Children's Home run by Bristol City Council in Bristol

Unique reference number SC034211 Inspector Clare Davies Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Bristol City Council Registered person address Bristol City Council, Director of Legal Services City Hall, College Green BRISTOL BS1 5TR Responsible individual Karen Mary Gazzard Registered manager Patricia Sylvia Mary Harding Date of last inspection 08/10/2014 2 of 7 Inspection date 19/02/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection None.

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

The manager and staff team have addressed the one requirement and three recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Since that time the group of young people has changed considerably with two having moved to alternative placements and three young people newly resident.

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This inspection

There have been some incidents of challenging behaviour resulting in assaults on staff and on one young person. This has led to police involvement and input from the youth offending service. To manage the level of aggressive behaviour staff use physical intervention when they need to protect young people or themselves from being harmed. October and November 2014 saw an unusually high number of physical interventions used and led to changes in placement for some young people. Since this time there have been 3 incidents requiring physical intervention demonstrating that this measure of control is not routinely applied. Records of physical intervention do not always capture the duration of its use. These incomplete records do not allow for a thorough analysis of the incident.

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This inspection

Young people who have left this home since the last inspection have successfully moved to alternative placements. The manager and staff support young people with these transitions through providing information and facilitating visits. The purpose of this residential home is for initial assessment of young people when they become a looked after child. With three admissions in five weeks it has been a busy period of welcoming young people and forming relationships. A range of statutory meetings and appointments have occurred to identify the care plans for each young person. Given the potential conflict with the forming of this new residential group, the home is reasonably settled as friendships are being made and everyone is getting to know each other. Activities planned such as a swimming trip encourage young people to mix with each other and enjoy an outing with staff. 3 of 7 The impact of young people leaving and arriving has affected some young people

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This inspection

more than others. There has been some unsettled behaviour for young people established in this placement though this has not affected their attendance in education, which continues to be good. The manager and staff support each young person to feel safe and secure in their placement with an open discussion about their care plan. Young people know what action is being taken to find the next suitable placement for them but this can lead to frustration when the progress is not as fast as young people would like.

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This inspection

There are improved procedures to follow when a young person fails to return at an agreed time or when their whereabouts are unknown. These provide staff with clarity on what action to take according to the missing from care policy. Records capture details of episodes of young people missing from care and include interviews with young people on their safe return. Working in partnership with the local police, reviews of missing young people routinely occur after a period of absence to consider if the category of risk has changed.

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This inspection

There have been incidents where young people new in placement have been missing for extensive periods of time. The manager and staff are building up relationships to reduce these incidents and progress is gradually being made. The manager and staff team are enthusiastic about their work. They demonstrate to young people that they are there to care for them and support them in their personal and social development. Young people receive the message that staff do not want to give up on them, no matter what difficult behaviour they may present. For example where staff have been assaulted they continue to support the young person, expressing their disappointment in the behaviour not the young person as an individual.

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This inspection

Effective partnership working occurs with statutory and voluntary agencies. There has been an increase in police involvement since the last inspection and this has led to engagement with the youth offending service. Initial planning meetings for those new in placement has identified where support services are required in relation to education, health, drug use, sexual and mental health needs.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection the minutes of the young people's meetings have improved with more structure ensuring that previous action points are considered. The agenda is formed following staff meetings to raise issues with young people and impart messages. The minutes in bullet points are clearer for young people and have more impact compared to the previous lengthy version. Fire safety is raised within these meetings, ensuring everyone knows the evacuation procedures. Regular practices take place to inform those newly resident.

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This inspection

Effective monitoring of the quality of care enables the manager to have a good grasp of the strengths of this home and areas for development. Record keeping has generally improved and the manager's review over each three month period provides analysis of good practice and a reflection on areas to improve. The environment requires attention and the funding has been approved by the local 4 of 7 authority to refurbish the kitchen. It is recommended that the manager reviews the use of locked cupboards in the kitchen to remove unnecessary restrictions on young people. The manager has plans to redecorate the computer room and a project is underway involving young people. They enjoy using this room and their involvement in choosing new colours and design values their opinion within the home.

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This inspection

For additional monitoring, the local authority struggled to appoint an independent visitor for two months. However, this has now been resolved and ensures that another level of scrutiny occurs. The manager attends a management group to review forthcoming changes to regulations and prepare for their implementation. This will support the manager and staff to have a good understanding of new legislation and practice developments and maintain compliance.

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This inspection

Shortfalls identified from this inspection relate to records of physical interventions and the environment. 5 of 7

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people of either sex, with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is operated by the local authority.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2014 Full good 28/01/2014 Interim good progress 07/11/2013 Full good 18/12/2012 Interim satisfactory 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 where a measure of restraint is used on a child the record includes the duration of the measure of restraint. (Regulation 17B (4) (a)) 01/03/2015

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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 the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. Avoidable hazards are removed as is consistent with a domestic setting. In particular, refurbish the kitchen and review the locked areas such as the cupboards. (NMS 10.3) 6 of 7 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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