Children's home run by Wrottesley Care Limited

Inspection report children's home: 1280623 1 Registered provider: Wrottesley Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

A private company owns the home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager has recently left. There is a new manager is in post who is not yet registered.

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Information about this children's home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children's home

We last visited this setting on 10 February 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 2 December 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1280623 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/12/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good

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improvement to be good

Leaders do not create a welcoming physical home for children to live in. This is because leaders do not maintain the home furnishings adequately. Furniture in the home, including children’s bedrooms, requires renewing as items have broken over time. For example, one child showed the inspectors the dining table, which wobbles when she sits at it to complete her homework. She stated that she had been complaining about this for ages.

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improvement to be good

Staff activate door alarms on children’s bedrooms at night. Children complained to staff about this in a children’s meeting, held in January 2021. Children state that door alarms at night are unnecessary and that they disturb their sleep. One child stated that the use of alarms does not respect her right to dignity. Leaders have not reviewed the use of bedroom door alarms at night despite stating to children that they would. Staff do not facilitate children’s meetings regularly, and children feel that leaders do not listen to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff intervene to avoid an escalation of children’s behaviour. However, staff are not always successful in preventing verbal exchanges and promoting positive relationships between all children. Children have, on a small number of occasions, had verbal and physical altercations. One child explained that this is because other children do not always respect each other’s rights to privacy and confidentiality.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not work with children to help them understand and contribute to decisions about their care. A child complained to Ofsted in February 2021 that staff had informed him that he could not view his care plan and risk assessments until he was 18 years old. Leaders have given staff guidance to explain to children the importance of participation in their care planning. However, staff have not delivered this message to children. Inspection report children's home: 1280623 3 Social workers confirm that children are making progress at school and college. Staff encourage children to attend and achieve. One child completes her revision alongside staff as she prepares for her college exams.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to visit their families and friends. Children spoke about how important their family and friends are. Children are enjoying meeting with family now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing. Some children attend a youth group which gives them structured activities and the opportunity to develop friendships outside of the home.

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improvement to be good

Children have good relationships with staff, which creates a fun and supportive atmosphere in the home. They can identify staff who know them well and who help them. This helps children to manage their emotions and make progress.

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improvement to be good

Leaders do not ensure that the house and grounds are free from potential hazards. Inspectors found that staff had archived files in the locked boiler room. The manager acknowledged that this was a potential fire hazard and moved all stored items to ensure that the boiler room was safe.

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improvement to be good

The manager also agreed that one child’s bedroom was unacceptably untidy. Staff have recently searched this bedroom following a safeguarding concern. The manager accepted that the condition of the room may result in staff being unable to find items of potential risk to the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always maintain medication records and record the administration of medication effectively. Leaders could not locate one child’s records for one type of medication. This does not evidence that staff received the prescription and the child’s refusal to continue with the medication after one dose. Staff do not dispose of unused medication in a timely way.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not have risk assessments in place to explain safety measures to monitor children’s internet use. Leaders have installed an effective internet system but have not recorded how they are using it to safeguard children. Staff complete electronic device checks but do not record when they have taken place and their findings. Staff are therefore not evidencing how they support children to stay safe online.

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improvement to be good

Overall, staff manage children's behaviour well and incidents are low. Staff rarely use consequences to manage children's behaviour in the home. On one occasion, staff took action to remove one child's free time in the community with his friends. Leaders explained that staff made this decision to safeguard the child. Staff did not record this consequence in the home's behaviour management log. The manager has therefore not evaluated the effectiveness of the measure and used this as an opportunity for learning and reflection with the child. Inspection report children's home: 1280623 4 Staff have only physically intervened on one occasion to manage children’s behaviour. The registered manager did not complete the staff debrief within the required timescales. This did not ensure oversight from the registered manager that the measure was reasonable and effective.

