Children's home run by Wessex College Limited in Dorset

Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 1 SC043245 Registered provider: Wessex College Limited

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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 a private provider and offers care for up to four children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 12 December 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2023 Full Good 26/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/05/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of significant changes. These include changes in the children living at the home, changes in the staff who care for them and changes to the organisation which operates the provision. Staff who remained at the home worked hard to minimise the impact of these changes on the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Four children have left the home. Two children have moved on in a planned way to the next stage of their lives, moving to semi-independent living. They remain in touch with the staff, which demonstrates the strength of the relationships staff built with the children. Two other children moved out of the home as leaders and managers identified that the home could not meet their needs safely alongside other children. Leaders, managers and staff have reflected on these endings with lessons learned being used to improve future practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of inspection, only one child was living at the home. The child said they were happy here and feel safe. The child feels that staff care about them and listen to their views. Strong, good-quality relationships were observed between the child and the staff. However, the child also said that they miss the staff who have left and does not want the current manager to leave.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child said the staff are fun and they like spending time together. The child spoke about the different activities they have been able to do this year and the holiday they went on. Staff have created a memory book for the child to support them to look back and remember their time at the home. The child is making progress. Staff celebrate the child’s achievements and are rightly very proud of them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, care plans provide staff with guidance about how to meet the child’s needs. However, plans are very long documents with some repetitive and contradictory information. In addition, there is still some institutionalised language within these plans, which reduces their clarity. For example, the term ‘dysregulated’ is often used with no explanation as to what this means for this child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a comfortable, well-furnished and spacious home filled with light. Children are encouraged to put forward ideas for how they want their bedrooms personalised and how the home is furnished. The child does see this as their home. Staff sensitively manage the photographs around the home. These photos currently include some children and staff who have left. They remain, as this is what the current child wants.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been using door alarms due to safety concerns when there were two children living here. The rationale for this is clear and agreed to by children’s placing authorities. However, as there is now only one child living at the home, there is currently no need for the door alarm. It was removed during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 4

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

The children feel safe at the home and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children.

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

In most cases, staff have taken the appropriate actions to keep children safe. However, it took some time during the inspection for leaders and managers to collate and produce safeguarding records for review.

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

Behaviour and risk are managed appropriately. Staff work with children to help them understand their behaviours, how these can affect others and develop strategies to manage these. The same approach is used to develop children’s understanding and management of risk. Records of behavioural events are clear and include meaningful conversations with children.

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

When restraint is used, which is rare, records of these are clear and raise no concerns. Leaders and managers review records relating to restraint and behavioural events effectively.

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

Staff recruitment processes for substantive and agency staff follow safer recruitment guidance, which supports the protection of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, the home has been going through a time of change. It is now under the ownership of a new organisation, and they are currently still going through the process of changing systems. In addition, one of the registered managers has left. The other manager has returned from maternity leave and they, too, are leaving. Senior leaders have put in place a management support plan while a new manager is recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since returning, the registered manager carried out an audit of the home’s work, including its records. They found there are areas that needed to be addressed and improvements required. The registered manager has been working to address these improvements. However, leaders and managers have identified that further work is needed and this then needs to be embedded into practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Several staff have left, which had placed additional pressure on the remaining staff team. Staff have taken on additional shifts and a small group of agency staff have been used, as well as staff from the organisation’s other homes. This has led to an increase in the number of different adults caring for the children. This is beginning to settle.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff note they have had a difficult time, which included staff leaving and some increased sickness. However, staff have supported each other, and morale is improving. Most staff are positive about the takeover by the new organisation and the home’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 5 future. Staff feel the training they receive is of a good quality and helps them develop. They praised the registered manager for the support they have provided for the staff as individuals and as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

For a period of time, staff were not receiving regular good-quality supervision to help them reflect on and develop their practice. This has improved, but further improvement is required to ensure that this is embedded into routine practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Investigations into staff practice are generally undertaken in a timely manner and are of a good quality. However, there has been a significant delay to complete one investigation. In addition, there is a lack of consistent clarity on who is responsible for completing actions identified on completion of an investigation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 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

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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and manager should ensure that children’s plans provide staff with clear and consistent guidance and do not contain institutionalised or vague language. 31 December 2024

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that investigations into allegations against staff are undertaken in a timely manner. In addition, the outcome of any investigation should clearly identify who is responsible for implementing any identified actions. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(vi)) 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 7 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e)) 31 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive regular practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 30 November 2024

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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: SC043245 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Wessex College Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tamara Pearcey (Proposed)

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC043245 9 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 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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