Children's Home run by Wyncare Limited in Nottingham

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home. It can provide care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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.

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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. Assurance visit report: 2491037 2

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The care of children

Young people have positive relationships with the care team. The young people are able to identify adults who they can speak to if they had any concerns. The current residents have both recently moved in, and they have settled in well. Family contact has been promoted and maintained.

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The care of children

Current residents have maintained the education placements they had before moving to the home. This has been positive for the young people. Staff at the home have supported the young people with travel arrangements to schools. Communication is described as excellent between the home and other professionals.

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The care of children

During the COVID-19 lockdown period, previous residents found it very difficult to comply with the restrictions in place. Young people regularly left the home, placing themselves and others at risk. The home did try to provide activities to engage the young people, but for the most part this was not successful.

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The care of children

Young people are routinely and regularly checked in their bedrooms overnight. Young people feel that this practice does not respect their privacy. The risk assessments in place do not evidence the necessity for these checks. Social workers are not given clear information about these checks. The checks have not always been undertaken in agreement with the social worker.

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The safety of children

During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a significant increase in incidents of young people leaving the home without permission and going missing from home. In some cases, there was an associated risk of exploitation. Information was not always shared with other professionals in a timely way. The regulatory body was not informed of significant incidents. This prevented external oversight of these concerns.

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The safety of children

There have been two complaints about the home, relating to behaviour management and keeping young people safe. These were both investigated, and shortfalls in practice were identified. Young people’s placements were ended in response to some of the concerns raised.

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The safety of children

Matching and impact risk assessments in the home do not identify or evaluate how risk factors will be managed. They do not consider the impact of a placement on other young people in the home or whether staff have the skills and experience to manage the risks.

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The safety of children

Physical intervention records do not contain all the relevant information. One report did not detail the whereabouts of a young person and staff member involved. Records written by the manager contained conflicting and insufficient information. Staff do not routinely have a debrief following a physical intervention. This means that staff do not have the opportunity to discuss concerns or practice issues. Assurance visit report: 2491037 3

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Leaders and managers

Management oversight of the home is not strong. The manager has not monitored staff practice well enough. The manager showed limited understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This included areas of learning from previous complaints. In addition, some key documents contain inaccuracies.

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Leaders and managers

The manager was not aware of staff practice relating to night time checks and routines in the home. This practice was recorded within the daily log book, which had not been checked by the manager. Staff had continued to do checks despite direction from the manager. The manager was unable to give a clear rationale for these checks.

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Leaders and managers

Not all staff have received the necessary training for their roles. Some staff, despite having been employed for a significant amount of time, had not received mandatory training such as safeguarding and fire awareness.

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Leaders and managers

There are enough staff to meet the needs of the children. There is consistency within the team, with some staff having worked at the home since it opened. All staff receive regular supervision. The manager receives regular supervision, although this is not recorded on the matrix in the home.

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Leaders and managers

Two requirements from the last inspection have not been met and have been reset.

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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 care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

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 01/12/2020 Assurance visit report: 2491037 4 set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that discussions regarding the matching and compatibility of all children are recorded.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any areas of the children’s home’s premises–

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; (Regulation 21(a)(c)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the routine practice of checking children in their bedrooms overnight. 01/12/2020

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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 a 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the 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

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; 01/12/2020 Assurance visit report: 2491037 5 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on–

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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; (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(v)(b) 01/12/2020

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(c)(e)) 01/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

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–

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 01/12/2020 Assurance visit report: 2491037 6 the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

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 (Regulation 35(3)(a)(iv)(v)(b)(i)) Assurance visit report: 2491037 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 486 Mansfield Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 2FB

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2491037 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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