Children's Home, Residential special school run by Wandsworth Borough Council in Wandsworth

Inspection report for children's home: SC470513 1 SC470513 Registered provider: Wandsworth Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority run service which provides care and accommodation for up to 56 children with autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities and associated conditions. The home is on the same site as the organisation’s school and is comprised of separate individual houses so that children live in smaller groups. It accommodates children for short breaks and for placements of 38 and 52 weeks of the year. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 10 June 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC470513 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/12/2019 Full Good 11/03/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC470513 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality individualised care from a skilled and dedicated staff team. Leaders have effectively recruited agency staff who have worked in the home for several months. This ensures that children are provided with consistent care from staff who they have positive relationships with. A parent described staff as ‘amazing people who are dedicated’ and describe the school as ‘a very special place’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views about their care are well sought. Staff are creative in how they complete one-to-one work with children and use detailed social stories to help them understand significant events. This relates to events that are personal to children, such as changes to visits with family and friends, and events that are happening in wider society, for example the recent change in the monarchy. Each child has access to an advocate to help make sure their voices are heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s individual health needs are well met and understood by staff. For children who have complex health needs, there are good arrangements to support them both in the home and by accessing services in the wider community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have been able to provide children with some genuinely life-changing experiences following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions. As well as being able to access the positive resources on site, children have affectionately communicated enjoyment of their wonderful summer holiday experiences as well as opportunities for days out, including trips to theme parks. For one child who wanted to go to a concert, she was fully supported by positive, happy and risk-aware staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have detailed plans when moving in and out of the home. When children leave, there is good support to help make the next move a positive one. Children have positive plans for their future, which are underpinned by good multi-agency work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have detailed individual care plans to help guide staff in providing their care. However, these plans only provide current information regarding children and do not provide staff with critical earlier life history of each child. This lack of information does not allow staff to have a holistic view of children’s individual experiences.

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

Leaders and managers are confident that children feel safe in the home. Staff say they feel confident in how to report concerns, and there is a culture of openness and transparency in reporting. This is due to leaders being approachable and staff being well trained, which starts from induction. Inspection report for children's home: SC470513 4 Staff are skilled in recognising and understanding risks for children. To support this, there is clear guidance for staff in both risk management and managing behaviour. This guidance is updated monthly or following any significant concerns. This means staff practice is based on relevant and up-to-date information.

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

The safeguarding team, which is made up of staff from across the school and the different houses, ensures that any incidents that occur are suitably recorded and shared with relevant safeguarding professionals. Weekly meetings ensure that patterns of behaviour are quickly identified, and strategies are then agreed for a consistent response.

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

Allegations are generally well managed. Good working relationships with local safeguarding professionals, supplemented by a transparent reporting culture, have reduced the risks around allegations and have contributed to them being effectively managed. However, an incident that was shared from an external agency was not shared with the safeguarding team. Relevant agencies were aware of the incident, and the child was not at risk as a result of this shortfall. However, Ofsted was not notified of this incident.

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

Staff are subject to robust recruitment and induction. Previously, permanent staff and agency staff did not work well with each other. However, this has been addressed by the introduction of good-quality handovers, clear shift planning and all staff working together consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a significant change in the leadership of the home, both in terms of personnel and expectations. Care managers talk confidently about being more involved in decision-making and feel they have genuine oversight of their houses. Staff identify this change and are fully committed to the work they undertake.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions, which feed into their appraisals. In addition, staff are offered support on an ad hoc basis that is recorded with the same care and attention. Staff receive a good package of care to help their well-being and to explore and manage the emotional impact of their work. This means managers and staff feel empowered in their work and children are happy. This has resulted in a reduction of incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have responded promptly and effectively to any staff shortages that occur. There has been careful recruitment of agency staff, with an ambition to transfer them to permanent roles. This has allowed children to be cared for by consistent staff who know them well. Inspection report for children's home: SC470513 5

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

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; and

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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)(c)(e)) 31 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have access to all relevant information regarding children to support their planning. 31 October 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 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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that safeguarding information received from external agencies is managed in accordance with the home’s internal safeguarding procedures. 31 October 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC470513 6

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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: SC470513 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential Special School

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Wandsworth Borough Council, The Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU

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Inspectors

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Peter Jackson, Social Care Inspector Matt Nicholls, Social Care Inspector Anthony Waite, Social Care Inspector (Shadow) Inspection report for children's home: SC470513 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 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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