Children's Home run by Wandsworth Borough Council in Wandsworth

Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 1 SC065478 Registered provider: Wandsworth Borough Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides full-time care or short breaks for up to 13 children with physical and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2005. At the time of this inspection, suitability of the proposed responsible individual was in the process of being considered in line with Ofsted’s process. A manager has been in post since April 2024 and has not submitted a complete application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, six children were living at the home, and seven were staying for a short-break experience. All children present during the visit were observed, and some were spoken with.

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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 good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2023 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2022 Full Good 30/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 3

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improvement to be good

The judgement for leadership and management is inadequate, which means that the overall judgement for the experiences and progress of children is requires improvement to be good.

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improvement to be good

Children receive good-quality care that meets their often-complex needs. The staff team is skilled and experienced in helping children to reach their full potential. Most children currently living at the home or staying for a short break are nonverbal. Staff are familiar with how children express themselves, and they understand children’s wishes and needs.

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improvement to be good

Children and their parents have good opportunities to get to know what services are available and what children should expect. Care plans are comprehensive and reflect children’s needs and how staff will meet these. As a result, children make steady progress.

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improvement to be good

Children have positive relationships with staff. They enjoy the staff’s company and seek their attention. In turn, staff are passionate about caring for children. Staff and children share positive and trusting relationships, and staff support children to make meaningful choices.

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improvement to be good

Children live healthy lifestyles. Staff are familiar with and skilled in meeting children’s healthcare needs. They work in effective partnership with healthcare professionals such as occupational therapists and speech and language therapists to ensure a holistic approach in this area. If needed, staff complete specialist, bespoke training to ensure children receive safe care. Staff’s management of children’s medication is effective.

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improvement to be good

Children’s learning outcomes are good, as all children enjoy and attend school or college regularly. Staff work in effective collaboration with colleagues at schools and colleges. Children’s goals and targets set by staff often have the same focus of work being completed with children at school. This provides consistency in children’s learning and promotes children achieving targets, which they regularly do.

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improvement to be good

Children have fun experiences in the home and in the local community. The home’s garden, sensory room and soft-play areas are popular spaces with children. A parent told inspectors, ‘[Name of child] has never stayed away from home before he went to [name of home]. It is clear how much he loves the place from the way he settled in so quickly. As a parent, it means so much to know your child is going to be happy and well cared for.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 4

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

Children are protected from harm, abuse, neglect and bullying. This is achieved through staff’s knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures and regular updates to their safeguarding training.

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

Staff’s care practices have a strong focus on keeping children safe; their vigilance and supervision of children are effective. As a result, very few safeguarding incidents occur. Where there are safeguarding concerns, managers complete thorough investigations, which include consultation with relevant safeguarding professionals.

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

Children benefit from the staff’s knowledge and understanding of the impact that disability may have on children’s behaviour. Some children initially present with extreme and complex behaviour. Staff are skilled in managing this and promoting positive behaviour. Behavioural management plans are detailed, effective and adhered to by staff. This results in fewer critical incidents.

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

Staff’s use of restraint is rare. Records of restraints are clear that this intervention is used as a last resort and to prevent harm to children and others. There have been no instances of children going missing from the home, misuse of substances or a child’s involvement in child sexual or criminal exploitation.

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

Staff know if children are unhappy. Their knowledge of children’s presentation and communication alerts staff to any sense of upset or distress. Some children also use illustrated ‘emotion’ boards on display to indicate how they are feeling.

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

Risk assessments are well considered and effective. Typically, these focus on risks posed due to the impact of children’s physical and learning disabilities. Risk assessments include strategies that help to reduce harm and abuse to children. A parent said, ‘[Name of child]’s care and personal needs are met completely. We know that she is in a caring environment and feel that she is safe.’

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

The home is well equipped to meet the needs of disabled children. The building is safe and secure, and there are no health and safety concerns. Specialist adapted equipment such as hoists, adapted bathing equipment and beds help staff to provide safe care. Children’s bedrooms are well decorated and personalised to children’s preferences. A programme of redecoration is ongoing, and there are plans for further building refurbishment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management judgement is inadequate because the current manager has failed to apply to be registered with Ofsted within the required timescale. There has been no registered manager since March 2024. The registered provider has appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is currently checking if this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role. As such, the leadership of this home has not yet been determined as suitable by Ofsted. Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 5 Managers have an ambitious vision and high expectations for what children can achieve. However, this vision is not fully embedded in staff practices. For example, much of the information on display around the home is available mainly in the written word. Most children are unable to read and so cannot access this information. This is also the case for the home’s children’s guide, which is available largely in the written word and not in

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

formats that children are familiar with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

External monthly monitoring visits are taking place. However, subsequent monitoring reports are not consistently shared with Ofsted. This limits the opportunity for inspectors to understand how children’s well-being is promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers’ review of the home’s quality of care does not consistently include feedback from key stakeholders such as children, parents or external professionals. This is a missed opportunity to develop the home in line with the views and opinions of others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that they feel well supported by the management team members, who are visible and available. Induction and training opportunities are effective and meet staff’s needs. Staff appraisals take place each year. Staff receive supervision. However, gaps in some supervision records do not confirm that all staff are receiving regular one-to-one sessions with their line managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers make child-centred decisions about children coming to live or stay at the home for a short break. The care planning process is driven by the specific needs of children. Introductions to the home are carefully considered and managed at the child’s pace. Managers ensure that there are regular reviews of children’s short-break provision to make sure that the experience still meets their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have a clear understanding of the experiences that lead to children making progress. As a result, most children are making at least steady progress. However, for some children, their overall development shows significant improvement from their starting points.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about their children’s experiences while they are at the home. Managers’ and staff’s communication with parents and professionals is consistent and effective, which means that all parties are aware of children’s progress and of any concerns. Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 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

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children;

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Requirement Due date

worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 5 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) 1 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 7 In particular, the manager must submit an application to Ofsted so that their fitness to manage the home can be assessed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 1 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— 1 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 8 if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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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

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a))

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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; and

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must make greater use of differing, relevant communication methods with children to ensure that they are able to readily assess information shared with them. 15 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 15 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 9 keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the children’s guide must be made available in communication formats that children are familiar with.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with Regulation 33 (4)(b). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 62, paragraph 13.3)

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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: SC065478 10

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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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Inspectors

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC065478 11 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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