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

Unique reference number SC033492 Inspector Michael McCleave MBE Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Registered person address City Hall Centenary Square BRADFORD West Yorkshire BD1 1HY Responsible individual Julie Jenkins Registered manager Maureen Ann Pearson Date of last inspection 18/02/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 22/07/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness outstanding

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding Quality of care outstanding Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management outstanding

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Overall effectiveness

Children make exceptional progress in their social, educational and emotional needs. They are cared for by a team of experienced dedicated staff who consistently aim high for them. Children are central to every aspect of life at the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are supported and encouraged by an enthusiastic and energetic management team to develop their competences and skills as care professionals. The talents of all staff are nurtured and encouraged by managers through effective supervision and training.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is subject to rigorous monitoring by external and internal scrutiny. The manager ensures that all areas of operations are efficient and that staff are focused on positive outcomes for children.

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Overall effectiveness

Outside professionals have high respect for the way this home is managed and they value the positive contribution the home makes to the life chances of children. A visitor to the home said, 'I am very impressed with the efficiency of this home, I put this down to the very strong leadership of the manager and deputy.'

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Overall effectiveness

There is a positive culture at this home. Children enjoy living here and feel safe. The 3 of 10 staff work effectively as a team whose prime focus is on the welfare and safety of children. Strong working relationships have been established with other professionals. This is a home that works consistently to enable children to achieve their potential and aspirations. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children's home accommodates 12 children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home has two units. The initial unit looks after eight children who are assessed and prepared for a family or alternative permanent placement. The second 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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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/02/2014 Interim good progress 12/11/2013 Full good 06/03/2013 Interim good progress 24/10/2012 Full outstanding

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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 information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will helpful to the child when they access their files now or in the future, specifica in relation to including more evaluative summaries of their progress. (NMS 22 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children achieve outstanding outcomes as a result of their time at this home. This is significant compared to their negative experiences prior to coming into care. A social worker said of a child, 'I describe the improvements in my child as outstanding.'

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children learn how to regain trust in adults, following in many cases, neglect and abuse, carried out by adults in their family settings. This outcome is due to the dedication and strong commitment of staff. As pointed out by a member of staff, 'Our children learn how to be children again.'

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

The self-confidence of children improves significantly. Prior to coming to the home, some children lacked any confidence or self-worth. Most would not speak to adults due to their lack of trust in them. Their confidence and self-esteem is greatly enhanced by the care and very supportive nurturing environment provided for them. The changes in some children have been remarkable. For example, children have been recognised for their excellence in school debating competitions and received commendations from the local university. The improved confidence of children has enabled them to play an active role in the wider community. They carry out fund raising activities to raise money for charities. For example, through growing their own vegetables and selling these at the local flower in bloom festival and village garden parties. Some children have developed their self-confidence by working as volunteers at a local animal rescue centre. Staff said of one child, 'He has blossomed as a little

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children's health improves significantly at the home. They eat nutritionally balanced meals and grow their own vegetables. For some eating fruit was non-existent when they lived with their families. Children are active in swimming, bike riding, walks, play and go camping. These activities promote good health through exercise. Children are all registered with the local health services to ensure that they receive the appropriate health care as required.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children achieve excellent school attendance and their progress is exceptional in terms of their academic abilities. They are all benefiting from a consistent approach taken by staff through supporting them to value education. For example, children have twenty minutes homework time every evening with staff oversight. This supports and enables them to achieve academically in line with the rest of their peers at school. Their education is significantly enhanced through their understanding of diversity and appreciation of the different cultures in the local area.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children learn how to behave appropriately in the home and local community. They are taught respect for each other. The behaviour of children has improved dramatically since coming to the home. Although some do have relapses, this is seen 6 of 10 by staff as an important part of each child's recovery back to normality. Staff and other professionals, such as a psychologist, work with the child on building up their understanding of how to behave. A regulatory visitor to the home said, 'I have seen amazing changes in the behaviour of the children and it is all down to the warmth and care provided by the staff,' and 'The children are supported and encouraged to bring out the best in their personalities as children.'

