Vinney Green Secure Unit

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035500 1 Vinney Green Secure Unit Registered provider: South Gloucestershire Council Provider address: Vinney Green Secure Unit, Emersons Green Lane, South Gloucestershire BS16 7AA

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this secure children’s home

This home is managed by a local authority. It is approved by the Secretary of State to restrict children’s liberty. The home can accommodate up to 24 children aged between 10 and 18 years. At the time of this inspection, 23 children were living at the home.

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Information about this secure children’s home

All places available at the home are commissioned on a contractual basis by the Youth Custody Service (YCS). The YCS may, under certain circumstances, permit local authority children’s services to spot-purchase a vacant bed at the home, to enable a local authority to place a child on welfare grounds under section 25 of the Children Act 1989. Admission of any young person under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 who is under 13 years of age requires approval of the Secretary of State.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The commissioning of health services at this home is the statutory responsibility of NHS England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Education is provided on site in dedicated facilities.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2023.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection carried out on 16 to 18 July 2024.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of the monitoring visit was to look at concerns that have been raised and review whether adequate steps have been taken since the last inspection to safeguard and protect the welfare of children living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035500 2 The manager and leadership team have devised an action plan to address shortfalls that have been identified following safeguarding allegations and concerns. Some records of allegations lacked detail and actions were not clear. The improvements in this plan and overall safeguarding of the home requires time to become fully embedded.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and leadership team have increased their monitoring and oversight since the previous inspection and have a plan to improve safeguarding practice including reviewing the culture in the home. Since the last inspection the quality assurance role has also had an additional focus on safeguarding concerns. These changes are in their infancy and need more time to embed and be impactful.

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This monitoring visit

A more positive safeguarding culture is starting to develop. The relationship with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) has improved and is more open and transparent. Appropriate action has been taken with safeguarding incidents. This ensures there is a timely independent scrutiny of allegations to support keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements set at the home’s most recent full inspection were not considered in detail during this visit. These requirements will remain in place and will be reviewed at the home’s next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The number of children currently living at the home is 23. This is an increase since the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035500 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/04/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/04/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035500 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, 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 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)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that safeguarding matters are responded to promptly and in line with policies and procedures. 18 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)) 18 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035500 5 This specifically relates to the use of single separation.

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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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)) 18 September 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 18 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 18 September 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should remind the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership of their statutory duties, in that the LSCP should review the use of physical restraint, single separation and managing way and include this in their annual report and that the findings of the review should be reported to the Youth Justice Board and the Youth Custody Service (Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, Section 108, page 41)  The registered person must ensure records of restraint should enable the registered person and staff to respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035500 6 Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) Specifically, debriefs with children and associated records should reflect meaningful discussion

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Recommendations

in order to obtain children’s views and feelings and learning, which are then used to revise their plans and care.  The registered person must ensure that children can take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Specifically, children should be helped to understand how any complaints they have made have been investigated, to know what the outcome of the investigation was, and be helped to understand how they can escalate their concerns if they are not satisfied and also receive written outcomes that are child friendly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person must ensure the necessary support is given to children to enable them to access their education or training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13) Specifically,

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Recommendations

children should benefit from appropriate careers information, advice and guidance that is relevant to their school year and/or sentence length.  Medicines are prescribed safely and in line with current evidence-based practice and local protocols, including National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. (Healthcare Standards for Children and Young People in Secure Settings 2023, Page 37, Paragraph 6.4.1) Specifically, the registered manager should ensure that leaders deliver the medicines management improvement plan at pace and monitor impact through regular audits and reviews.  The registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child in the home and gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential . (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5) Specifically, staff would

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Recommendations

benefit from being trained and skilled in trauma-informed practice.

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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: SC035500 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South Gloucestershire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Department for Children, Adults and Health, South Gloucestershire Council, PO box 1955, Bristol BS37 0DE

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Inspectors

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Nicola Lownds, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035500 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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