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

Inspection report children’s home: SC036584 1 SC036584 Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough 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 home is owned and managed by a local authority. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with complex needs. The current manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2018 and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 November 2018

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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: 18 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2018 Full Good 10/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/10/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC036584 2

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Recommendations

 The relevant plan may include a strategy for a particular type of care, treatment or intervention (for example, therapy relating to neglect or abuse). The care staff will need to understand the purpose of any such care and the way in which the past experiences of abuse or neglect may manifest itself in the day-to-day life of the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.15) This is with specific reference to ensuring that all staff have access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) consultations at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff are patient and caring, and understand the needs of young people. Young people spend time with their friends and, where appropriate, their families. This is because staff promote and facilitate this effectively. As a result, young people experience positive and healthy relationships. Staff ensure that each young person’s arrival at the home is well planned. Fun activities are arranged during introductions to facilitate relationship-building with staff and other young people. As a result, young people experience a positive transition into the home, which helps them to settle quickly. Since the last inspection, two young people have had planned moves from the home, to semi-independent provision. Staff continued to support both young people after their moves, to promote the best possible outcomes for them. The staff develop positive working relationships with education professionals. This

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

collaboration means that young people are supported to access appropriate education. Staff help young people to address any issues that arise in school. Where young people are not in school, the manager and staff are active in ensuring that they have access to alternative educational provisions. This approach enables young people to overcome barriers to learning, so that academic success can be achieved. Young people are supported to contribute their thoughts and ideas in young people’s meetings, and all attend the local authority children’s council. Young people engage well in key-work sessions with staff. These sessions focus on identifying and prioritising areas of need and risk, based on ongoing assessment and review. As a result, staff help young people to improve their behaviour and have the opportunity to discuss any worries. Young people are aware of the complaints procedure. The manager always follows the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

formal process for recording complaints. Young people receive responses to their complaints and are informed of the outcomes of their complaints. As a result, young people feel that their concerns are taken seriously. Inspection report children’s home: SC036584 3 Young people enjoy a good range of activities to help them to develop their hobbies. For example, young people make the most of their locality, visiting theme parks, the cinema and shopping centres. Young people are actively encouraged and supported to try new things. For example, two young people have recently become army cadets. With this increase in responsibility, their confidence and independence skills are flourishing. Young people enjoy living in a comfortable, spacious and very well-maintained environment. Young people enjoy and take pride in their home, and staff encourage them to take care of the house. This helps young people to learn important self-care

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

Young people have, over time, become far safer. Some young people no longer go missing from the home. Concerns over potential exploitation have subsided. Staff receive training in a variety of safeguarding matters and are clear about the measures they need to take to safeguard young people. The behaviour of young people has continued to improve. The good relationships between the young people and staff mean that conversation, negotiation and compromise replace the need for punitive behaviour management. Following any incidents of challenging behaviour, the staff carry out individual work with the young person. There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection. There is oversight and review by the manager, who seeks to learn lessons to prevent any future occurrences. The manager monitors young people’s interactions closely for any indicators that bullying may be a concern. Staff undertake workshops with young people to understand the

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

impact of bullying and promote friendships. This means staff can act quickly if required. Safe recruitment practice ensures that everybody employed to work in the home is safe to work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high aspirations for young people and is very clear about her responsibilities. Her monitoring of the home is good. The home’s independent monitoring reports confirm this. Staff consistently have good-quality supervision which focuses on the needs of young people. This means that there are opportunities to reflect and to learn from staff members’ current practice. The stability of the staff team supports positive staff morale, and there is a desire to improve outcomes for young people. Staff benefit from regular consultations with specialists from CAMHS. These consultations support staff to understand young people’s presenting behaviour. However, the manager has not ensured that these are shared effectively with the wider team, thus reducing their impact. Most staff have the required level 3 qualification, and those undertaking the award are expected to complete this within the required timescales. Consequently, young people

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

receive support from suitably qualified staff. Managers and staff work closely with external professionals and parents, who, as a Inspection report children’s home: SC036584 4 result, feel well informed and have a good understanding of children’s outcomes. They are always welcomed into the home and involved in key events in children’s lives.

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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: SC036584 5

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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

Anne Daly, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC036584 6 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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