Children's Home run by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC036584 1 SC036584

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Walsall Metropolitan Borough 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

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2019 and is suitably qualified.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection was conducted in response to an increase in safeguarding notifications received by Ofsted about children going missing from the home. The home was last inspected in January 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was completed during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The visit included an on-site visit. Inspectors reviewed documents, spoke with staff and spent time talking to the children. Feedback was also secured from the children’s placing local authorities.

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This monitoring visit

Four children are currently living at the home. At the time of the visit, one child was staying at a respite placement due to concerns about increased incidents of the child going missing from the home.

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This monitoring visit

Three of the four children are very settled at the home and are making positive progress. This includes two children who have been living at the home for over five years. These children are in the process of moving on to new placements as part of their journey to independent living. Staff have supported the two children in developing their independence skills so that they are prepared and ready to move on.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s planning prior to one child moving into the home has not been well considered. Specifically, the manager has not fully assessed staff’s ability to meet the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC036584 2 needs of the child. As a result, staff have not always had the skills and knowledge to keep the child safe and promote their welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Some children go missing, use substances and have been involved in offending behaviour. This has not only exposed them to the risk of harm but has also affected the stability of the home. This has been unsettling for some of the children. For example, one child told the inspector that they did not feel safe or comfortable due to the behaviours of the other children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have worked hard to address the concerns related to those children who go missing from the home. This has included collaborative working with the police and children’s placing authorities. Despite this, progress in addressing these behaviours has been limited. Some children continue to place themselves in situations in which they may be at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Most parts of the home are homely and well maintained. However, one child’s bedroom had a broken bed and was untidy with clothes and rubbish scattered on the floor. Staff stated that the room had not been cleaned as the child was staying in a respite placement. The inspectors were not reassured by this explanation.

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This monitoring visit

The independent person’s visits do not provide sufficient scrutiny of the quality of care provided to children. For example, children, staff and stakeholders are rarely consulted by the independent visitor. This means that there are missed opportunities to identify improvements to the quality of care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

Notwithstanding the shortfalls identified, the stable staff team works hard to develop and maintain supportive relationships with the children. Children said that they like living in the home and feel comfortable and relaxed with staff. At the time of the visit, it was one child’s birthday. Staff had decorated the home with banners and balloons. The efforts staff make to celebrate children’s special occasions help children to feel valued. This promotes children’s self-esteem and sense of belonging.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/01/2020 Full Good 20/11/2018 Full Good 18/01/2018 Full Good 10/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC036584 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the damaged child’s bed is fixed and that all rooms of the home are maintained and cleaned to an appropriate standard. 30 April 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

This specifically relates to considering the needs of children prior to them moving in and their compatibility with other children living in the home and staff’s ability to meet their needs. 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC036584 4 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that consultation with children and stakeholders takes place as part of the visit. 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC036584 5

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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: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall WS1 1TP

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Inspectors

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC036584 6 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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