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

Unique reference number SC472977 Inspector Ann-Marie Born 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 Balvinder Kaur Gill Date of last inspection N/A 2 of 12 Inspection date 13/08/2014

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Previous inspection N/A Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

There are a diverse group of young people with very differing needs in this home. The hard working and committed staff team strive to ensure that all of their individual needs are met in line with their care plans. Consequently young people are making good outcomes in most aspects of their lives. In particular, managing their behaviours, learning communication skills, developing self-care skills and increasing their independence. A parent said, 'He is learning a lot of things that are really good. His behaviour is much better now, he’s not lashing out the way he used to, he’s listening to me and he’s talking,' and a staff member stated, 'At one point she was kicking walls and radiators and she was given a beanbag and she uses that and a stress ball and a tangle thing for her fingers and that's her way of managing her behaviour. She’s achieved a lot in those five months and she’s going home next week and she’s worked hard to get to where she wants to be.'

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are universally positive about the care they receive in this home. Even young people who would rather be in mainstream provision state that they like the home and trust staff, with whom they have good relationships. They recognise that the staff are committed to their care, want the best for them and are strong advocates on their behalf. As a result young people feel valued as individuals enhancing their feelings of belonging and self-worth. One young person said, 'I like it here. It is good. Staff are nice and I have friends,' and another commented, 'I 3 of 12 actually like all of the staff and if I had more free time everyday I wouldn’t mind staying.'

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Overall effectiveness

The protection of young people is a major priority. The composition of the building, with the gated perimeter and electronic locks, is designed to keep young people safe while they learn appropriate behaviours. As their individual self-care skills develop young people are provided with the means to have more independence within the home and in the local community. For example, having an electronic fob and attending the local cinema unaccompanied. Parents and the majority of professionals speak very positively about the safeguarding arrangements and how they benefit young people. Some professionals report that safety provisions are unnecessarily restrictive. However young people are making real progress in learning self-protection skills and comprehensive risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated allowing young people to increase their unaccompanied time away from the home. A social worker said, 'I would say he is 100% safe there and staff are taking

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Overall effectiveness

good care of him. When mum doesn’t turn up for contact he gets so upset but the staff do an excellent job in calming him down and making him feel safe again.'

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Overall effectiveness

Although this home is in the early stages of ‘bedding in’ since its opening, the manager has continued to make improvements. For example, more staff have been appointed to ensure that young people receive one to one care at all times in line with their risk assessed development plans. Comprehensive development plans detail further improvements, for example opening the ‘bistro’ area as a café which will provide young people with further opportunities to enhance their social skills. Nevertheless there are some areas for improvement. These are particularly in improving recording methods following any incident of restraint and in maintaining young people's files; ensuring appropriate recruitment records are kept within the home and that staff receive some specialist training; ensuring the Children's Guide is available in a range of accessible formats and incorporating young people's and other interested parties views in the manager's monitoring processes.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority run children's home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 11 children of either sex who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. Children and young people use this service for permanent and shared care placements and short breaks.

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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 that the system referred to in paragraph (1) shall provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34 (3)) 26/09/2014

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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 that where there has been physical restraint children are always given the opportunity to be examined by a registered nurse or medical practitioner (NMS 3.16)  ensure that the children’s guide is available when appropriate through suitable alternative methods of communication, for example Makaton or translation into another language (NMS 13.6)  ensure that the home has a record of the recruitment and vetting checks which have been carried out on those working in the home (NMS 16.3) 5 of 12  ensure that all staff are equipped to meet the needs of the children and purpose of the setting and training keeps them up-to-date with professional, legal and practice developments, in particular training in addressing bullying issues and child sexual exploitation (NMS 18.1)  ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping, trained to maintain them and to understand the need to be

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Recommendations

careful, objective and clear when making records. (Guidance and Regulation Volume 5, Chapter 3, 3.28) 6 of 12

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people, even those who state they do not wish to be in this home, make good progress in developing positive, sustainable attachments to staff and each other. As a result, young people develop social skills and confidence in their abilities to form lasting relationships. A young person said, 'I really like all of the other kids, especially (name), she is my friend.'