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children benefit from planned agreed contact with families. These are carefully managed and organised to be in the best interests of children. For some children this promotes and strengthens their family ties.

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Quality of care outstanding

There are excellent relationships existing between staff and children. This is a nurturing environment where staff have high aspirations for all children to achieve their potential. The low turnover of staff means that children are provided with a consistent level of care. This enables children to build up trust and confidence in adults around them. One child described staff as, 'being like how parents should be.'

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Quality of care outstanding

Excellent care plans incorporate information of each child's background. Individual development plans identify their specific emotional and care needs. These documents provide staff with the actions and strategies required to bring about changes in their behaviour and emotional well-being in order to prepare children for moving on in their lives. Monthly reports prepared by key workers give an indication of the progress made by children. These are largely descriptive and would be improved by including more evaluative summaries to reflect the high quality work carried out with children. This is a new document and the manager is committed to improving the quality of the information recorded.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff place the welfare of children at the focus of their work and they act as passionate advocates for them. Staff actively challenge any barriers to their care when dealing with other professionals and services. For example, this is clearly demonstrated in the significant improvements children make in their school attendance and educational achievements. Most children were originally disruptive in school and their attendance sporadic or non-existent. Staff worked actively with teachers to improve this situation. They also ensure that children have time each evening to complete school homework. The home enhances the children's education with an extensive range of books available to encourage them to develop their reading abilities. These measures promote the educational success of children giving them a solid basis to improve their later life chances. Staff ensure that they communicate closely with teachers and attend meetings at school such as sports day

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Quality of care outstanding

and parents meetings. A member of staff said of one child, 'I attended sports day and the look of pride on his face seeing me there was worth a million pounds.' Another declared, 'We make sure our children are treated the same as other children.' 7 of 10 Children enjoy a wide range of activities to enhance their life at the home. They attend cubs, brownies, guides, sewing club, biking, swimming, walks on the moors and go on trips and holidays. Staff said, 'We occupy their time all day to enjoy being outdoors.' These activities are not only fun but enhance their health through physical exercise. One child said, 'I love bike riding and going on holidays.'

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Quality of care outstanding

A significant feature is the imaginative ways in which staff support children to overcome their inhibitions and lack of self-esteem. For example, a number of children who came to the home emotionally damaged, and insecure, were encouraged to visit, and later become, volunteers at a local dog rescue centre. This has been enormously successful in boosting their confidence. Social workers said, 'During my visits I am always impressed at the kindness and patience of the staff towards the children,' and 'I have total confidence in the staff this is an excellent caring place for young children who are much loved by the staff.'

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Quality of care outstanding

The views and opinions of children are valued. They choose the décor of the house, activities, trips, furniture, play equipment and staff selection. The bright ideas box is actively used by children to make requests or suggestions. This positive approach gives them an excellent sense of responsibility in key decisions that affect life at the home. Children are aware how to make complaint. They are confident in their relationships with staff and know that any concerns will be dealt with speedily.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home is located in a quiet residential area. The building provides children with a safe and stimulating environment. The walls are adorned with photographs of children, their award certificates, diversity information and a bright ideas corner. There are photographs of places where they have been on trips and holidays. There are extensive books and games in the crafts room and library/classroom. The large rear garden and patio area is a safe place for children to enjoy outdoor games and activities. These excellent facilities enable children to have fun and enjoy life at the home. Excellent relationships have been established with neighbours.

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Quality of care outstanding

The exceptional quality of care is appropriately summed up in a letter written by a child who said, 'I am leaving soon to go to live with my new foster carers. I want to say a big THANK YOU for looking after me so well while I have lived here. I have really enjoyed being (here) and I will always remember you all. Lots of love.'

