Children's home run by City of Wolverhampton Council

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 1 SC378153 Registered provider: City of Wolverhampton 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 operated by a local authority and provides short breaks for up to six children aged between nine and 17. The children may have experienced childhood adversity that has resulted in emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2013. He holds a relevant level 4 diploma.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit had taken place following concerns raised since the full inspection. Since the last inspection in January 2025, concerns have been raised by the local police regarding staff response to incidents, lack of staffing and many call- outs made by children.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the inspection, one child was staying at short breaks. They had returned home later that day.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have positive relationships with children who access the service. One child had shown the inspector comments which they had written on the home’s whiteboard. This was detailing what they like about each staff member. Staff provide positive experiences for children, such as taking them out on activities to local trampoline parks. One child shared that they enjoy spending time with the staff and felt safe when at short breaks.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans contain relevant information. Children’s historical and presenting risks are clearly presented in each risk assessment, leaders regularly update plans, which provides effective guidance for staff to follow. A safety plan was implemented in collaboration with the local police for a young person who accessed Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 2 the service. Leaders review plans with staff during team meetings, and this has provided staff with the knowledge and skills to respond appropriately to incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders respond well to concerns around children and internet safety. Following a concern raised regarding a child at risk, leaders liaised with relevant professionals and implemented effective risk management to support them. Staff have completed regular work with the child regarding online safety and keeping themselves safe. There have been no further concerns, due to the prompt action taken by leaders and staff.

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This monitoring visit

There is, mostly, enough staff available in the service. On some occasions, there have been two staff during the evening, when there should have been three. However, leaders have shared that this has been due to not requiring additional staff during this period. There has been no impact on children due to this.

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This monitoring visit

Staff follow children’s missing-from-care plans well. When children have left the home, staff have taken immediate action and liaised with relevant persons to try and locate children. Children and staff are debriefed following incidents, and this allows reflection on any learning and helps leaders implement strategies to prevent further missing incidents. However, recording is not always clear in reports and has lacked detail in areas.

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This monitoring visit

The environment requires further attention. The service did not feel homely, and the décor was basic with less homely features due to recent property damage. There was a large amount of graffiti around the home, which was visible from the outside. This contained words of concern relating to the child currently staying in short breaks. The damage had taken place two days prior to the inspection. The registered manager and responsible individual did not guide staff to cover up the concerning words about a child which had been written on the wall. This had put the young person at risk of emotional harm, as they had regularly been exposed to what was on the wall for two days.

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This monitoring visit

Medication is mostly managed well. However, on one occasion staff had failed to inform anyone that one child had not received their regular medication. This was later identified on the same day following an audit carried out by an operations manager. Appropriate action had been taken, including medical support and sharing information with external professionals. Both staff have engaged in learning debriefs to reflect on how they can improve practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff mostly understand how to respond to allegations. However, on one occasion, two staff did not share information about a concern raised by a child. This child had made an allegation regarding staff practice. Leaders had followed this up and liaised with relevant professionals when made aware of the concern. It was ensured that the child had been supported following this. Notifications about some allegations have not been shared with Ofsted. There have been several other notifications not shared, and this has included allegations and other significant incidents. Leaders had Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 3 responded well to allegations. However, Ofsted was not able to assess the level of risk in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Regulation 44 reports are not always shared with Ofsted. One report was not shared in a timely manner due to comments not added by leaders in the service. This had prevented the report from being shared.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendations raised at the previous inspection were not reviewed, because the focus of this visit was to review concerns raised by external professionals about the quality of care being provided. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/01/2025 Full Good 22/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/06/2022 Full Good 22/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 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, 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

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

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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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 (1) (2) (3)) 12 March 2025

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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 28 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 6 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are aware of their responsibilities when sharing allegations or concerns raised by a child. Also, that when children miss medication, staff respond to this appropriately.

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(b)(c)(e)) 28 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 28 March 2025

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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. 28 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person and leaders should guide staff to ensure that they understand the emotional impact on a child if they are exposed to a potential trigger in the home. 28 March 2025

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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. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 8  The registered person should ensure that just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home, and any

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Recommendations

modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. Information on restraint and deprivation of liberty is contained in the protection of children section of the Guide from paragraph 9.41. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure, as set out in regulations 31-33, that they maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC378153 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: City of Wolverhampton Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Wolverhampton City Council, Office Of Chief Executive & Policy Co-ordinator, Civic Centre, St. Peters Square, Wolverhampton WV1 1SH

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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC378153 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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