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s holistic health needs significantly improve as a result of the stringent attention to meet identified needs. For example, developing personal care skills and a marked improvement in a chronic physical condition. Young people's emotional and psychological health needs positively progress as a result of the specialist services provided to meet them. Physical exercise is well promoted. Young people regularly enjoy taking part in activities such as using the trampoline and the outdoor play facilities at the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s preferences are incorporated in the menus provided by the home. A balanced diet is promoted and the staff encourage young people to eat healthy foods and snacks. Matters arising from diversity are well managed and particular dietary requirements are met. Young people enjoy using the home's 'bistro' to learn to make basic snacks with staff or share meals with their families. For example, celebrating Eid together. Young people learn the importance of a healthy diet while improving their social and life skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The majority of young people attend appropriate education provision where they are making significant progress. Good communication between the home and schools ensure that young people benefit from a shared commitment to their learning. However, not all young people have a school placement confirmed for the start of the school year. Alternative provision has been identified in the interim in order for all young people to be supported and enabled to resume full time education.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people's social, emotional and developmental needs are promoted as a result of being provided with opportunities to make a positive contribution to their home and the wider community, in accordance with their individual abilities. For example, making brightly coloured signs for the home's communal doors or volunteering in a summer school for children with disabilities. As a result young people’s burgeoning understanding of self responsibility and feelings of self-worth are enhanced.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people fully benefit from the security, stability and sense of consistency that regular family contact brings to maintain long-term relationships. Contact arrangements are supervised in the home if necessary but young people are also fully supported to build up to overnight contact with family members. Consequently young people’s cultural identity and important community links are maintained. A parent 7 of 12 said, 'the staff are very welcoming and keep in good contact with me.'

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are well prepared for transition to adulthood, whether this be a further placement, return to the family home or independence. Careful planning incorporates individual young people’s diverse and specialist needs thus ensuring that preparation commences from the time young people enter the home. Young people therefore are supported to develop necessary life skills, including personal care, helping to tidy their bedrooms, doing their laundry, cooking and using community facilities. This effectively builds young people's confidence and self-esteem.

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Quality of care good

Young people benefit from being cared for by staff who are committed, child centred and caring. Patient and nurturing staff build trusting and constructive relationships with the young people through their consistent care practices. They pursue opportunities for young people to assist them in reaching their potential. Young people report that they like staff and feel they have good relationships with each of them.

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Quality of care good

Young people use the varying forms of communication aids which best support their diverse needs. These range from having no verbal skills at all to being fully able to communicate verbally. The committed staff team understands each young person's individual communication skills and abilities. Consequently they communicate with young people verbally, with the use of communication aids or by implementing visual daily routine planners. This attention to individual care assists young people to make decisions and choices about their daily routines and activities. Thus building young people's confidence and self-esteem.

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Quality of care good

Young people use all of the opportunities provided by staff for them to express their wishes and feelings. Young people meetings are used particularly well to encourage young people to express their views positively in a group situation. Staff empower young people during these meetings to negotiate with each other enabling them to learn further skills. As a result, young people feel listened to, valued and gain confidence in making positive requests. For example, for more ‘girly nights’ or planning outings together.

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Quality of care good

Young people confidently use the comprehensive complaints system to express any dissatisfaction. In addition the manager and staff team implement mediation sessions effectively with young people to address issues between each other and with staff. Consequently young people feel important and learn further important negotiation and communication skills.

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Quality of care good

Detailed written placement plans incorporate all aspects of a young person’s cultural and personal identity. These, along with other supporting records, outline how each 8 of 12 young person’s needs will be met. There is a wealth of information to support and inform staff on how to care for young people. For example, individual daily routine plans include each young person’s preferences for personal care. Parents are consulted and can attend their child’s review. Following reviews, placement plans are updated to support young people’s continued progress. Staff and parents are fully aware of each young person’s progress, such as taking charge of aspects of their own personal care, daily living and social skills. However, the quality of paperwork in files is sometimes inconsistent with gaps in completion of generic forms.

