Children's home run by Wessex College Limited in Dorset

Assurance visit report: SC043245 1 SC043245

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care for up to four children aged over 10 years who may have experienced trauma, abuse and attachment difficulties. The home is one of five homes operated by a private organisation. The organisation also operates an independent school and a therapeutic care farm, which children from this home may attend. The registered manager’s post was vacant between September 2018 and the new manager’s registration with Ofsted, which took place on 3 August 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 21 November 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: SC043245 2

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Findings from the visit

We identified no serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

Since the previous inspection, when there were significant shortfalls in leadership and management, there have been many improvements. The home’s new manager arrived in post in February 2020. Since then, she has worked hard to bring about improvements to the home. Consistent boundaries, effective management and a warm, nurturing atmosphere have created a happy and stable home where the children, young people and staff can thrive.

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The care of children

The children and young people say that they enjoy positive and trusting relationships with the staff. They can speak openly about anything that worries them. The staff have a good understanding of their unique individual needs.

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The care of children

The staff have access to specialised training, for example in how to support children and young people who harm themselves. The staff can seek therapeutic advice when necessary, to ensure that their practice is informed by professional insights.

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The care of children

The home uses the Thrive system to monitor and support the children and young people’s emotional needs. Staff were able to give examples of how individual children had made progress since their arrival, for example, in increasing their self- confidence and resilience. One social worker commented: ‘When [X}went there, he would not engage with adults or peers. Now, he can do this. I am amazed at his progress.’

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The care of children

The children and young people have been able to keep in touch with families and friends during the COVID-19 lockdown. This includes the use of video contact and socially-distanced visits. Visits take place in the spacious, well-kept garden, rather than indoors.

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The care of children

All four children and young people are registered with schools and colleges. During the COVID-19 lockdown, they made good use of online resources. There are plans for them to start at their respective schools next week.

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The care of children

Staff provide a wide range of activities for the children and young people. Despite logistical constraints around staff numbers during some evenings (discussed under leadership and management), the children and young people have learned to compromise on where they will go on a given day. They all enjoy activities such as going to the beach, and there is a planned trip to Thorpe Park soon.

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The care of children

The children and young people have found the constraints around the COVID-19 pandemic to be a challenge, but they have coped with this with impressive maturity and understanding. This has helped to keep them and the staff team safe so far. Assurance visit report: SC043245 3

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The safety of children

The staff have a good understanding about how to respond to any children and young people who go missing or make a disclosure.

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The safety of children

Some children and young people do occasionally go missing. The staff follow correct procedures and do their best to ensure that they are safe while they are away. Some children and young people who used to go missing for several days at a time in their previous homes, now go missing for much shorter periods. The children and young people have the opportunity to speak with staff on their return, and also with someone who is independent of the home. This helps to identify any reasons why they have gone missing, so that action can be taken.

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The safety of children

Although there are occasional tensions between the residents, the staff help the children and young people to manage these constructively. Since the registered manager’s arrival in the home, she has made it clear that negative behaviour is not acceptable. The staff are now much more effectively supported to help the children and young people respond consistently, to establish and maintain clear behavioural boundaries, to help resolve any tensions arising from group living. As a result, there have been very few incidents and only one physical intervention since 1 April 2020.

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The safety of children

The company has clear and proportionate measures in place to implement government guidance and changes in regulations resulting from the current COVID- 19 pandemic.

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The safety of children

Staff training on safeguarding and behaviour management has continued throughout the lockdown period, although much of it has, through necessity, been provided online. Recently appointed staff receive good quality induction and foundation training, including safeguarding, to help the children and young people with their specific needs and help keep them safe.

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Leaders and managers

The quality of leadership and management in this home has improved considerably since the previous inspection. After a year with no registered manager, the home now has an experienced manager who holds a relevant level 5 qualification. The manager has recently been registered with Ofsted.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has created a stable, emotionally intelligent and positive culture where staff, children and young people can speak openly about any concerns that they have. The staff interviewed during this visit are full of praise for the manager’s support and the quality of professional supervision that they receive.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has good monitoring systems in place. She has reviewed the home’s records and has brought about many improvements. This has meant that the children and young people now have better-quality written records which describe their needs and how they will be met. Children and young people’s records are now on an electronic system. This enables the managers to monitor the children Assurance visit report: SC043245 4 and young people’s progress effectively. The manager recognises that there is still some work to be done to ensure that records contain all the detail required.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager makes good use of external monitoring provided by the independent visitor. The independent visitor consults with children, young people and relevant adults when possible. He prepares thorough reports which provide useful challenge for the home to help drive improvement.

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Leaders and managers

The staff and manager have good relationships with visiting professionals. One social worker said that they wanted to praise the staff for the work they have done. ‘The staff have been excellent. They report everything; the communication is good and they support contact. I am really pleased.’

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Leaders and managers

The home has made progress on all three requirements and four recommendations from the previous inspection. Two of the requirements, in relation to developing positive relationships between the children and young people and providing staff supervision, have been fully met. Two recommendations have also been fully met. These related to replacing the locking mechanism on the front door and ensuring that there is written evidence of any agency staff’s suitability to work with children.

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Leaders and managers

The requirement made under the leadership and management quality standard has been partially met, so it has been repeated. This is because there are sometimes only two staff on duty for four children and young people in the evening. This can cause difficulties if the four children and young people all wish to take part in different activities, or if someone had to be taken to hospital. School transport could be a challenge during the coming weeks, because the children and young people are enrolled in schools in four different local authority areas.

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Leaders and managers

The manager’s improvements in recording, particularly in risk assessments and placement plans, have meant that the other two recommendations from the previous inspection have been largely met. The remaining shortfalls are about the need to record more detail in some areas.

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Leaders and managers

For example, risk assessments for children and young people who have clear vulnerabilities regarding criminal exploitation and county lines should include these risks. Risk assessments and/or the behaviour support plans should record whether each individual child or young person can be held, and if so, by what methods. At present, they refer the reader to the company’s physical intervention policy, which is not child specific.

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Leaders and managers

In addition, the staff should include the children and young people’s sexual health needs on healthcare records. Also, when the children and young people return from missing-from-home incidents, the staff do not always record discussions about any sexual health implications from their activities, and how they will support the individual concerned to stay healthy and safe. Assurance visit report: SC043245 5

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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

13: The leadership and management standard

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(d)) 31/12/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, ensure that all known risks, for example, potential exposure to criminal exploitation, county lines and the use of physical restraint are included in written documents.

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Recommendations

 Regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, ensure that children and young people’s sexual health needs are recorded on all relevant documents. Assurance visit report: SC043245 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wessex College Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Wessex College Limited, 4 Cedar Park, Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne BH21 7SF

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Inspector

Heather Chaplin, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC043245 7 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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Inspector

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