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improvement to be good

Since the monitoring visit in February 2021, there have been no further occasions when staff have reported children as missing from home. Staff ensure that each child has an up-to-date missing from home plan, which identifies their individual risks and informs staff of how they must respond when a child goes missing from home.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy meeting friends and keep in touch with staff while they are away from home. Staff talk to children about keeping safe but cannot always evidence that key work sessions have taken place. Staff acknowledge that they do not always know who children are meeting and what they are doing. Staff do not therefore always show the professional curiosity required to assure themselves that children are safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond effectively to keep children safe. When one child displayed self- injurious behaviour, staff took appropriate action to obtain medical assistance. In addition, leaders provided further support to the child at a moment of crisis, which both the child and her social worker acknowledged to the inspectors.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they feel safe living in this house. Staff have the knowledge and relationships with children which help them to act when children are at risk.

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improvement to be good

Leaders ensure that they safely recruit staff before they work with children.

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good

Leaders have not been as effective as they should have been when managing and monitoring the home. As a result, staff have not implemented identified improvements within the home. Staff were confused about who is responsible for buying replacement furniture and why there had been a delay in this taking place. Leaders have also not been proactive in identifying and resolving environmental risks.

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good

Leaders have not ensured that they listen to children’s voices. They have not monitored records to ensure that staff have followed up children’s complaints. Staff maintain books with daily comments, which they address to each child. Staff do not share the books with children or encourage their contribution. This is a missed opportunity.

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good

Leaders have not overseen how staff complete children’s records to ensure that specific risk assessments are in place and that staff have correctly completed and signed case entries. Inspection report children's home: 1280623 5 Three staff are continuing to complete their level 3 diplomas, but they remain out of the timescales stipulated within Childrens Homes Regulations 2015. Staff access a wide range of training specific to the needs of children within their care. Staff have completed child sexual and criminal exploitation, as well as internet safety training.

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good

New staff are currently undergoing safer recruitment checks. Staff have continued to cover the three staff vacancies. This provides children with consistent carers and demonstrates the commitment staff show. Staff stated that they feel supported by the new manager, who they believe will effect change within the home.

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good

Leaders investigate allegations against staff effectively. They evidence how they have worked in partnership to inform relevant professionals and jointly plan responses to ensure that they keep children safe. Inspection report children's home: 1280623 6

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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

develop positive relationships with them;

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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— ensure that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home's care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child's privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child's relevant plans and to make the child's views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 28 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1280623 7 This specifically relates to staff helping children to participate in decisions about their care through regular children's meetings and engagement in the writing of their care plans.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, this specifically relates to staff respecting children's privacy and right to confidentiality around their personal circumstances.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff reducing verbal and physical altercations by helping to improve relationships between children. 28 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 staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff creating internet safety and bedroom door alarm risk assessments.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, this specifically relates to staff completing identified work with children to help them to keep safe. 28 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1280623 8 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 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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff clarifying details of friends and arrangements when children go out. In addition, this specifically relates to staff completing regular health and safety checks within the house and the gardens. 28 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

This specifically relates to regular maintenance to replace broken furniture, repair of damage to the property, deep cleaning, and safe storage of archived records. 28 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—

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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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 28 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1280623 9 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received

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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)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager reviewing and acting on feedback from children as well as their progress within the home to continually improve the quality of care provided.

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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

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to accurate recording of dosage, time of administration and signatures of staff.

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Requirement Due date

This also specifically relates to accurate recording when medication is received into the home for safekeeping and that unfinished medication is disposed of appropriately and in a timely way.

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Requirement Due date

This also specifically relates to medication administration records for all medications prescribed for children. 28 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child's need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager reviewing the appropriateness of bedroom door alarms for the children currently living in this home. 28 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1280623 10 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 2 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 1st April 2014, 1st 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 28 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 28 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1280623 11 a description of the measure and its duration;

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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

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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the recording when a child receives a consequence following behaviour which is placing him at risk of potential harm. This also specifically relates to ensuring that staff debriefs are recorded within timescales following a physical intervention.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the Statement of Purpose is kept up to date to inform the placing authority of current staff and how their skills and experience will meet the needs of children living in the home. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the 'Social care common inspection framework'. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards'. Inspection report children's home: 1280623 12

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Wrottesley Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Office 28, 28 Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton WV1 3HT

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Inspectors

Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1280623 13 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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