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Quality of care good

Proactive partnership working with all health professionals involved in a young person’s care ensures that young people fully benefit. Regular meetings with the child, adolescent and mental health services (CAMHS) psychiatrist promote emotional development and an understanding and improvement in young people’s behaviours. Stringent attention to individual health plans ensures young people’s physical health needs are fully met. Good medication protocols are fully implemented ensuring young people receive all of their medication appropriately. A social worker stated, 'they have done a fantastic job in getting him where he is at the moment. He was badly neglected when he was removed. They have had a lot of patience with him and he is really really improved and I have seen a real difference with him.'

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Quality of care good

Young people are supported to pursue their particular interests and leisure activities. They are encouraged to socialise, which enables them to build self-esteem and confidence. Young people choose the weekly activities they want to do and experience a range of activities, building on interests and social skills. Examples of these include art sessions, trips out, cinema, interactive electronic gaming, trampoline sessions, going for walks and attending a local youth club. This inclusive approach empowers young people to make positive friendships, build social skills and become accepted members of their local community. A young person said that when she left she would 'miss my friends and always having something to do.'

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy living in a spacious, well equipped home. Young people with differing needs live in separate parts of the home with their own lounges, dining room and music room. Young people particularly enjoy being able to use the well equipped sensory room. An electronic fob system operates the dividing doors to promote young people's safety. However young people who have gained more independence are issued with their own fob so that they can spend time with the other young people whenever they wish. For example, all young people are choosing to have their meals together in one unit at this time.

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Quality of care good

The home is decorated throughout with the same colour scheme which is designed to meet young people's special needs and to prevent over stimulation. However, young people can personalise their bedrooms to their own taste adding posters and paintings and colour contrasts. The CAMHS psychiatrist stated, 'even the ceilings here are so much better for our children because of their pitch and their needs. We are pernickety about the environment. The space here is working a treat for (name),(name) and (name) and we have to keep promoting that at all times.' 9 of 12 Young people benefit from having the shared used of self-contained gardens that are fully enclosed by fences providing them with a safe space in which to play and explore. The separate areas have raised flower beds, which were planted by the young people, and a range of outdoor play equipment. There is also a painted road that staff use productively to teach young people road safety lessons.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safety of young people is a priority in this home. A CAMHS psychiatrist stated, 'safety is a very high principle here and the safety of young people tends to come first.' Accordingly the home is designed with an electronic door and gate system which ensures young people are not able to leave the premises unless escorted by staff. However as young people progress in their development of social and self protection skills their individual risk assessments are revised to allow them more free time alone in the community. Some more able young people chafe at these initial restrictions and some professionals have commented that not all young people need this level of protection. However, young people have access to independent advocates to speak on their behalf if they wish and the home's manager works together with their placing social workers to negotiate further opportunities for them to engage in activities away from the home alone. For example, attending the

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Keeping children and young people safe good

cinema, going to a youth club or volunteering in a community organisation.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people do not report any bullying episodes and the high staff to young people ratio ensure that bullying does not occur. However, staff are aware that on occasion young people can use racist and offensive language to each other and are working with young people to enable them to understand that this is not appropriate. A staff member said, ' young people are really safe here. Not just because of the fences but because of the one to one support. Young people never have to be alone here.'

