Children's Home run by Wiltshire in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 1 Registered provider: Wiltshire 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 attached to a local authority outreach service. The home provides emergency and short-term accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or social difficulties. The aim of the home is to provide short interventions to prevent family breakdowns, or for alternative care arrangements to be found. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2022. This arrangement is while the original registered manager is on secondment for professional training.

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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. We last visited this setting on 27 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit, remotely. 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 failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 3

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inadequate

The progress and experiences of children are inadequate because safeguarding arrangements are very weak and management oversight is poor. Therefore, children are not always sufficiently protected.

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inadequate

At the time of the inspection, there was one child staying at this home for a short break who returned home to his family, as planned during the inspection. Most stays by children have been short visits of a few days, in line with the statement of purpose, and one child at a time. However, during their stay over three weeks, two children lived here together for 10 days in May 2021. Another child lived at this home for six months, and during this period a second child stayed for occasional weekends.

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inadequate

Care planning is poor. The lack of consistency in ensuring there are comprehensive, up-to-date care plans means that staff are provided with minimal direction on how to meet the children’s needs. Some improvement to care planning is evident in recent months. When more than one child lives at this home, their needs are not matched or assessed effectively. Leaders and managers do not produce a written document to demonstrate the assessment of the impact and potential risks of children living together. When a second child moved into the home in May 2021, the outcomes and well-being of both children deteriorated significantly, resulting in them both being held in police custody.

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inadequate

Children are not always provided with healthy food or routines. Too often, children are given take-away meals and processed foods that are high in fat and sugar. Children as young as 12 have been permitted to smoke. Sleep patterns are poor as children have been permitted to play video games throughout the night, and at other times have refused to leave the lounge to go to their bedrooms. All relevant professionals were consulted. However, the staff team has failed to provide structure and boundaries to enable all children to develop healthy outcomes.

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inadequate

The medical needs of children are not clearly documented. By simply listing ‘asthma’ in a child’s care plan, without any further detail or explanation, this fails to ensure that the staff team fully understands the impact and potential risks of this medical condition, and neither does it provide guidance on medical intervention. Records about the use of controlled medication are inadequate and do not meet the guidelines for the safe administration of medicines.

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inadequate

The house provides a welcoming environment for children. Valuable consultation with care-experienced childrenhas led to improvements in the decoration of the home and the availability of resources for children. Some positive and warm interactions were observed between the child and staff during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 4

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

Staff and managers have failed to take effective action to safeguard children.

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

Records of safeguarding concerns are inadequate and, for some, non-existent. Inspectors viewed daily records for children and identified some serious safeguarding concerns within the diary entries. For example, a child thought they may be pregnant and, on another occasion, two children were arrested and taken into police custody. Despite repeated requests by the inspectors, records of these serious incidents were not made available. A spreadsheet designed to record such incidents has no reference to these events. The manager was unable to provide a suitable response as to what action was taken with regards to the suspected pregnancy. This is a serious failing in the care and protection of children.

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

During a period in May 2021, several incidents occurred that were not managed sufficiently well by the manager and staff team. As a result, there were risks to the two children, the staff and people in the community. For example, a child activated a fire extinguisher and aimed it at another child’s face; a distressed child left the home and climbed scaffolding in the town; items were thrown into a neighbour’s property; and a child took an excess of pain-relief medication requiring hospitalisation. With regard to the two children who spent time together in the home in 2021, the failure to adequately consider or to effectively meet their individual needs was seriously compounded by a lack of adequate consideration of how compatible they would be. This poor practice was a significant contributory factor to the poor experiences the children had during their stay and to their arrests and time in custody.

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

There is a systematic failure in maintaining clear, accessible and comprehensive records. This limits the home’s ability to keep children safe. When inspectors asked to see records about an incident when a child went missing, staff were initially unable to find key elements of the case recording about what happened. It was only after some time and searching through several additional recording systems that staff were able to locate the records. This limits the ability of staff to learn from such safeguarding incidents and to plan for, or respond effectively to, any future incidents.

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

On a few occasions, children have been restrained by staff. It is a concern that, on one occasion, a manager restrained a child alone. It is unclear from records as to why the manager was not supported by team members. Incidents of restraint are recorded, although, due to disjointed record-keeping, the inspectors could not establish whether all incidents of restraint have been recorded. There is no evidence of management oversight of incidents of restraint to ensure that these were proportionate and to ensure the welfare of children following each occurrence.

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

Risk assessments are of poor quality for some children, and for others they do not exist. There is a lack of clarity about when staff need to refer to the risk assessment within the local authority care plan, and when there needs to be such a document specifically written for this home. Control measures are not routinely included, even Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 5 when matters are identified as a ‘major risk’. Consequently, the risk assessments available do not fully support staff in the safe care and support required for children.

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

Safer recruitment procedures are not always followed. For one new member of staff, leaders and managers have accepted references from people who are not objective and lack any relevant professional childcare knowledge, such as family members and friends. Previous employers are not always approached for a reference. This practice fails to ensure that staff employed are suitably checked to work with children. The recruitment records are not held in full at the home, and application forms are no longer available once a member of staff has been employed. In addition, when employing temporary agency staff, leaders and managers have failed to ensure that suitable employment checks have been undertaken by the agencies used. Information provided by the agencies is minimal. This lack of scrutiny and curiosity by leaders and managers has meant that some agency staff working at the home have not had relevant training in the safeguarding of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers fail to demonstrate a satisfactory understanding of how to run a children’s home. Learning reviews are undertaken after each child moves on from the home. The most recent review in February 2022 identified that basic records and care practices were not implemented. It is highly concerning for such fundamental shortfalls to be identified two years after a home opened.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to provide children with consistency of care and support due to the very high turnover of staff. Since September 2020, 85 different members of temporary staff have been employed. Opportunities for children to develop trusting and meaningful relationships are limited because of this. In addition, the lack of a regular, permanent care team also makes it much harder to develop both the individual skills of staff and the overall quality of care provided by the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not apply effective scrutiny and challenge to records and care practices. The many different recording systems in use, and the absence of crucial records, restrict the ability of leaders and managers to have a clear understanding of the quality of care and protection for each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Oversight by leaders and managers is poor, and therefore children are not always fully protected. External monitoring by an independent person has failed to identify significant safeguarding concerns. Internal monitoring systems are inadequate. Incident reports of significant safeguarding concerns are not always created. When records are made, they frequently lack the name of the author and the date they were written. One strength is in the style of writing in daily records. Staff write with the child in mind and with good use of sensitive and non-judgemental language.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Significant events that have occurred have not all been reported to Ofsted. This failing was highlighted at the monitoring visit in January 2021 and, therefore, the requirement is repeated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 6 The local authority has voluntarily stopped providing care for children in the home on a temporary basis to address the concerns identified by this inspection. Further to this, Ofsted has imposed a condition on the registration of this home that requires the local authority to inform Ofsted in advance of reopening the home to receive children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 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

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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 8 make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 31 March 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—

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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; and

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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: 2572121 9 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

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 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; 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)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 10 not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31 (1))

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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, 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)) 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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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; 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 11 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

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)) 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 12 a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 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) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8JN

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Mark Callaway Lucy Marquiss-Rose

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Inspectors

Clare Davies, Social Care Inspector Michelle Oxley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2572121 14 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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