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 May 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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This monitoring visit

The home was inspected on 21 and 22 April 2021 and was 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 a previous monitoring inspection conducted on 24 February 2021. This compliance notice was issued because of the staff’s use of restrictive measures that unnecessarily restricted some of the children’s liberty and freedom of movement. For example, staff held door handles to prevent children from leaving a room, which meant that they were effectively locked in the room. Following a monitoring visit on 21 May 2021, the compliance notice was reissued, as inspectors found that despite this practice reducing it had not stopped and guidance from senior leaders was unclear. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC470513 2 The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting the

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This monitoring visit

compliance notice. The remaining four requirements set at the last inspection were not reviewed because their original due date for completion has not yet passed. They will, therefore, remain in place.

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This monitoring visit

The visit also looked at themes raised by a recent complaint to Ofsted. This focused on staffing levels, staff training with regard to administering medication and children’s ability to access outside areas to play.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector met with senior leaders, observed staff practice and looked at relevant documents. The inspector found that the use of unlawful restrictive measures has ceased. Staff told the inspector that they have been instructed to only use approved methods of physical intervention and restraint.

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This monitoring visit

Individual care plans and relevant policies and procedures have been updated. These provide clear guidance to staff as to what is acceptable practice, and the use of unlawful restrictive measures is now prohibited. Managers have discussed this with staff in team meetings and individual staff supervisions. Staff are now clear about what is expected of them.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders confirmed that, for some children, deprivation of liberty safeguards orders have now been secured. Senior leaders have now recognised that this does not permit staff to hold door handles to confine children to their rooms. This is now clear to all staff.

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This monitoring visit

There were no identified breaches in relation to the areas raised in the complaint to Ofsted.

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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

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

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; 20 July 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC470513 4 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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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the children’s home is a nurturing and 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)

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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: SC470513 5

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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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Inspector

Mark Newington, 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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