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safety of children is a major focus for staff. They have a sound understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and all have been appropriately trained. There have been no safeguarding incidents since the last inspection.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Risk assessments clearly indicate the strategies required to reduce the likelihood of unsafe situations from developing. The information is clear and well presented. Staff 8 of 10 are fully aware of the procedures to follow if a child protection situation became evident. Children rarely go missing from the home. This is due to the vigilance of staff and the happiness of children with their care. There are nevertheless, robust procedures and risk assessments in place. The exit doors have suitable locking mechanisms installed. This is to prevent unauthorised entry from members of the public. Children are able to leave the building accompanied by staff. A national charity works with children on 'stranger danger' and a police liaison officer regularly visits the home to improve children's understanding of the role of the police. These measures promote the safety of children.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Bullying is not currently an issue. The welcoming and caring atmosphere established at the home encourages children to learn how to enjoy the company of their peers. Staff are skilled at managing the behaviours of the children due to their detailed knowledge of each individual child. They are able to recognise situations quickly should any tensions arise. This expertise promotes the well-being of the children and helps create a relaxed friendly environment.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Although staff are trained in physical restraint, they base their approach to behaviour management on de-escalation of tense situations through calm dialogue with children. Staff are very clear that restraint is a last resort in order to prevent harm to the child. Although records indicate that restraint is used, these are known as 'helping hugs'. This involves staff gently, but firmly, wrapping arms around a child for comfort when behaviour escalates to aggression or in some cases violence.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safety and well-being of the children is enhanced by the robust recruitment and selection procedures in place. Staff are appointed following a rigorous procedure that includes full background criminal checks, interviews, and a probationary period. This process is intended to prevent unsuitable adults from working with children.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

This is a safe building with appropriate safety measures in place. All electrical, gas and domestic appliances have been appropriately checked by contractors. Fire safety checks and full evacuation procedures are completed as required. Full evacuation procedures were observed being efficiently carried out by staff with children. These systems promote the safety of staff and children.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The home is led by an experienced Registered Manager who has been in post for 15 years. The manager has suitable qualifications, including the National Vocational Qualification in Management at Level 4 and is currently completing the Level 5 Diploma for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services. A skilled deputy and four seniors support the manager.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The management team are highly motivated individuals. They are experienced and actively promote high expectations among staff on behalf of children. As a 9 of 10 consequence staff are passionate about delivering high quality care. The outcomes for children are, therefore, excellent. As pointed out by the manager and deputy, 'We are blessed with the high quality calibre of our staff who all pull together for the children' and, 'Our staff genuinely want to make a difference for the children.' The manager is strongly committed to improvements. For example, since the last inspection the staff team are learning how to improve the recording of information relating to each child's progress using a new monthly summary report. Staff have responded positively to this document; although it is currently more descriptive than evaluative. The comprehensive Statement of Purpose is complemented by two bright age appropriate, colourful and informative guides for children. These documents

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Leadership and management outstanding

effectively provide professionals, parents, children and others with detailed information about the services provided and key information relating to the home.

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Leadership and management outstanding

This is a highly motivated and enthusiastic staff team. They are passionate about their work and enhance their expertise through regular supervision and external training opportunities. Their skills are complemented through in-house training at team meetings where information is shared by staff who have researched or received information relating to children. This promotes their knowledge and competences thereby enabling them to be more effective in this challenging environment. A detailed development plan clearly identifies the strengths in this home and areas for development. This ensures that practice and service delivery is appropriate to meet the complex challenges presented by children.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Budget restrictions imposed by the local authority have reduced the complement of domestic staff. As a consequence the existing care staff have been required to undertake these duties. This means that staff are having to use their non-contact time with children on domestic tasks. This has not, however, impacted on the direct care of children. The life chances of children continue to improve significantly at this home due to the dedication and commitment of staff.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Children confirm there is a safe open culture at this home where they can raise any issue that they feel concerned about. They are confident that their concerns will be dealt with appropriately. The guide given to children on arrival at the home contains details of the complaints procedure.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The manager and deputy undertake an audit of key records maintained each month. This is complemented by a robust monthly regulatory external monitoring process. Where shortfalls are identified, these are quickly addressed by the management team. This ensures the high standards of care are consistently monitored. Children's records are regularly reviewed and updated. This ensures an accurate account of the child's journey through care. Files are securely stored and arranged in a manner that makes them easy to be accessed by staff. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management outstanding

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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