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 four young people with complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been appointed but has not yet submitted their application for registration.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out as a response to escalating concerns about information shared with Ofsted by the provider. The visit was conducted remotely due to current restrictions in relation to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The inspector reviewed documents that were sent by email, spoke with children who live in the home, the manager and staff, and gained feedback from social workers and the police. There were also discussions with the senior children home’s manager, who supports the manager of this home, and the responsible individual. Due to concerns noted during this visit, compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) have been raised. Previous requirements and recommendations have not been considered during this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders in the organisation agreed that a child with complex needs and behaviours could move into the home in December 2020. Staff are not sufficiently trained, skilled or experienced in essential areas regarding this child’s needs. Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have sufficient guidance to ensure this child is kept safe. As a result, strategies to help staff manage risk effectively are not in place. For example, a lack of guidance regarding children leaving the home during the day and night, has meant that children have been able to continually put themselves at risk in an area that is described in children’s documents, and by staff and the police, as unsafe at night. The assessment of the local area does not take Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 2 into account the issues that contribute to this area being unsafe, and there is limited input from those who have knowledge of these concerns. For example, there have

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This monitoring visit

been no discussions with local experts about exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured that risk assessments are personalised and they sometimes include information that is copied from other documents. For example, an incorrect name is used in one child’s risk assessment and in the child’s views section it references the wrong children’s home. As a result, staff practice may be hindered because children’s views and feelings about plans and strategies to support them are not accurately recorded. Furthermore, staff do not believe that they have sufficient guidance about how to keep one child safe.

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This monitoring visit

While there is concern about staff confidence, skills, experience and training across the staff team in relation to one child, this appears particularly acute for staff working at night. These staff have not been able to be part of relevant training and meetings, and at times they have felt helpless to support children effectively. Despite these challenges and the lack of leadership during the night, night staff have continued to try their best and are passionate about the children in their care. However, one child has not been safeguarded effectively and has been in vulnerable situations, including, on one occasion, being arrested and held overnight at a police station. The police decision was influenced by their concern that staff did not have sufficient skills and ability to keep the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

Management monitoring and review systems have deteriorated. These systems have failed to identify the impact the quality of care is having on children’s experiences and progress. The lack of timely and comprehensive audit has meant that shortfalls in several areas have continued and remained unchallenged.

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This monitoring visit

Planning for children is inconsistent. After children move into the home, staff do not consistently have access to children’s care plans. As the overarching document for children’s care, this means the staff are not as clear as they need to be about the work they are expected to do. As a result, the children’s home’s plans are variable. For some, there is a useful, clear, accessible child-focused plan with objectives and direction about specific work. However, for newer children, plans are significantly under-developed. This adds to the lack of clarity of the proactive work that staff need to undertake with children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not complete comprehensive incident reports, and on some occasions do not complete them at all. As a result, it is unclear who has done what, and when, or how staff have helped children. Management oversight and challenge of incident reports is poor. Shortfalls in accuracy and quality are not identified and challenged, and leaders and managers do not show sufficient curiosity about the practice of staff. As a result, shortfalls have continued, and practice has remained unchallenged.

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This monitoring visit

When incidents requiring the use of physical intervention occur, records do not include all of the required information and are not completed within the required Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 3 timescale. Furthermore, managers do not debrief all staff following incidents of physical intervention. Therefore, staff do not feel supported and understood within the process. Consequently, learning from these incidents is curtailed.

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This monitoring visit

The recording and administration of medication is inadequate. Records for prescription medication are incomplete. Medication is not consistently administered as prescribed. The manager’s monitoring of medication records has been delayed due to staffing pressures. As a result, the manager has failed to identify medication errors in a timely way. This leaves children at risk of harm, including potential overdose.

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This monitoring visit

Due to COVID-19, it has been necessary to frequently change the staff working in the home and the use of staff from other homes and agency staff has increased. Rotas have not been adequately updated to reflect these necessary changes. This means that it is unclear who is working in the home, when they are working or if they are staff from another home or agency staff. Coupled with the poor incident recording, it is unclear who has been involved in incidents with children. This leaves children and staff vulnerable.

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This monitoring visit

The challenges in staffing the home are a significant contributing factor in the deterioration of monitoring and review systems which have previously been effective. The organisation has not recognised this pressure quickly enough and put in place sufficient support to enable the home’s manager to monitor and audit effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s manager takes allegations made by children seriously. When children raise complaints or make allegations about staff, the home manager shares information with social workers and other key agencies quickly to ensure appropriate action is taken. Staff undertake conversations with children so that they know they are listened to and supported by staff with their concerns.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s manager strongly believes in multi-agency working and understands the importance of consistent relationships between children and staff. Partners are complimentary about her approach and she is described as having ‘child-centred practice at heart’. While there have been clear concerns noted during this visit, professionals are positive about her leadership. Partners recognise the challenges for staff in managing children’s complex behaviour and, while there are shortfalls, there is also some positive practice by managers and staff. Leaders and managers are working with social workers to ensure one child with complex needs and behaviours is able to transition to live in a home where their needs can be met; plans are being developed to improve their safety and well-being in the interim.

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 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

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 to 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. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children’s views about their plans should be sought and accurately included in those plans. 7 March 2021

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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—

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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 7 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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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

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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

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)(h)) 7 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s 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 set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should gather all relevant information to make judgements about the suitability of children joining the home, children should only move into the 7 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 6 home if their needs can be met effectively, and all relevant plans should be available to staff so they can be followed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the home should clarify the admissions process for emergency admissions and should adhere to its own process. 7 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 7 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma").

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years 7 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 7 after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)(d) (4)(a) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, safeguarding records must be complete and contain all relevant information, including records of actions taken and correspondence with others. 7 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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;

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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; 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 7 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 8 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 7 March 2021

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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.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the staff rota for the home must use full names, be accurate and include staff roles and employment status. 7 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the assessment of the suitability of location must include information relevant to the young people in the home, as well as any known risks in the area. A consideration of the impact of the time of day in relation to these risks should also be included. 7 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should seek to develop the physical environment of the home so that there is a homely rather than an ‘institutional’ environment. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 9 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision is used to reflect on and challenge staff’s views of their practice, include clear actions and targets, and be fully recorded. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand when they are to complete records and that they are able to complete these clearly and professionally. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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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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

Karol Keenan, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2496288 10 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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