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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 1 SC038500

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Dudley 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 by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children aged between eight and 17 who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2007.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, this visit was undertaken remotely. The visit was deemed necessary due to the length of time since the last inspection and concerns that independent visitor reports are not always sent to Ofsted in a timely way. This leaves the regulator without essential information in which to monitor the home.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the visit, four children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, some areas of the home have been redecorated, including children’s bedrooms. Consequently, children reside in a homely environment.

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This monitoring visit

When children move into the home, they are provided with a copy of the home’s children’s guide. This document clearly provides children with information on what they can expect living at the home. However, contact information for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner is missing from the guide and contact details for advocacy services are incorrect.

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This monitoring visit

Children develop positive relationships with staff. They feel listened to and can approach staff if they have any worries. This helps them to feel safe. During the visit, a child told the inspector that he has been racially abused by another child in the home. He said as soon as he told staff, they acted, and this has never happened again. Children feel cared for and know that staff take their concerns seriously. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 2 Children are safe. On occasions, children can fall out with each other, which can be unsettling for them. They turn to staff for support and guidance. Staff respond well, which reassures children. Staff provide children with clear and consistent boundaries. As a result, children know what is expected of them. The staff use de- escalation techniques effectively and they implement the home’s attachment and restorative approach to engage children. This helps children to understand and

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This monitoring visit

manage their own emotions and behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff continue to maintain good working relationships with children’s families. During the visit, a parent told the inspector that although her daughter has not been living at the home for long, she is settled and happy. The child’s parent is also pleased that staff communicate well with her and keep her informed of her daughter’s progress.

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This monitoring visit

Partnership working between the registered manager, placing authorities and other external agencies is generally good. This enables children to receive coordinated support. However, one child has not had a timely review of her care plan. Although the registered manager has raised this with the child’s placing authority, the delays have not been continuously pursued and escalated to bring about change.

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This monitoring visit

Staff use physical restraint as a last resort to maintain children’s safety. When incidents occur, the registered manager does not always speak to the member of staff involved in the physical intervention within 48 hours. This means that staff are not consistently provided with the opportunity to reflect on their actions soon after the incident and in line with the timescale set out in regulation.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have not all received refresher training in physical restraint. In addition, not all staff have completed mandatory refresher training in safeguarding and fire safety. This highlights deficiencies in management monitoring and means that some staff do not keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

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This monitoring visit

During the current pandemic, it has been necessary to make changes to the staff team when individual staff have needed to self-isolate. However, the manager continues to ensure that there are enough staff to meet the children’s needs. In addition, she is currently using staff from another home within the organisation to provide consistency for children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff provide children with key-work sessions on topics identified within their care plans. These sessions allow children to express their wishes, views and feelings.

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This monitoring visit

When the home’s statement of purpose has been reviewed and updated, this has not always been sent to Ofsted as required. Consequently, the regulator is not kept informed of any changes to the service or staffing. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/08/2019 Full Good 18/09/2018 Full Good 28/11/2017 Full Good 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 30 April 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—

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)) 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 5 has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i))

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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

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)) 30 April 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible, and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. In particular, staff should ensure that contact details provided with the children’s guide are correct. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Council House, Priory Road, Dudley DY1 1HF

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Inspector

Sarah Junor-Fitzpatrick, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC038500 7 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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