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

Unique reference number SC065552 Inspector Parveen Hussain Type of inspection Interim 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 Belinda Greene Date of last inspection 30/06/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 03/02/2015

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Previous inspection outstanding Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

The last full inspection in June 2014 found the home to be outstanding. There were no requirements at the last inspection although one recommendation was raised. This related to the need for young people to be offered medical assistance following physical restraints. This has been addressed.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection the home has declined in effectiveness. Some records are not available or adequately completed on young people’s files. This includes basic information sheets and who staff should contact should young people go missing. This can result in uncertainty in what action to take. Some care plans and behaviour management plans are not completed or progressed in a timely way. This leaves some children living at the home uncertain about their future plans.

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This inspection

Recruitment processes are not robust or effective at preventing unsafe people from working with children and young people. There is a lack of detailed and thorough checks as required by the regulations. Concerns and allegations about staff are not always being investigated in a timely way. This leads to delay in reaching satisfactory outcomes and sharing information as well as heightened risks to children and young people through exposure to potentially unsafe people.

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This inspection

Children and young people display challenging behaviours which require the necessary sanctions and physical interventions from staff. However, records of restraints are not promptly completed because of a delay in the process of electronic recording. Although the impact of this on children and young people is not significant, such delay can lead to records being lost or altered leaving young people with inaccurate accounts of these interventions.

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This inspection

Staff supervision is not timely. This impacts on their levels of support, learning and reflection. All staff have received appraisals to address their individual performance 3 of 6 and developmental needs.

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This inspection

Staff receive regular, good quality training which helps improve their skills and knowledge, keeping them up to date and in line with good practice. This helps ensure children and young people‘s current and emerging needs and behaviours are well supported and they are effectively cared for.

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This inspection

Staff adhere to protocols on the few occasions when young people are absent or missing. Key work sessions take place to ensure children and young people understand the risks and dangers associated with their behaviours. Good partnership working with social workers, schools and the police helps promote the safety and welfare of children and young people. It further ensures information is effectively shared. One social worker states, ‘Communication with staff at the home is very good and they work collaboratively to prioritise the needs of children.’

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This inspection

Children and young people engage with their education. They make good progress from their time in placement and benefit from strong advocacy on their behalf. This includes instances where children and young people do not have a consistent social worker or when meetings are not held in a timely way. This level of commitment ensures children and young people have access to services and the support they require to fulfil their potential. The Registered Manager is confident in refusing referrals where young people’s assessed needs and behaviours cannot be met. This ensures minimal impact and disruption to those already living at the home.

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This inspection

Children and young people benefit from an experienced staff team that are well qualified to meet their needs. They live in a safe, secure and caring environment where regular consultation between staff and young people takes place. 4 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 8 young people of either gender between the ages of 8 years and 14 years. The home provides support for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/06/2014 Full outstanding 08/01/2014 Interim good progress 26/07/2013 Full outstanding 18/02/2013 Interim good progress

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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

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume (Regulation 17B (3)) with specific reference to the electronic record 13/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) shall not employ a person to work at the children's home unless full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of the matters specified in Schedule 2 (Regulation 26 (3) (d)) with specific reference to Schedule 2 (4) 13/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain in respect of each child who is accommodated in a children's home a record in permanent form which includes the information, documents and records specified in Schedule 3 13/03/2015 5 of 6 relating to that child (Regulation 28 (1) (a)) with specific reference to care plans and behaviour management plans

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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 staff have access to support and advice, and are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff (NMS 19.4)  ensure the children's home procedure is in line with Government guidance and requirements including the duty to refer information to statutory bodies (NMS 20.2) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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