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

Unique reference number SC033492 Inspection date 18/02/2014 Inspector Angela Whiteley Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 12/11/2013 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

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

At the last full inspection in November 2013, the overall judgement of the home was good. Since then, the Registered Manager has demonstrated a strong determination to improve the running of the home. She has positively addressed the requirement and three recommendations made at the last inspection to improve outcomes for children.

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Progress

Children benefit from high standards of care delivered by a well-established and competent staff team who know them well and understand their needs. Children new to the home enjoy the benefits of carefully planned admissions; this allows them to settle quickly. Staff receive specific training to ensure they have the level of skill and knowledge to care for very young children. They effectively deliver therapeutic models of care under the direct guidance of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) practitioners. A strong working partnership has developed alongside regular team around the child (TAC) meetings. This provides an effective model for professionals to work together, which ensures children’s needs are met and regularly monitored and reviewed. Partnership working is a particular strength of the home.

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Progress

Relationships between staff and children are a real strength of this service and as a result, sanctions and physical interventions continue to be minimal. Physical intervention records have been improved and refresher training provided to staff to ensure all the required information is recorded. Further development of the records is planned to assist younger children to give comments and feedback using pictures. Children remain safe in this placement and free from bullying or intimidation.

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Progress

The home has made good progress in other areas since the last inspection, which has a positive impact on children. For example, improved behaviours and more productive engagement with psychological interventions helps children better manage and understand the changes in their lives. Children are fully supported with their education attainment both in school and in the home. They achieve exceptional outcomes in terms of education. Particularly, in reading as they enjoy the additional resources provided by the volunteer tutor in the home. Children participate in a wide range of activities to develop their skills and abilities such as swimming, gymnastics, cubs, beavers, brownies and rainbows. Some children visit friends for tea as staff encourage them to broaden their social and friendship networks in a positive and appropriate way.

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Progress

Children have benefited from work undertaken to improve the appearance of the home. This has included redecorating the lounge and dining area. A further programme of work is planned to create an additional bathroom and refurbish children’s bedrooms to provide a more homely and comfortable living environment.

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Progress

The home fulfils its aim and objectives. The Registered Manager maintains good oversight and takes an organised and proactive approach to managing the home. She has implemented more robust monitoring processes with regard to some of the home’s procedures and paperwork. Staff regularly chase placing authorities for missing documents to ensure children’s files are up-to-date. This ensures children have an accurate record of their care history and that staff are able to support their current needs. Additionally, the introduction of monthly auditing of care files ensures relevant documents are present. Improved monitoring of the homes records and quality assurance reports and improvements to the homes recruitment practices helps improve the safety and welfare of children. These effective measures enable the Registered Manager to pick up on any practice or recording issues promptly and ensure the standards within the home continue to improve.

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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