Children's Home run by Wessex College Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children's home: SC037596 1 SC037596 Registered provider: Wessex College Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

This home is owned by a private provider and offers care and accommodation for up to four children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children and young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The registered manager has been in post since June 2020.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children's home

We last visited this setting on 15 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 4 February 2020

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC037596 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/07/2019 Full Good 06/08/2018 Full Inadequate 03/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC037596 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children regard their home as a place of safety and stability. There is a relaxed atmosphere in the home and routines run smoothly. The children generally have good relationships with the staff. These positive relationships form the base from which the children are making progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children generally get on well and are well matched. Most have been settled at the home for some time. The staff are enthusiastic and proud when describing the children’s progress. For example, one child is now using public transport independently and another is attending college and has obtained a part-time job.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have appropriate education placements that meet their needs. There are some attendance issues due to children feeling anxious about attending school, but children are supported to return quickly because of effective liaison between the home and the school to devise creative strategies to support the children. Home tutoring is sought when a child is not able to attend a school setting due to their complex needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is situated in a rural location. However, the children are supported effectively to experience a variety of activities and they learn independence skills. They learn to catch public transport, or staff provide transport to the nearest town. One child recently enjoyed a trip to London, and other children are supported to visit and re-establish contact with their families, who often live a long way from the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and health care needs are met at the home. Children who have complex health needs are making progress and are improving their confidence and self-esteem through access to the relevant health-care professionals and effective support from the staff.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children report that they feel safe living at the home, and they know who to talk to if they have worries. Children know how to complain. Complaints are thoroughly investigated, and the findings are fed back to the children to ensure that they are happy with the outcome of their complaint.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children rarely go missing from the home. Missing episodes have been responded to in line with local and missing-from-home protocols. Clear, up-to-date missing-from- home protocols are in place for all children, so that the staff know what action to take should a child go missing. Inspection report children's home: SC037596 4 Children make progress with their behaviour. Behaviour is generally well managed in the home and routines run smoothly, in line with each child’s individual needs.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Potential risks to children are identified and well managed. The staff work effectively with multi-agency partners. As a result, incidents of self-harm are reduced. There is also a decrease in restraint and in hospital admissions. Records of restraint are clear and debriefs with children take place.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Any allegations that are made by children against staff members are promptly referred to safeguarding authorities. When there are significant concerns, action is taken to safeguard the children.

p.4

good

The registered manager is experienced. She is well liked and respected by the staff and the children. Recent changes in the ownership of the home, the resignation of the manager, staff changes and the introduction of a new recording system have left the staff feeling slightly unsettled.

p.4

good

Management oversight of records and documents lacks rigour and is not informing development plans for the home effectively. For example, records of consequences are not always monitored by the manager to ensure that they are effective and appropriate.

p.4

good

There are too many different documents in use in the home. This means that information is duplicated or is not up to date. For example, documented evidence of a child’s plan and progress is contained in different documents and sometimes the information differs. The achievements of children and evidence of the home’s ambition for them are not currently reflected in documents.

p.4

good

The home generally provides the children with a comfortable environment. However, some doors have excessive locks fitted that detract from the otherwise homely environment. Photographs of the children are displayed in photo frames, giving the children a sense of belonging.

p.4

good

The staff report that they are being supported by managers through the changes in the home. Supervision regularly takes place and gives staff an opportunity to reflect on any incidents in the home. The staff receive training that ensures that they have the skills they need to meet the care needs of the children. Inspection report children's home: SC037596 5

p.4

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.

p.5

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−

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fufil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to−

p.5

Requirement Due date

understands the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.5

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)(f)(h)).

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that information contained in plans and documents is concise, up to date and evidences the progress that the children are making in the home. 12/11/2021

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children; they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Homes 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 children's home: SC037596 6

p.5

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: SC037596 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: Wessex College Limited

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

p.7

Children's home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Choules

p.7

Children's home details

Registered manager: Kimberley Adcock-Coombs

p.7

Inspectors

Tina Maddison, Social Care Inspector Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC037596 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8