Children's Home run by Wandsworth Borough Council in Wandsworth

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 1 SC065478

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Wandsworth Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care and accommodation for up to 13 children with learning and/or physical disabilities. The home provides short breaks and full- time care.

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Information about this children’s home

Leaders and managers have temporarily reduced the number of children able to use the short-break provision to five. This is to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). During the visit, there were three children in full-time care. There were no children on site for the short-break provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since May 2007.

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This monitoring visit

This visit focused on concerns relating to medication and safeguarding practice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this visit took place off site using video and telephone calls and by reviewing documents. Educational and health professionals, staff, parents, social workers and children gave a combination of verbal and written feedback.

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This monitoring visit

Current medication procedures and practices are not effective. Leaders and managers do not ensure that clear information relating to children’s medication is available prior to their short breaks. This has led to delays and has, on occasions, led to children not receiving their medicines as prescribed. The provider has accepted these recent errors and on overall review is underway.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always follow safeguarding or whistle-blowing procedures. Managers have not been immediately informed when allegations have been made. Staff have not consistently reported concerns about colleagues. Although no children have Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 2 suffered any harm, the risk to children is that investigations are not as timely or robust as they could be. Leaders and managers do not always have robust oversight of staff practice. Lines of accountability and performance management processes for staff who do not follow procedures are not clear.

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This monitoring visit

The short breaks offered by the home are valued by those who use the services. A parent stated that the staff’s commitment and care to the children in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is outstanding. Feedback from professionals was highly positive overall. A health professional stated, ‘I love visiting. Children have fun and are treated as children first, disability second.’ Improved or more consistent communication was an agreed area for improvement from all those who gave feedback.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have already re-evaluated their service and begun making positive changes. Performance issues are being addressed and documents and policies are being reviewed. Plans are being devised to strengthen practice.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement relating to staff qualifications and the three recommendations made at the previous inspection were not considered during this monitoring visit and are thus restated until these can be checked on site. The home has successfully dealt with the requirement regarding informing Ofsted of changes to the responsible individual, so this has been removed.

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This monitoring visit

There are shortfalls in the child protection processes at the home. The child protection requirement is restated in respect of the health and safety concerns. In addition, a further requirement under the same regulation is made to ensure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Additional requirements have been made relating to the statement of purpose, leadership and management, disciplinary procedures and administration of medication.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 30/09/2019 Full Good 30/05/2018 Full Good 30/08/2017 Full Good 06/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 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

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to updating the statement of purpose with COVID-19 information and advocacy details. 25 May 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff should make sure that all furniture is stable, that electrical sockets are covered and that plastic gloves are stored out of children’s reach. 25 May 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 that staff—

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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; 25 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 4 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff should be clear about their safeguarding responsibilities and how to proceed if they are concerned about a child’s welfare. The child protection policy should remain useful and valid.

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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”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to 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 two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) 25 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 5 This relates to abiding by legislation and ensuring all staff have the right qualification, within the appropriate time frame.

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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 (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers ensuring there is a robust system in place with all relevant parties agreeing for each child the correct medication, required dosage and timing of medication. 25 May 2021

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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 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(b) (2)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to having enough staff on shift to undertake the required tasks safely. Communication amongst staff is clearly shared and parents and professionals receive information from a consistent person. Leaders and managers use learning to amend and update policies and procedures as required. 25 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33 (2)(b)) 25 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 6 This relates to some staff not following safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures and requires all staff, regardless of position, to be clear on their responsibilities to do so.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, paragraph 4.16, page 22)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure they only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 11.4, page 56)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 3.9, page 15)

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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: Wandsworth Borough Council Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 7 Registered provider address: London Borough of Wandsworth, Early Years Centre, 1 Siward Road, London SW17 0LA

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Inspector

Tolulope Sawyerr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065478 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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