Children's Home run by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 1 SC036584 Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by Walsall local authority. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children up to the age of 17. Children are likely to have emotional and behavioural needs and may be trauma experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been the manager of this home since 2019.

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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 18 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring 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 and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2020 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 2 Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2020 Full Good 20/11/2018 Full Good 18/01/2018 Full Good 10/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 4

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inadequate

During this inspection, inspectors identified serious safeguarding failings resulting in children being placed at risk of harm. In response, Ofsted has issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. In addition, two compliance notices are issued, under regulation 12 and regulation 13.

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inadequate

Leadership and management and safeguarding arrangements in the home are inadequate. Consequently, this has had a negative impact on the overall experiences and progress of some children.

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inadequate

There are currently three children living in the home. Two children who had lived in the home for several years moved out at the beginning of 2021. Four children have since moved into the home. Two of these children then moved out in an unplanned way due to the staff team being unable to ensure that children were safe. Another child is due to move out of the home in the next month.

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inadequate

Managers fail to consider children’s needs before they move in and how they may impact on other children already living at the home. For example, two children moved into the home one week apart from each other. The impact of this on one of the children who had complex needs was not considered by the registered manager. Since this point, some children have been involved in serious safeguarding incidents together in the home which have put them at risk of harm. This has caused distress to the other children in the home. Children have also made formal complaints about the impact of other children on their well-being. This impacts on the progress children are able to make.

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inadequate

The home environment lacks a homely atmosphere. Carpets are stained in places, damage to sofas has not been promptly repaired. One child’s bedroom had vertical blinds which do not offer sufficient privacy. The communal areas of the home lack personalisation. This does not send a message to children that they are valued and well cared for.

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inadequate

The approach to children’s care when they are distressed has been punitive on a number of occasions. This has led to unnecessary restraints happening in the home. Staff described to inspectors the care in the home as feeling like ‘firefighting’. Staff and the registered manager told the inspectors that they do not feel they have enough staff to safely care for the children in the home.

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inadequate

Some children are not consistently accessing education. The registered manager and staff team have worked well with other professionals to try different ways of engaging children in their education. Staff were observed by inspectors supporting children with their learning at home. This supports children to overcome difficulties to access education. Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 5 Despite the shortfalls identified, there are some areas of positive and good practice. For example, inspectors observed some warm and nurturing care being provided to children. Some staff demonstrated they know the children well, care for them and value them. In addition, some staff have regular conversations with children about important aspects of their life and care they receive. Most children engage well with this which demonstrates there are some positive relationships between some staff and children.

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

Staff do not keep children safe in safeguarding incidents. In one incident, when a child took the car keys and drove away in the home’s car, staff failed to call the police or emergency services. The staff team did not work together or act promptly when opportunities arose to keep the child safe. The registered manager did not investigate these shortfalls in staff practice to reduce the risk of it happening again. This could have resulted in life-threatening injuries to the child or members of the public.

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

Staff do not keep children safe when they go missing from home. For example, when children have gone missing, staff do not follow, look for them or call them or their friends and families. Staff consistently fail to follow risk management plans. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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

Leaders and managers and staff fail to follow safeguarding procedures. In one incident, one member of staff witnessed another member of staff potentially physically harming a child. However, staff did not take immediate action to protect the child. Furthermore, there was a delay in reporting this to the registered manager, who then failed to report this promptly to safeguarding professionals. Recently, another child has made an allegation of harm and managers have failed to report this to the designated officer as required. This leaves children at risk of being harmed further.

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

Staff do not always care for children in a nurturing and positive way. Restraints that take place are not always necessary and proportionate. This has led to increasing numbers of restraints for one child, which have significantly impacted on their well- being and progress. Children’s access to parts of the home has also been wrongfully restricted as a behaviour management strategy. This impacts on children’s abilities to feel safe in the home.

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

Records of serious incidents are often illegible and do not include basic information about what has occurred. This impedes leaders and managers’ ability to fully understand if children are safe in the home. Furthermore, the registered manager has failed to address poor recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has worked in this home for the last two years. The registered manager describes this time as being a turbulent period. This is due to Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 6 staff shortages in the last five months, COVID-related sickness and the complex needs of children who have arrived at the home over the last year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers’ oversight of the care of children is inadequate. A system to review significant incidents fails to demonstrate how managers use this information to review and analyse care provided to children. This means the registered manager does not understand how the care offered to children enables them to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not take action to address the poor care children receive and the experiences they have. For example, when staff have failed to safeguard children or follow statutory safeguarding procedures, the managers do not act quickly to address this. This inadequate leadership has an impact on the safety of children and the provision of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When there are shortfalls in the responses of other professionals, the registered manager does not challenge this, to ensure good care for children. For example, the registered manager failed to challenge poor advice from another professional which failed to protect a child. Consequently, due to this weak leadership, children are not protected sufficiently from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive the training required to meet children’s complex needs. For example, not all staff have training in mental health, positive behaviour management and attachment. The registered manager told inspectors that she felt that staff lacked skills in supporting children positively with their behavioural needs. However, this has not been addressed through further training of the staff team. In one team meeting, the registered manager actively encouraged a punitive approach to children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not safely recruit staff. Senior leaders do not check gaps in employment, some references have not been verified, and when there is a mismatch in staff employment dates this is not checked by managers. This has the potential to leave children being cared for by adults who pose a risk of harm to them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 7

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the home environment is clean and homely, that damaged furniture is removed and that children have curtains in their bedrooms. 10 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 8 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they pursue matters with placing authorities or other agencies when children’s care requires an urgent review or additional support to keep them safe.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have an understanding of children’s past traumatic experiences and any additional needs they may have, and that this understanding is used to support children with their behaviour in a nurturing and non-punitive way. 10 April 2022

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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— 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 9 that staff—

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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

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; and

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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)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff act in line with risk management plans to keep children safe and that they follow safeguarding procedures.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that staff plan the care of children to keep them safe and review any known risks and how these are managed.

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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; 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 10 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff are trained and skilled to meet the needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that staff receive regular supervision in line with the home’s policies.

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Requirement Due date

Also, to ensuring that there are sufficient staff to care for children and that staff work as a team to co-ordinate the care.

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Requirement Due date

Also, to ensuring the registered manager has effective oversight and monitoring of the quality of care.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 11 This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that when children move in or out of the home this is carefully planned, and all children’s needs are considered when matching them.

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 21 (c)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children have access to all areas of the home. Any limitations on this should be to safeguard children’s immediate welfare and only used as a last resort. 10 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 10 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 10 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 12 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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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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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

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

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that someone independent of the restraint completes the debrief with children and staff members involved afterwards, that debriefs are completed with staff after restraints and that these are recorded. Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 13 The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the location risk assessment fully considers the risks that may be posed in the local community. 10 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs19 and 20) The plan should: detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the homes Statement of Purpose; detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality

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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 for children’s home: SC036584 14

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall WS1 1TP

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Inspectors

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Nicola Lownds, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC036584 15 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

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