Politics
Failings Identified in Care Inspection
Substance abuse, a lack of a proper education, institutionalisation and a lack of legislation and guidance for care leavers have all been highlighted in a report by Ofsted.
Ofsted was commissioned by Manx Care and the DHSC to provide a base report into the island’s child social care system.
The Sir Jonathan Michael review recommended that children’s social care services should be assessed regularly by independent external regulators, at least every five years.
Ofsted’s inspection found that while homes for younger children there was an ‘ethos of nurturing and love’, many safeguarding measures weren’t in place for older children and opportunities to help them had been missed.
It said: ‘Children also enjoy many activities, and some have been taken on holidays abroad. Children told inspectors that they felt safe and happy. Children are supported by staff to maintain and repair relationships with family members who are important to them. This includes within the secure setting. Children also benefit from effective individualised support and education packages at the secure unit.’
However, the ‘routine’ use of locks on children’s doors, found in all but one home, gave these homes an ‘institutional feel’. Ofsted said: ‘An inspector observed a child asking for their bedroom to be unlocked by a member of staff. The kitchen doors in all children’s homes are routinely locked at night. This dated practice was not based on any individual assessment of risk and creates an institutional environment.’
It also found that most of the older children in semi-independent homes were not in education, employment or training, limiting their ability to gain qualifications or more rewarding employment.
‘The semi-independent homes for older children were not homely’. Ofsted found.
It added: ‘There is a much smaller budget for decoration and maintenance in these homes, which is evident from their tired and worn appearance. There is no budget for activities or holidays. This means that these children do not always have access to these rewarding childhood experiences.’
The inspection also identified that children are unable to share their concerns of views independently as the lead for managing allegations is also the head of the service.
Ofsted also identified issues with the wider children’s social care services including issues around data sharing due to different interpretations of legislation, provision for disabled children is failing to provide support to families and delays in implementing a fostering recruitment strategy means there is a lack of carers on the island.
Response
In response to the concerns raised in the report, Manx Care said it has ‘created an action plan to address the concerns highlighted in the report, and work has already begun on implementing improvements, with a number already completed’.
As part of the overarching improvements, a Children’s Services Improvement Board has been created which will be overseen by an Independent Chair.
