Children's Home run by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council in Bradford

Unique reference number SC033492 Inspection date 12/11/2013 Inspector Angela Whiteley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 06/03/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This local authority children's home accommodates 12 children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Staff use specific therapeutic models and techniques under the direct guidance of child and adolescent mental health service professionals.

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Brief description of the service

The home accommodates two distinct groups of children. The initial unit looks after eight children who are assessed and prepared for a family or alternative permanent placement. The other unit accommodates up to four, usually older children moving on from the initial unit, for whom an alternative placement has been found.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Children are safe and respected at this home. They, their parents and professionals who have an interest in securing positive outcomes for children, all have very positive views about the home. A reviewing officer said, ‘There are many examples of excellent practice at this home.’ There is strong effective partnership working, particularly with the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS). This enables staff to provide intensive support to very young children under the direct guidance of CAMHS professionals.

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Overall effectiveness

Children come to the home having experienced multiple placement breakdown. Staff use specific therapeutic models to support children to form positive attachments and lessen the disturbing and challenging behaviours that children exhibit. As a result, children eventually move to permanent placements having achieved some positive outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

Children settle quickly in a warm and nurturing environment. They form positive relationships with staff who are highly motivated, experienced and well managed. This stability provides children with improved opportunities for strong relationships to develop. Children are consulted regularly about aspects of their care and how the home is run. They benefit from highly personalised care packages and detailed multi- agency assessments that are reviewed regularly ensuring children's complex needs are thoroughly considered. However, some documents are missing from children's files. Staff are proactive in chasing missing documents and requesting meetings where a change in the care plan is needed. This ensures children are cared for in line with their individual placement plans and have the opportunity to fully understand and contribute to their reviews.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager and deputy provide strong leadership and have a good overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They demonstrate a commitment to an improvement agenda, which ensures any barriers to children’s development are quickly identified.

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Overall effectiveness

Some shortfalls are identified in respect of, staff recruitment procedures and monitoring of information, particularly in respect of checks made by the provider. Also, staff are not consistently recording relevant detail in physical intervention records, particularly if medical assistance is required. However, staff take appropriate action to ensure the safety and welfare of children. These shortfalls relate to administrative procedures and systems and have minimal impact on the outcomes for children and do not adversely affect the quality of care.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure records for each child who is accommodated include the information, documents and records specified in Schedule 3 of this regulation. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)) 31/12/2013

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure where there has been a physical restraint, children are given the opportunity to be examined by a registered nurse or medical practitioner (NMS 3.16)  ensure all personnel responsible for recruitment and selection of staff consistently follow good recruitment practice. In particular, ensure thorough checking and recording of the reasons for gaps in employment history (NMS 16.2)  ensure the manager monitors, in line with regulations, all records kept by the home. This is specifically in relation to the evaluation of written reports of visits carried out under Regulation 33. Ensure immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring. (NMS 21.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children make exceptional progress at the home. They benefit from a warm, nurturing environment provided by an experienced staff team. They quickly develop warm and trusting relationships with staff and feel secure enough to express their views, wishes, feeling and worries.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The strong focus on education benefits children immensely. Most children achieve 100 per cent attendance at school which impacts positively on their levels of achievement and attainment.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children benefit from detailed health assessments and are in excellent health. They receive all the interventions and specialist support services they need to maintain their health. For example, children have access to play therapists who work collaboratively with staff to ensure a consistent approach to their care. The children enjoy a balanced diet and have had opportunity to use vegetables from their own garden. Mealtimes are a social occasion where children chat and share ideas about things they would like in the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children take part in a range of positive activities, which help them feel part of a wider community and increases self-esteem. Some attend beavers, brownies, guides and scouts, use the local library, enter planters into the village in bloom competition and take part in the village scarecrow trail. The home is very much part of the village community and has excellent relationships with neighbours. Children raise funds for a chosen charity. They support children in a village abroad, which helps them become socially responsible.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children benefit from clear, safe contact arrangements, which are set out in their care plan. They understand when they will see those that are important to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Although not ready to embark on independence, children are supported to manage some simple tasks for themselves, which helps them contribute to the running of the home.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Children say they feel safe and like living at the home. They receive high quality care from a staff team that they know well and are comfortable around. Professionals involved in their care endorse the high quality of care and support provided. A placing social worker spoke positively about the commitment of the staff team, the warmth they show, their nurturing approach to children’s care and their interest in the fine detail of caring for children.

