Children's Home, Residential special school run by Wandsworth Borough Council in Wandsworth

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC470513 1 SC470513

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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 is a local authority run service which provides care and accommodation for up to 56 children with autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities and associated conditions. The registered children’s home is on the same site as the organisation’s school and is comprised of separate individual houses so that children live in smaller groups. It accommodates children for short breaks and for placements of 38 and 52 weeks of the year.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 10 June 2020.

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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 21 to 22 April 2021 to carry out a full inspection. The report is published on our website.

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This monitoring visit

The home was inspected on 21 and 22 April and judged to require improvement to be good. Five requirements were made. A compliance notice was also served, in relation to regulation 20, due to a continuing failure to meet this regulation from the monitoring inspection conducted on 24 February 2021. This was made because of the staff’s use of restrictive measures that impacted on some of the children’s liberty and freedom of movement. Staff were continuing to hold doors to prevent children from leaving a room.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notice. The remaining four requirements were not reviewed because their original due date for completion has not yet passed. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC470513 2 Ofsted education inspectors conducted a monitoring visit of the associated school at the same time as this visit. This provision is on the same site as the children’s home, and a separate report will be published.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors met with senior leaders, observed staff practice and looked at relevant documents. The inspectors found that during this period, the number of incidents of the use of restrictive measures has lessened, and staff told the inspectors that they have been encouraged to reduce this practice.

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This monitoring visit

However, the inspectors were not convinced that senior leaders are fully committed to ceasing this practice, as was required by the compliance notice. This is because relevant policy and procedural guidance for staff has not changed. The approved use of seclusion and restrictive measures still features in some of the children’s care planning guidance. This is not helpful for the staff, who are in receipt of a conflicting message about the use of restrictive measures.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders confirmed that for some children, deprivation of liberty safeguards (DOLS) orders are being applied for. This does not negate the current use of such techniques. Neither does it reassure Ofsted that senior leaders are open to considering alternative methods to keep children safe from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted will re-issue the compliance notice and will continue to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting this.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/12/2019 Full Good 11/03/2019 Full Good 27/11/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC470513 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

*Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e)) 20 July 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 for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33 (2)(a)(b)) 20 July 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC470513 4 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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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

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(f)) 20 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the children’s home is nurturing and a supportive environment that meets the needs of its children. The children’s home must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, it 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’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC470513 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the providers progress in meeting the compliance notice that was served following the 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

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wandsworth Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: London Borough of Wandsworth, Early Years Centre, 1 Siward Road, London SW17 0LA

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Inspectors:

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Miss Rebecca Fisher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC470513 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: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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