Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have made some positive changes in their lives and reduced their risk-taking behaviours. For instance, episodes of being missing from care, self- harming and police involvement are lower in comparison to previous circumstances. Where risk-taking behaviours continue, this is managed effectively and responsibly.  Young people experience continuity and placement stability. From this stable base, they are able to reflect and consider planned and agreed moving on arrangements.  Young people’s interests and hobbies are nurtured and well supported. They are able to participate and be involved in favoured activities, which have resulted in them volunteering to help others participate.  Positive relationships with staff and one-to-one staffing ratios ensure that young people receive a good level of support. Growing attachments and relationships are seen as central to helping young people come to terms with their previous

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The children's home provision is good because:

experiences and to improve their emotional well-being.  Care planning is personalised and young people’s views are taken into consideration wherever possible. The monitoring of care plans is regular and captures the changing needs of young people.  Managers and staff work collaboratively with placing authorities, schools and other professionals so that key information is shared quickly to support effective decision-making.  Staff feel very well supported in their daily work with young people and this is underpinned by regular supervision and appraisal. They receive training in a range of core practice areas but training is not comprehensively matched to young people’s specific needs.  Young people have not received timely independent return home interviews after been missing from care. Although young people have contact with an independent person it is not coordinated to match with each incident.  Some aspects of the home’s quality assurance systems are not strong. Formal

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The children's home provision is good because:

responses to shortfalls identified in the independent visitor reports are not completed. Feedback from young people and stakeholders is not reflected in the manager’s audits or quality assurance processes. In these circumstances, it is unclear what actions or responses have been made by managers to improve the service.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13 13. The leadership and management standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard ensure that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that:-

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Requirement Due date

(h) uses monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 31/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

33 The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. This is in relation to specific training in learning difficulties and associated diagnoses. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 31/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

45 The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating:

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Requirement Due date

(b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it and

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Requirement Due date

(c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children and

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Requirement Due date

(5) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(2)(b)(c) and (5)) 31/07/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): ensure each child has an independent return interview following every missing from care incident. (The Guide to the quality standards page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered for two children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is owned and managed by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/01/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Young people experience the right home environment because staff are focused on providing stable and consistent care based on individual needs. Staff have a good insight and understanding of young people’s circumstances and backgrounds. They help young people build emotional resilience to lessen the impact of being away from their home area. Young people are able to develop skills and knowledge that help counter harmful and risky behaviours such as self-harm and offending. Risks associated with these areas have reduced although staff remain vigilant and focused on methods of prevention and rehabilitation.

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people living in the home are

Young people are supported to grow in confidence and build self-esteem. They are encouraged to talk about their life experiences and backgrounds and to reflect on behaviours and decisions that have had a negative impact on their lives. Young people’s physical, emotional and social development is well supported by the team. They are educated and encouraged to have healthy diets and lead healthy lifestyles. Where risk taking behaviours continue such as drug and alcohol misuse, direct work continues to be undertaken that promotes opportunities for change.

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people living in the home are

Key workers spend lots of time with individual young people to help them with matters that are important to them. Consequently, young people have a say in how they are looked after and what hobbies and interests they wish to pursue. The team advocate strongly on behalf young people to ensure they have access to the same opportunities that other young people. For instance, staff ensure the right arrangements are in place for young people to undertake vocational training that matches their personal aims and aspirations.

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people living in the home are

Young people are fully supported and encouraged to overcome their previous difficulties and negative attitudes towards school and education. They have significant histories of poor attendance and attainment and staff work hard to develop approaches and arrangements that encourage progress and improvement. Young people are still having some difficulties, but they are managing to attend and complete some catch up work around key skills and are on course to successfully complete vocational training. Young people have also completed some voluntary work because of their enthusiasm for a chosen vocation which has been positively nurtured and encouraged.

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people living in the home are

Young people are supported to develop appropriate friendship networks and their own place in the community. Staff promote the use of independent time away from the home as a way of young people learning about personal responsibility, safety and independence. Ongoing assessments of risk inform staff about how best to look after young people in these circumstances as they sometimes struggle to keep themselves safe when away from the home.