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Quality of care

Children settle quickly and thrive while living in a stable, supportive and nurturing environment. They develop warm and positive relationships with staff and can speak to any of them if they have any concerns. They receive excellent care from an experienced and stable staff team who effectively deliver individualised and well- planned packages of care. Regular multiagency ‘team around the child’ meetings fully consider and plan to meet the needs of each child to achieve the best outcomes. Staff are not daunted by initial setbacks or failures but are persistent in their efforts to help children succeed. Children new to the home settle quickly due to the consistent approach of staff and the clear routines and boundaries in place. The effective use of 24-hour behaviour management plans, incentives and specialist therapeutic support helps strengthen children’s emotional resilience and psychological well-being. They develop strong attachments to different people, which

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Quality of care

can be transferred to new adults when they move to more permanent placements.

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Quality of care

Learning continues to be supported in the home through a range of educational resources. These help with homework and a reading scheme supports children to achieve set reading targets, which some children exceed.

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Quality of care

Staff support children to fully participate in all aspects of care planning, which means they know what progress they are making. They support children to complete the placing authority electronic consultation tool called ‘Viewpoint,’ which helps to quality assure placements. Children’s views and wishes are central to the smooth running of the home. For example, they express their opinions and suggestions on special events, foods, outings and activities. Children pin a request to the ‘bright ideas board’ and the Registered Manager responds to these in writing and speaks to the children if ideas are not upheld. Children also choose how they want to personalise their bedrooms.

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Quality of care

Staff have a good understanding of the impact that contact can have on some children and ensure they receive appropriate support and care when contacts end. Children’s identity and family origin are viewed as important in developing positive self-esteem. This is promoted by staff helping children prepare life-story work, photo albums and a leaving DVD.

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Quality of care

Staff have a strong commitment to supporting children’s education at school and at home. They also support health support services, a broad range of activities and respond appropriately to diversity and cultural needs. Every child has a 20-minute homework session and 15-minutes settling down time before bed where staff read stories. Literacy and numeracy skills are promoted through a volunteer reading programme and the introduction of a children’s sweet shop, run by staff. A parent comments, ‘The home do a good job with a very challenging child.’

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Quality of care

Certificates and photographs are prominently displayed in the home, as a result, children feel valued and this significantly promotes their self-esteem. Children are involved in a range of appropriate activities, such as, swimming, gymnastics, chess, art club, beavers, brownies, guides and scouts and enjoy playing out and going on holidays. This enhances their learning experiences and increases their social networks and skills.

