Children's home run by Wigan Council in Wigan

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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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: not judged

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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 included 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 regulations 12 and 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. The home has remained closed since 13 November 2017.

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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 previous manager resigned her position, and there is no registered manager currently employed in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered provider has indicated that the home may operate in the future. A new manager will need to be employed and the home will need to have a suitably qualified Inspection report children’s home: SC051856 2 and experienced staff team. The registered provider is aware that it is required to inform Ofsted of its intention to accept any new placements prior to this occurring.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered provider is aware that it 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

09/01/2019 Interim Not judged 24/01/2018 Interim Not judged 25/10/2017 Full Inadequate 15/05/2017 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, if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, then they must 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.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

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 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 29/11/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC051856 3 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—

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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)(2)(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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 29/11/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC051856 4 positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour by encouraging each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour while helping each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate 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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(xi) 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 the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(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

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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 29/11/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC051856 5 approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h)) The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

and that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

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).

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40(4)(a)(d)(i)(ii)) 29/11/2017

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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 produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the 29/11/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC051856 6 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)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)) 29/11/2017

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC051856 7 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 address: Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN

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Inspector

Michelle Edge, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC051856 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 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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