Children's Home, Residential special school run by Wandsworth Borough Council in Wandsworth

Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 1 SC470513 Registered provider: Wandsworth Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority-run service which provides care and accommodation for up to 56 children who have autism spectrum disorder and associated conditions. The registered children’s home is on the same site as the organisation’s school. It accommodates children for 38 and 52 weeks of the year.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2016.

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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: 27 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was subject to two compliance notices under regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)) and regulation 23(2)(b). A monitoring visit took place on 29 January 2019, when it was judged that the home was making progress and that both compliance notices were met. Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2018 Full Inadequate 29/11/2017 Full Good 23/01/2017 Full Outstanding 13/07/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children form some extremely positive bonds with staff, who are attuned to their individual needs. Children’s views and wishes are sought through a variety of communication tools and media. Children can make their views known, and staff respond to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend the on-site school, and close liaison with education staff ensures that there is consistency of care across the settings and that children’s needs are met. Online reports ensure that residential and education staff are aware of the child’s activities and presentation in each setting. Children have been able to choose the colours and styles in their bedrooms and were happy to show inspectors around. The communal areas are homely, and have a modern and bright appearance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are able to access a wide range of socially and emotionally stimulating activities. Staff support children to have new experiences, even when previously they may have been overwhelmed by such activities. Examples include a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine, a trip to see a Spice Girls tribute group and attending clubs in the community, such as scouts and drama. Children who are able are encouraged to save money for more expensive trips. Small steps are celebrated, such as brushing teeth, using the toilet, practising money skills, independence on public transport and learning how to use, and look after, a key or key fob. Children are now all being treated with dignity and respect, including through staff talking positively to them and using age-appropriate language. The culture in the home appears to have shifted to be more respectful of children. It was noted that a record for a girl with similar needs and behaviours to a boy

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

is more judgemental of her behaviour. This was changed during the inspection, and the home manager recognises the concern.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotion well-being is held to be central to their care. Children who require covert administration of medication undergo a capacity assessment by the local general practitioner. There are clear and transparent arrangements for individual children, assessed on their current need, and the long-term plan is to increase independence in medication administration.

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

Children’s actions and demeanour show that they feel confident in their home. They approach staff as needed, yet staff recognise changes in behaviour and when a child will need support or redirection. There are strong links to partner agencies in response to safeguarding and child protection concerns.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home, and those who are known to do so have clear plans in place on how staff will seek to support them and ensure their safety. Staff are fully aware of each child’s vulnerabilities and are now confident of the processes to Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 5 follow, should they be concerned for a child’s safety. Incidents are followed up, including with members of the public who may witness them. Children’s plans are updated in response to incidents and support the child to move on from the pattern of behaviour. Staff are confident in whistleblowing and using the computerised system to report concerns.

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

The home produces detailed plans for each child to ensure that all their behavioural needs are consistently supported. Plans identify clear responses to behaviours where restrictive practice is required, and the focus is on reducing the need for it.

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

Recruitment drives have been successful in increasing staff numbers, and staff morale has improved. Processes for safer recruitment have been consistently implemented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have responded swiftly to the concerns raised at the last full inspection in November 2018. They have made significant changes to safeguarding practice, including increasing the number of designated safeguarding leads and ensuring that staff are aware of safeguarding processes. Leaders are increasing staff’s autonomy and accountability for their work and actions. They have appointed an external consultant to aid the process of continued improvement and have demonstrated clear learning from the shortfalls previously identified. The systematic approach to evaluating and developing the service demonstrates a desire to continually improve. The independent visitor’s approach has been improved, and they spend more days on site each month.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive and have adopted the changes implemented across the site since the last full inspection. Staff morale has increased. There has been progress in filling vacancies, and many experienced staff have joined the team. This has led to greater stability for children. Staff say that they are well supported by leaders and that leaders are all accessible and available for support and consultation. Supervision has been developed to incorporate safeguarding, and it focuses on a different Quality Standard each month. New staff are particularly enthusiastic about the thorough induction that they received, which includes training and shadowing opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders advocate on children’s behalf if they are concerned that a child’s needs are not being met or decisions not made in their best interests. Children are genuinely part of the local community through a positive presence in clubs and activities and daily trips to the local shops and amenities. Those who are moving into adulthood have proactive plans in place, and the placing authorities are reminded, when necessary, of their impending move. Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 6

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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 difference 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: SC470513 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: London Borough of Wandsworth

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Early Years Centre, 1 Siward Road, London SW17 0LA

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Inspectors

Jennie Christopher, social care inspector Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC470513 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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