documents, including placement plans, risk assessments and restraint records, are monitored, evaluated and updated effectively. 30/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the time and duration of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iii)(iv)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(a)) 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC032439 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children have access to electronic devices and the internet while staying at the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)  Ensure that children receive a wide range of activities of their choice outside of the home. In particular, review the current arrangements that children cannot undertake an activity more than one hour’s travelling distance away from the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  Ensure that records demonstrate a detailed account of the discussions held with children following the use of restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)  Ensure that the goals and opportunities for children to achieve are clear, measurable and achievable. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including

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Recommendations

the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care and support from well-trained and committed staff. Staff develop positive and trusted relationships with children. They have a good understanding of children’s individual needs, and their likes and preferences. Staff work well together with parents, schools and healthcare professionals to ensure that children receive good continuity of care. Children are happy, and say that they enjoy coming to stay. A parent agreed and said, ‘My son loves going there; staff are consistent, and they know his little ways.’ The manager ensures that there is careful and considered planning and preparation before children come to stay at the home. Staff welcome children when they first visit. At the time of this inspection, a child was staying for her second night. She was excited to be at the home and said, ‘I like it here, it’s fun, I like the staff.’ Staff use alternative methods of communication to seek children’s wishes, views and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

choices. At the time of this inspection, staff used sign language, photographs and visual representation to seek children’s choices. Children chose a restaurant that they would like to eat at, and their choice of film at the cinema. Children enjoy a wide range of activities both in the home and in the local area. However, activities that are more than one hour’s drive from the home are not provided. As a result, children’s opportunities to visit the beach and theme parks (places they have requested) are limited. Some children bring their electronic devices to the home when they come to stay. Staff say these devices have applications installed that assist with the children’s communication and that the staff would also benefit from such a device in the home to use with children. Children do not have access to the home’s wi-fi; as a result, they Inspection report children’s home: SC032439 5 cannot access the internet when they come to stay.

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

The arrangements to safeguard children are good. Leaders and managers ensure that they communicate safeguarding matters to safeguarding agencies and other professionals effectively. An improvement since the last inspection is the detailed records that are maintained to demonstrate the action taken when there are safeguarding concerns. Children are safe at this home. Parents and social workers also consider that children are safe. Due to their complex support needs, some children need to be monitored during the night. Leaders and managers have continued to regularly review this practice with parents and social workers. As a result, fewer children are now being monitored by visual and/or audio devices during the night. This is a significant improvement. Staff rarely use restraint; if used, this is as a last resort. Since the last inspection, there has been one recorded incident of restraint. Leaders and managers have not ensured

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

that the records in relation to the restraint contain all of the required information. In addition, leaders and managers have not clearly recorded the discussions with children and staff following the intervention. The manager has good oversight of accidents in the home and ensures that parents and social workers are informed. Sound recruitment and selection processes safeguard children. Leaders and managers now ensure that prospective candidates complete a full education history when making an application.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager resigned in April 2018 and a deputy manager became the acting manager. The acting manager was appointed to the manager’s position in July 2018. She is in the process of completing her application to register with Ofsted. The home is managed efficiently and effectively. The changes in the leadership and management of the home have resulted in positive and significant improvements in the running of the home. The newly appointed manager has been at the forefront of these developments. She has prioritised and focused on making improvements that will benefit children. However, some records require closer monitoring and scrutiny. Staff receive clear leadership and direction and say that they feel valued by managers. As a result, staff morale is high, and children are receiving care from a motivated and enthusiastic team. Regular visits by the independent visitor continue to take place and the manager

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

responds effectively to recommendations made. However, these reports have not been sent to Ofsted since March 2018. Children’s placement plans identify specific goals and opportunities for children to achieve. These are regularly reviewed. However, some of these goals are not clear, measurable and achievable. Staff receive regular, effective supervision and training that equip them to support the Inspection report children’s home: SC032439 6 children. Staff are provided with specific training to meet the individual needs of the children. This training includes augmented communication, epilepsy and medicines training. However, training records are not up to date. Since the last full inspection, significant improvements have been made to the home. As a result, children now stay in a homely and welcoming environment. The outcomes from internal quality assurance audits demonstrate that parents and social

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

workers are very positive about the high quality of care provided. At the time of this inspection, a social worker said, ‘I have no issues at all; staff always attend children’s reviews and they know the children’s needs well.’ The two requirements and two recommendations made at the last inspection have been met.

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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: SC032439 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Director of Social Services, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8LE

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Inspector

David Kidner, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032439 8 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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