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Quality of care

The home is a large, spacious house divided into two settings. It has a rural outlook, while being part of a residential community within a village. There are opportunities in the home to participate in many activities. There are playrooms, study rooms, well-equipped craft rooms, large dining rooms and lounge areas. Children have access to age-appropriate toys, games and books. There is a large grassed area to the rear of the property which provides ample space for children to play on bikes and other large adventure play equipment. The children have two rabbits and fish to care for. There is a small allotment area and greenhouse where the children have grown vegetables, which have been harvested for the home. There is a woodwork shed where children help make small items under close supervision. Children are kept very busy and learn many new skills from their different experiences, which promotes their welfare and development.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Children who live at this home are safe, secure and well cared for. They are closely supervised and as a result do not go missing from the home. The home has a strong culture that bullying and discriminatory behaviour is not tolerated. The children re- visit anti-bullying information regularly and have access to a member of staff who is an anti-bullying champion. These measures are supported by rigorous policies and procedures that counter bullying and discriminatory attitudes. Children are protected from harm by effective measures that balance the need for protection with enabling children to take reasonable risks as part of their growth and development.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are excellent systems in place for responding to allegations and suspicions of harm. Staff fully understand safeguarding policies and procedures and receive quality training, which enables them to act appropriately to any concerns about children.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff place a strong emphasis on promoting positive behaviour with clear and consistent boundaries to help children understand the effects of their behaviour on themselves and others. Individualised behaviour management plans, comprehensive 24-hour management assessments and use of appropriate rewards and incentives are effective in encouraging children to behave in a more socially acceptable manner. Records confirm a significant reduction in the use of sanctions as children settle into the home and learn their routines and boundaries.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are trained in the appropriate use of physical intervention, which is only used as a last resort. The home’s records show a high number of low level interventions as staff use positive holds to assist children to regain control safely. Staff keep records of all incidents of restraint. However, some records do not include clear information that children have had opportunity to be examined by a medical professional following a physical restraint. This means children’s welfare and safety are not fully protected. The Registered Manager is addressing this matter in discussion with staff to ensure children are cared for safely.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The recruitment and selection of people working at the home is very thorough to make sure children are protected. Visitors to the home are checked and vetted as appropriate. However, some employment history checks are not sufficiently robust, which potentially places children at risk of harm. The Registered Manager is addressing this discrepancy through supervision, confirming and recording any gaps in employment with staff. This has no negative impact on the outcomes for children.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Children enjoy a safe and secure environment in a home where there is a strong ethos on safeguarding. There are effective health and safety systems in place that protect children in and away from the home. Regular practice evacuations ensure children know how to exit the building quickly in an emergency. These practices ensure children are kept safe and protected from harm.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

Children thrive in a home that is well managed. It is nurturing, friendly and well maintained. The home has established positive links within the community and children are actively involved in community events and activities, which help them feel valued and respected.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager leads by example. She is highly motivated, experienced and suitably qualified and is supported by a skilled and competent deputy manager. They promote high expectations for staff to provide high quality care. As a result, staff clearly demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering high quality practice tailored to meet the individual needs of children they care for. The effectiveness of this approach is evidenced as children achieve some excellent outcomes.

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Leadership and management

Staff are sufficient in number and have a broad range of experiences and skills to meet the everyday challenges of caring for young children. They are effectively supported, guided and valued through professional supervision, team meetings and training. Staff keep up-to-date with practice and new developments through specific training events and input from specialist professionals from the child and adolescent mental health service. Staff are supported to address children’s specific needs using therapeutic techniques that address such issues as trauma, attachment and life-story work. The staff team work collaboratively to ensure a consistent approach on each shift. They provide excellent staffing ratios with a balance of gender, age, culture and ethnicity that meets the aims and objectives of the Statement of Purpose. Experienced volunteers provide additional opportunities for children to broaden their

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Leadership and management

learning through a range of additional activities, such as art and craft, individual reading time, and pamper sessions.

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Leadership and management

Children’s records generally present a good overall picture of their experiences at the home. However, some records are missing from the files, such as placement plans, details of measures of control, restraint or discipline used on the child and details of accidents. The absence of this information hinders staff in supporting children and does not give children a full understanding of each child’s history. Additionally, children have life story boxes and a ‘leaving CD’ when they move on, which gives them positive memories of the time they have spent at the home.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has developed good monitoring and quality assurance systems that ensure children continue to enjoy high standards of care. Monthly monitoring reports review the home’s performance, children’s progress and identify areas for improvement. However, a more robust system would ensure inaccurate data is identified promptly. For example, an incorrect record of the number of sanctions used was included in a monitoring report. This gives an inaccurate picture of the service and care provided. The Registered Manager promptly addressed this and other identified matters during the inspection showing her commitment to an improvement agenda. She has a realistic development plan that is reviewed regularly to drive forward further improvements.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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