Children's home run by Wiltshire Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 1 SC032439 Registered provider: Wiltshire Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide a short-break service for up to seven children. Some children may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. The local authority operates the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since August 2020 and registered with Ofsted since December 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 10 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 28 October 2019

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2019 Full Good 02/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/07/2018 Full Good 28/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 3

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inadequate

There are serious inadequacies in the leadership and management of the home which are having a negative impact on children’s safety and on the quality of care they receive.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers do not thoroughly consider children’s competing needs when planning their short-break stays. For example, the home only has one bathroom with a hoist, meaning that staff must arrange children’s personal care accordingly. This could have an impact on their experiences if there are several children who use wheelchairs staying in the home at the same time.

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inadequate

While children’s general health needs are supported, medical attention is not always sought appropriately when children have been injured or when they present as being in pain and discomfort. Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have swiftly done all they can to keep children healthy and safe.

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inadequate

Following incidents, there is little meaningful effort made by staff to debrief with the child. The inspector found records which stated that the reason for this is that the child is ‘non-verbal’, despite having other methods of communication identified. Consequently, children are not helped to express how they feel about incidents, and staff are unable to learn lessons and apply new strategies of support.

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inadequate

Feedback from parents about the home is mostly positive. Parents describe their children’s positive reaction on their arrival at the home and say that they feel confident that their children enjoy their stay. However, concerns raised by parents about the quality of their child’s care are not always given appropriate consideration by leaders and managers. Parents are not provided with assurances about the actions that have been taken to improve the service or to ensure that the same concerns do not continue.

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inadequate

The manager and staff try to promote a child-led service. On arrival, children choose the bedroom they would like to stay in. Except for the main kitchen, children have access to all areas of the home and garden, with access to a variety of enriching toys and experiences in and around the home. For example, an interactive sensory mat is positioned so children can play with this if they choose to. The home also has a large garden with play equipment and a sensory garden. Outings and activities are decided by the children or by staff who know the children well.

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inadequate

Staff speak lovingly about the children they care for, and they work hard to help them to have an enjoyable stay. Staff have raised funds for the home to pay for trips during the summer for all of the children. During December 2020, the manager and Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 4 staff dressed up for Christmas and delivered presents to the children, including those who had not been able to visit due to COVID-19.

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inadequate

During the national lockdowns, staff made regular phone calls to families to offer support, and remained open throughout the pandemic.

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

Leaders and managers have not ensured that safeguarding practices are robust or implemented effectively in this home. Safeguarding processes are not always followed correctly by staff, leaders or managers when concerns are raised. Referrals to other agencies are sometimes made late and after internal investigations are started. These actions may not only add delay but may also compromise a subsequent external investigation.

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

In their investigations into incidents and safeguarding concerns, leaders and managers lack professional curiosity and robust scrutiny to identify the shortfalls of the service. Therefore, investigations do not lead to meaningful reflections and opportunities for learning lessons are missed.

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

Safe staffing ratios are not always followed. On occasions, leaders and managers have not ensured that children have the appropriate number of staff looking after them. At times, staff have made decisions to care for children on their own when these children should have two staff looking after them. On some of these occasions, significant incidents have occurred that resulted in injury to the child and staff member.

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

Leaders and managers do not ensure that children’s records are of good quality, and they do not always provide staff with the necessary level of detail to care for the child. In addition, staff do not always follow the plans that are in place for the children. In one instance, this resulted in a child having a dressing applied, to which they are allergic.

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

Staff do not use restraint as part of their practice in caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has had high levels of staff sickness, this is compounded by staff self- isolating due to COVID-19. Leaders and managers have tried to recruit permanent staff and have used agency and relief staff to maintain the provision. Where possible, managers have tried to use the same support staff to offer some consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite these challenges, leaders and managers have continued to accept referrals and accommodate new children. Measures were put in place to try to balance demand for the service during the pandemic. However, staff are working excessive additional hours each week to continue to meet the demands of the service. This is compromising the quality of the care children receive as staff are tired and Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 5 overstretched. Staff report feeling pressure from senior leaders to continue to operate a service. Staff consistently told the inspector that morale is low.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have good oversight of this home. Management reviews of the quality of care and of care records are largely absent. Team meetings and staff supervisions have not been happening routinely. When supervision has taken place, the records of the meetings indicate supervision is of poor quality, does not facilitate reflective practice or record agreed actions. Consequently, several staff report feeling unsupported by their managers. Staff say that they do not feel that managers fully understand the complexities and challenges they face while working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has recognised some of the concerns and made attempts to address these, for example having a diarised ‘open door’ each week for staff to come and talk to them. Staff who have returned from sickness spoke of feeling well supported in their return, and spoke specifically of the support of the manager and deputy manager in these circumstances. The manager has also raised their concerns in their own supervision. This led to the closure of the home one day per week in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Several breaches of regulation have been identified at this inspection and requirements set. Ofsted will continue to monitor this home closely and undertake additional inspections. Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s care plans are followed and children are cared for by the appropriate number of staff as assessed and detailed in their plan. In addition, ensure that careful consideration is given to the matching of children to ensure that their competing needs can be met in the home. 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 7 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that medical attention is sought for children when they are injured and/or showing signs of being in pain.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 8 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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that identified safeguarding concerns are recorded and reported fully and in a timely manner, and that investigations into concerns are rigorous and identify learning opportunities and improvements in the quality of care.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

understand 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 30 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 9 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that care notes are reviewed and that there is strong oversight and understanding of the experiences of children. There is sufficient staff to care for the children safely, and feedback is used to monitor and continually improve the service delivered.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff and managers receive regular and effective supervision that encourages reflective practice, with agreed actions and is recorded fully and accurately. 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 10 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when incidents have occurred these are recorded in detail and children given opportunities to communicate their feelings.

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The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records accurately reflect the child’s needs, are regularly reviewed, signed and dated. 31 March 2022

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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) Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 11 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Director of Social Services, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8LE

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Inspectors

Katie Ratcliffe, Social Care Inspector Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC032439 13 regulates and inspects 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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