Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC390576 1 SC390576

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Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A large provider of children’s services operates this home. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection took place to monitor the provider’s adherence to the restriction of accommodation notice issued on 26 February 2019.

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This monitoring visit

No children have been admitted to the home since the last monitoring visit. Consequently, the provider has adhered to the restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

One child continues to reside in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Records show that staff clearly follow the waking night guidance and this procedure is well embedded. The registered manager is planning to install bedroom door alarms as an additional measure to safeguard children at night-time. However, these plans remain in their infancy, and the provider is not yet fully clear on what measures it will have in place to safeguard children during the night. This uncertainty means that some vulnerabilities remain in the way that children are protected at night.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has updated a number of protocols for staff. These include a bedtime routine for children and guidance on the use of room searches. However, some shortfalls remain. Some risks assessments require more analysis and detail. Although staff understand risk and its context, this is not reflected in risk assessments. In addition, updates to some risk assessments are not dated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC390576 2 Furthermore, impact risk assessments do not show analysis of the potential impact of children’s behaviours on others.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not yet received the specialist training arranged in response to significant safeguarding concerns in the home. This includes a bespoke training package to be delivered by the designated officer and further specialist training focusing on the sexualised behaviour of children. In addition, the registered manager has not yet delivered training to staff on observing children to keep them safe. As a result, staff still lack the knowledge and skills required to safely manage risk.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is now sharing information with key agencies in a timely manner. Recently, she met with staff at a child’s school to ensure that their information-sharing protocols improve. The registered manager seeks regular updates from the police and local authorities in relation to their ongoing safeguarding investigations. She regularly updates Ofsted with a summary of this information. As a result, this requirement is met.

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This monitoring visit

Some keywork sessions lacks depth and follow-up actions for staff. As a result, children cannot fully explore the context of their feelings and behaviours, and there is potential for issues to remain unresolved. A requirement is raised in relation to this shortfall.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/04/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/07/2018 Full Outstanding 12/12/2017 Full Good 17/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC390576 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

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(2)(a)(ii)(vi)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that keywork sessions fully explore the context of challenging behaviours and include clear follow-up actions for staff. 01/07/2019

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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, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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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

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments analyse the potential impact of children’s behaviours on others. In addition, ensure that risk assessments reflect the context of 01/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC390576 4 and influences on challenging behaviours. 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—

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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

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c) * 01/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC390576 5 to 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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