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Robust safeguarding procedures, high staff numbers and electronic security measures mean that young people very rarely go missing. Nevertheless there have been recent occasions when young people have absented themselves from the home. More able young people realised that the electronic doors open automatically when the fire alarm is sounded and used this method to go out in to the grounds alone. The management team acted swiftly to address this issue by increasing staff numbers and preventing any repeat episodes. In addition, stringent attention to locally agreed protocols ensure that young people are swiftly located and returned safely. There is a reduction in missing episodes once young people settle, which for some young people is a marked improvement on previous placements. However, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of recording missing episodes. These do not have a detrimental effect on young people’s safety.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people's individual behaviour management plans are carefully developed together with relevant professionals. Wherever possible young people learn from 10 of 12 positive rewards and incentives, for example stars on a behaviour chart or earning cash rewards. However, as a result of some young people’s learning disabilities their behaviour can be unpredictable and on occasion aggressive. During those incidents physical intervention is necessary to safeguard the individual young person, other young people and staff. Young people are always provided with the opportunity to reflect on such episodes, in line with their understanding. However, record keeping is inconsistent and it is not clear whether young people are always being provided with the opportunity to be examined by a medical practitioner.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people's behaviours improve and they learn more appropriate ways of expressing feelings and frustrations as they engage with the consistent care and boundaries provided by the staff team. Exceptional partnership working between the home staff and specialist practitioners ensure that young people receive targeted interventions that they can learn and grow from. For example, developing their own 'feelings tree' where a young person can show pictorially how they are feeling and indicate to staff whether they want to engage with them at this time. Consequently young people thrive within safe boundaries. The CAMHS psychiatrist, 'We are always constantly updating risk assessments. Stopping things that are going to make things unsafe for these young people. (Name) is a great example, before coming here she had regular crises with five or six security staff needed to contain her. Her independence has come on amazingly since she’s been here and she knows what her

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are protected through sound recruitment procedures and monitoring of visitors to the home. This prevents unsuitable people having access young people. However, not all staff records are kept within the home in line with legislation.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people live in an environment that is safe. Young people’s health and safety and the safety of the building are very well managed, with regular reviews and oversight by the management team. Stringent attention to robust health and safety procedures, including night time fire evacuations, ensure young people are further protected. All of the doors open automatically if the fire alarm is sounded allowing free access. In addition, the home has positive relationships with the local fire service who visit the home to speak with young people and understand the layout of the building.

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Leadership and management good

The well qualified and experienced manager has held Registered Manager status for over eight years. She knows the young people in her care well and is ambitious for them all to succeed to the best of their ability. This is the first inspection since young people have moved in to this well adapted home. Continuous development is taking place as young people express their views and these are incorporated in their care. For example, young people putting up posters, writing the door labels for all of the doors and receiving fobs to make their way round the home as their independence 11 of 12 skills increase.

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Leadership and management good

The only complaint the home has received since it opened was in respect of the close circuit television cameras around the grounds. The manager used this event as a positive opportunity, inviting the complainant in and hosting a garden party for all of the neighbours so they could understand the care to be provided. As a result the neighbours were happy and young people are an accepted and welcome part of their community.

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Leadership and management good

A comprehensive statement of purpose provides a clear picture of the range of diverse care to be provided. The Children’s Guide can be personalised for young people, is colourful and detailed with a range of photographs of the home. However it is not available in other suitable formats therefore young people who use Makaton or for whom English is not the first language may not fully understand the care they are to receive.

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Leadership and management good

Extremely good external monitoring visits reviews the care provided by the home and evaluates progress while fully complying with regulation. The information gathered by this auditing process is used positively to improve the well-being and outcomes for young people. The manager’s internal auditing process comprehensively cover all points raised in Schedule 6 of Regulation 34. However, although the views of parents, professionals and young people are routinely captured by the manager, there is no evidence that she uses those in order to inform her auditing procedures. This is a breach of legislation.

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Leadership and management good

High staffing numbers ensure that young people receive one to one care at all times. A good balance of age and gender and an ethnically diverse staff team mean young people are cared for by staff they can relate to. Staff report they are well supported and records evidence that supervision sessions take place within appropriate timescales. The staff team are well qualified to understand young people's cultural backgrounds and attend a range of specialist courses enabling them to fully support young people's individual disabilities. However the mix of young people resident at present mean that staff need to be knowledgeable about other areas that are new to them. A staff member stated that the high staffing levels were 'good for young people and for staff as well because we get a chance to really work with young people and make that difference.'

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Leadership and management good

Clear, up-to-date records are stored securely and contribute to an understanding of a young person’s development and life. Young people are safeguarded by the stringent attention to detail which ensures that all significant events are notified to appropriate authorities. This provides a multi-agency approach to their care. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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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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