Children's home run by Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 1 SC035954 Registered provider: Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service provides short-term breaks for up to six children. The provider states in their statement of purpose that they provide care for children who may have physical disabilities and/or complex learning disabilities. In addition, the home also provides accommodation on a permanent basis for up to six children. The local authority owns and manages this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 3

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improvement to be good

Some children have left the residential and short-break provision. Three children have moved into the home since the last inspection. Before their arrival, staff provide children with opportunities to visit the home, and this helps children to settle in. When children move on from the home, their moves are well planned, and they take photo books with them as keepsakes.

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improvement to be good

Come of the children do not have current education and health care plans and for those that do, some contain inaccurate and out-of-date information. The manager has escalated this with senior leaders in the local authority. Despite her best efforts, this remains a significant shortfall. As a result, staff do not have all the information they need to fully understand children’s needs and how best to support them.

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improvement to be good

For one child where restrictions of liberty are identified as part of their care plan, a court-directed order has expired. The manager has escalated this issue with the local authority appropriately, although sufficient action has not been taken. As such, some restrictions placed on the child do not have the required court oversight and could be considered unlawful.

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improvement to be good

Children have access to a spacious living environment and are provided with a range of specialised equipment. However, some areas of the home require ongoing attention and maintenance. Various walls and doors in the home require repair and redecoration as they are unclean in places and appear tired. For example, new flooring is required in the dining area of the residential provision, and one door is currently boarded. This requires new glass to be purchased. This is necessary to ensure that children live in a more homely environment.

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improvement to be good

Children experience activities both inside and outside the home. Trips are planned, and children benefit from community-based activities. There are regular theme nights and in-house activities that children enjoy.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met. They are encouraged to eat healthily through the provision of a wide and varied menu, and their input is considered in developing these menus. Staff collaborate with multi-agency teams to look at healthy eating programmes and support for children to help them manage their well-being and personal hygiene. Since the last inspection, a new electronic medical tracking system has been implemented. This helps ensure that all children’s appointments are attended and any required actions are noted.

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improvement to be good

Staff are working in partnership with education providers to share information daily. Staff attend all education meetings. Children are making progress in school, and their attendance is good. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 4

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improvement to be good

Inspectors identified shortfalls in safeguarding practice and in the implementation of safeguarding policies. For example, when one child made an allegation following a physical intervention, staff and managers did not take sufficient action in line with the home’s child protection policy. During the inspection, the provider took the necessary action to address this.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions take place as a last resort. Where necessary, they form part of the child’s behaviour support plan, including techniques to be used. However, the recording is not always in line with regulations. For example, information about the duration of holds and staff debriefs is missing. It is unclear how children who may not use verbal communication share their views during debriefs.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by appropriate staffing ratios due to their complex needs. As a result, incidents of children going missing from home are rare. When a child did go missing from the home, staff responded appropriately. Following this incident, staff discussions took place around lessons learned, and children’s plans were reviewed.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there has been one reported medication error. Staff took prompt action to ensure the safety and well-being of the child involved. The manager has since made improvements in the administration of medication procedures. Staff have completed training in a series of competencies. There are more robust checks in place to ensure all children receive the correct dose of medication. Medication is stored in a safe place and records are detailed.

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improvement to be good

Improvements have been made to recruitment practice. Safe recruitment processes are understood and implemented by the manager. This means that all staff are vetted before working in the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager has ensured that fire practices in the home are safe. Each child has a personal emergency evacuation plan that provides staff with details of the support that child requires in the event of a fire. All staff are suitably trained in fire safety. Children regularly take part in fire evacuations and receive child-friendly certificates as rewards for their participation.

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good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager in post, who has a professional ethos. Two deputies support the manager, and together, they put the children at the centre of all decisions. The manager is supported by a stable team of experienced staff who know the children well. Staff said the manager is flexible and approachable, and the team works well together. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 5 Due to currently high levels of sickness absence, there has been a reliance on the use of agency staff. However, leaders and managers ensure that only agency staff who the children know work at the home to ensure continuity of care.

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good

The manager finds the external monitoring of the home valuable. She has recently implemented auditing systems. However, actions identified within the audits do not always comment on the quality of information contained within the children’s records. The oversight of the home is improving, but the changes are not fully embedded in practice, and this remains an area of development. Furthermore, inspectors found that not all staff have received training relevant to children’s individual needs, for example deprivation of liberty safeguards, autism, self-harm and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. As a result, not all staff have the required knowledge to meet children’s needs or understand the requirements of some court- directed orders.

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good

Leaders and managers recognise the strengths and areas for wider development. The registered manager is working closely with the responsible individual on the home’s development plan to help focus on the improvements needed in the home. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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good

Supervision is variable in quality. Not all records are signed, and records do not demonstrate that discussions are detailed and reflective in nature with clear actions for staff to improve their practice. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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good

There is positive feedback from families and professionals. One parent said, ‘They are always so receptive and friendly.’ Another parent said, ‘Staff really understand my child’s needs.’ One professional said, ‘When [name of child] was struggling with his mental health, the staff sought immediate support.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 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, The 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

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

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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 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that up-to-date children’s educational, health and care plans and court-directed orders are obtained, that these are held on the children’s files and they influence care planning effectively. 5 April 2024

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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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to redecoration of many areas of the home, from the short-breaks provision and across the 5 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 7 residential area, including replacement flooring and glass in the door in the residential side of the home.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of all units in a timely way to ensure that they provide a suitable, homely environment for children.

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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

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 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff and managers should take effective action when an allegation is made by a child in line with their safeguarding policy and ensure that this is properly recorded. 5 April 2024

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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;

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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; 5 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that she has oversight over children’s records, including restraints, and ensure that all staff receive training in deprivation of liberty safeguards, autism, self-harm and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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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

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)(iv)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that staff are completing information about the duration of holds used, comment on the effectiveness, provide clear oversight of all restraints and have spoken to the child, taking into account their communication needs. 5 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a workforce plan in place which can fulfil the workforce requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1. The plan should include any new training and qualifications completed by staff, detail the process for managing poor performance and timescales for induction and supervision of new staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that supervision records are signed by both parties and contain a detailed account of the discussions held and that practice is discussed and reflected on. Additionally, ensure that team meeting minutes are detailed and contain clear actions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: SC035954 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Metropolitan Borough of Wirral

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Education Department, Hamilton Building, Conway Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 4FD

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Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Gareth Dakin, His majesty’s Inspector, Social Care Inspection report for children’s home: SC035954 11 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

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