Children's home run by Wigan Council in Wigan

Assurance visit report: SC040266 1 SC040266

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in July 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Sustained effectiveness

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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: SC040266 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any 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

Children have trusted relationships with staff. Inspectors observed warm relationships between children and staff. One child told the inspector that he liked staff. He commented that, ‘staff are good’, and ‘I can have a good laugh with them’.

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The care of children

Staff know the children well. They understand children’s relationships with their families and friends. Staff support children to have safe contact with their family and friends. This support continued during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This helps children maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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The care of children

Staff encourage children to talk to them about any worries or concerns that they might have. Staff use a variety of techniques to encourage children to tell them if something is bothering them. For example, the staff provided one child with a notebook to write down her feelings.

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The care of children

However, children’s views, wishes and feelings are not always captured in their documents and plans. Children’s documents, for example, risk assessments and behaviour support plans, do not include their views. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

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The care of children

The manager and staff promote children’s attendance at school. Staff support the children to attend school and complete education by offering them incentives. This is working for some children because they are now attending school.

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The care of children

The manager and staff work with other professionals to support the children, for example, a speech and language therapist and child exploitation social worker. This means that children receive specialised support that is relevant to their individual needs. This support continued during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The safety of children

The manager and staff know the risks to the children. The staff demonstrate an understanding of children’s current risks and strategies to manage risk.

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The safety of children

Children’s risk assessments include all known risks to their safety and welfare. There are clear plans to follow if children go missing from home and staff follow these plans. Staff maintain relationships with children’s families and friends. This means that when children do go missing from home staff can communicate with people involved in children’s lives.

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The safety of children

Behaviour support plans include strategies for staff to manage children’s behaviour. These plans include triggers and de-escalation techniques to support children. It is Assurance visit report: SC040266 3 clear from these plans that staff know the children well. This means that staff can support children effectively.

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The safety of children

There has been an incident of physical restraint since the last inspection. There are shortfalls in recording, because the manager has not reviewed the incident as per regulation and the record does not include an evaluation of the incident. This was a requirement at the previous inspection and is repeated.

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Leaders and managers

There is a registered manager in post. She is experienced and suitably qualified. The manager knows the children well.

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Leaders and managers

Staff are positive about the manager. Some staff describe her as supportive. Supervision records demonstrate that supervision is frequent, and some staff say that this is helpful.

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Leaders and managers

Children’s plans and documents are not reviewed effectively. This is because the manager does not have robust monitoring and review systems in place. This was a requirement in previous inspections. The manager recognises that she needs to establish and maintain effective monitoring and review systems. This requirement is repeated.

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Leaders and managers

Recording within the home needs to improve to ensure that all relevant details are recorded in children’s case records. For example, staff need to record all actions that they take in missing-from-home reports. This requirement is also repeated.

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Leaders and managers

The manager works effectively with other professionals involved in children’s lives. This means that children received all-round individualised care.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has addressed some of the requirements from the last inspection. However, requirements have been repeated. The manager knows the gaps and identified areas for improvement. Assurance visit report: SC040266 4

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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 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

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and 31/08/2020 Assurance visit report: SC040266 5 make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii)

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, 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; and

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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 as soon as is 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; and

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what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent provision; and

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ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonable practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii) (b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)(e)) 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. 31/08/2020 Assurance visit report: SC040266 6 In particular the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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the date, time and location of the use of the measure

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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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

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 31/08/2020 Assurance visit report: SC040266 7 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 person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

Paragraph (3) does not apply in relation to restraint that is planned or provided for as a matter of routine in the child’s EHC plan or statement of special educational needs.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii)(c)(4))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance and supplement that provided by their school through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well- being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception, and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 35, paragraph 7.18) Assurance visit report: SC040266 8

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shirley Parkinson

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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Natalie Bennett, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC040266 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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