Children's home run by Wolverhampton City Council

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 1

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Wolverhampton City Council

Monitoring visit 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 two young people with complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The current registered manager has been in post since the home re-opened in June 2019.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 10 June 2020 following Ofsted being notified of two serious incidents in the home. A number of shortfalls were identified and, as a result, 12 requirements were made. Three of these requirements were subject to a compliance notice. Ofsted also imposed an urgent variation to the home’s conditions of registration, reducing the number of children who can be cared for from four to two.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this inspection was to evaluate the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices and to ensure that the provider is complying with the urgent variation. The requirements will be reviewed at a subsequent inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The urgent variation of condition of registration has been complied with, and there are now two children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have introduced new risk and behaviour management plans. These plans fully capture the risks associated with each child and provide staff with clear strategies to manage risk. Staff have updated their knowledge of these plans and fully understand their role in implementing and managing them. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 2 Staff have supported both children to complete anti-bullying workshops. In addition, staff have provided children with keywork support to help them identify appropriate strategies when they become distressed or anxious.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have refreshed their knowledge of key safeguarding protocols including the whistleblowing policy. This enhancement of staff knowledge and skills will support them to keep children safe. As a result of this progress, the compliance notice in relation to regulation 12 is met.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders have updated the statement of purpose. As a result, children will now receive care in line with the home’s key objectives. Staff have undertaken a range of relevant training and refreshed their understanding of key safeguarding policies. This enhancement of staff knowledge and skills will support them to meet children’s needs. Overall, children receive care from a consistent staff team. Each child now has a member of staff allocated to them each day. This practice helps to promote consistent care. As a result of this progress, two steps of the compliance notice in relation to regulation 13 are met.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have created a new form to support children to express their views about the care they receive. In addition, a new monitoring and review document has been introduced to evaluate and improve children’s experiences. Both forms have the potential to improve children’s experiences and the quality of care they receive. However, they are in their infancy and their impact has yet to be evidenced. As a result, one step of the compliance notice in relation to regulation 13 is not met.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff continue to deliberate on a new format for children’s care plans. The proposed options have the potential to embed clear and effective oversight of children’s care. However, these proposals have not been introduced yet, and therefore their impact cannot be evidenced.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector reviewed a new viability and impact risk assessment. The assessments did not fully evaluate or reflect the potential impact of children’s risks on their peers and staff. These shortfalls have the potential to result in further inappropriate and unsafe matching of children’s needs to the care which can be provided.

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This monitoring visit

As a result, the compliance notice in relation to regulation 14 remains unmet.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

This home has not been judged at inspection since registration. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 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, 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. (Regulation 5 (c)) 09/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(xii)(xiii)) 09/08/2020

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iv)(b)) 09/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 4 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d)(f)(h))* 09/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(a))* 09/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21 (b)) 09/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if— having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has— by the relevant date, attained— the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 5 Diploma’); or a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma. The relevant date is— 09/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 5 in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i)(2)(c)(i)(ii)(3)(a)) The registered person must ensure that— 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— the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised

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Requirement Due date

person’)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (iv)) 09/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)) 09/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 09/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 6 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(e)) The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider’s expense, a person (‘the independent person’) to visit and report on the children’s home carried on by the registered provider. Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person— if the registered provider is a local authority, a person who is employed by that local authority in connection with the

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Requirement Due date

carrying on of the authority’s social services functions (as defined by section 1A of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970(a)) relating to children. (Regulation 43 (1)(3)(a)) 09/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 09/08/2020

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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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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we inspect. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wolverhampton City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, St. Peters Square, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 1SH

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2496288 8 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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