Children's Home run by Wandsworth Borough Council in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 1 Wandsworth Borough Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. It provides care for up to eight children with autism, learning disabilities and associated conditions.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is on the same site as two other children’s homes. All the children living in the home attend the organisation’s school, which is located on the same site.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, seven children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager is vacant.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 11 June 2024. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) due to serious concerns regarding how allegations and concerns are managed.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the progress that the provider has made in addressing this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements made at the last inspection were not considered and will therefore remain in place. They will be monitored at the next full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have carried out a comprehensive review of safeguarding policy and practice and the processes for managing concerns. They have implemented new arrangements to ensure that there are clear lines of Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 2 communication and accountability when concerns are raised. New posters have been produced to ensure that all staff understand how to act on concerns, and refresher training for all staff is planned for later this month.

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This monitoring visit

There is a noticeable improvement in the way that that a recent allegation has been managed. There is a greater emphasis on communicating with children following incidents and improved responses to managing incidents between peers. There is better communication with social workers and parents. Prompt action is taken to safeguard children when concerns arise, and managers work in partnership with the relevant agencies to investigate.

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This monitoring visit

A local authority safeguarding professional feels that there has been an improvement in the way that safeguarding concerns are managed and investigated.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement made at the last inspection under regulation 12 will remain in place and will be monitored at the next full inspection to ensure that recent improvements in safeguarding practice have been sustained. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2024 Full Inadequate 29/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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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

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

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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)(v)(vii)(b)) 31 October 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; 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 31 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 5 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises;

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Requirement Due date

and 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 intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are able to access activities safely in the home. 31 October 2024

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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). 31 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 6 The requirements are that—

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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

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)(d))

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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 are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c)) 31 October 2024

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

Paragraph (2) does not apply to medicine which—

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Requirement Due date

is stored by the child for whom it is provided in such a way that other persons are prevented from using it; and

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Requirement Due date

may be safely self-administered by that child. Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3)(a)(b)) 31 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 31 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 7 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose is sent to Ofsted each time it is updated.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 31 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; 31 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 8 help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff support children to have the communication aids to consult children regularly.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should lead a team that provides high-quality care for all children living in the home. They must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wandsworth Borough Council

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Debbie Tomlinson

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Inspector

Lee Kirwin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2683465 10 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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