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people are helped and protected

Young people are safe and feel safe in the home because the staff team have a clear focus on potential and actual risks facing each individual. Staff are able to adjust and adapt their practices to ensure risks are managed and young people's welfare promoted. Staff know what to do if they are concerned about a young person. This is because they are trained in important child protection practices and are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities.

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people are helped and protected

Staff know what to do if a young person is away from the home without permission or missing from care. They use individual risk assessments to inform their practice and reporting procedures. Some young people who have had significant histories of being missing from care are at less risk now because staff have been successful at helping them modify their behaviours. Where young people continue to go missing and are vulnerable to exploitation, the staff team work effectively with key agencies such as the police to plan and coordinate safeguarding responses. Where necessary, managers instigate and attend multiagency at risk meetings to ensure key information is shared and risk reduction strategies are agreed.

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people are helped and protected

During any missing from care episode, the home’s staff create a chronology of actions. This is so they can review their responses and identify any further actions that may assist with the safe return of a young person. Although young people speak to an independent person about missing from care episodes these are not coordinated to coincide with each event. Currently, these arrangements are not robust because delays in gathering important information could affect young people’s safety.

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people are helped and protected

The home has effective systems in place to monitor and maintain good standards of health and safety. This includes ensuring equipment and utilities are checked and serviced regularly, that fire prevention systems are in good working order and practice fire drills are undertaken regularly. Young people live in a home where their health and safety is fully protected.

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people are helped and protected

Young people are encouraged to behave well and say staff are fair when it comes to helping them with their behaviour. They understand how to gain rewards and privileges, which are realistic and achievable. Staff provide practical support to young people who need help with aspects of their behaviour. Young people and staff live and work in a home where bullying behaviour is not tolerated. Managers provide clear guidance to staff that helps promote consistent boundaries and this approach is further supported by detailed behaviour management plans. Where young people's behaviour has challenged acceptable boundaries, the home's records reflect proportionate responses. This includes the use of physical restraint but this does not happen often.

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leaders and managers

The home has been without a Registered Manager for a number of months. Temporary management arrangements have been in place, which have just ended because a new, experienced manager has been appointed. The new manager is in the process of registering with Ofsted as required.

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leaders and managers

The staff team are organised and supported in a way that ensures the needs of young people are prioritised. Staff are very committed to the care and safety of young people which has made a positive difference to their lives. Managers have well-established systems to monitor the operation of the home. These systems include regular visits from an independent person through to in-house monitoring and quality assurance activities. Information is clearly available to inform managers and the provider organisation about the home’s operation but these systems are not comprehensive.

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leaders and managers

Managers do not formally or routinely responded to findings stated within monthly reports where stakeholder feedback is critical about aspects of the service. Although managers are aware of the information, it is unclear what actions have been taken to address any actual or perceived shortfalls in service delivery. Quality assurance routines do not regularly capture feedback from professionals, staff or young people. In addition, these processes are not used to evidence the actions taken as a result of any consultation or comment. Consequently, young people do not necessarily benefit from living in a home that is being developed or improved as a result of feedback about its services.

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leaders and managers

Staff are provided with good practical support and guidance, which helps them structure the daily routines and activities for young people. Staffing levels are sufficient and flexible, providing young people with at least one-to-one support throughout the day, evenings and weekends. They are supervised and supported by experienced managers and staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff feel well supported and meet with their supervisors regularly to discuss their work and the contribution they are making to young people’s progress and placement aims. Staff view young people positively and this is reflected in the relationships that young people have with them. Although staff work in small shift teams this does not prevent them from having a clear understanding of what each other does and how their work fits into the overall service being provided. This is because they

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leaders and managers

meet as a team on a regular basis and receive good day-to-day support from managers and each other. These arrangements positively benefit young people because their individual needs are effectively and consistently communicated within the team.

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leaders and managers

Overall, staff receive a good range of core and supplementary training that helps them strengthen and develop their role as professional carers. The service is committed to ensuring the staff team receive the appropriate core training to help them perform their duties and to gain appropriate qualifications. Staff receive training in key areas of practice, such as safeguarding, behaviour management, first aid, food hygiene and fire safety. However, it is not clear how many staff receive training that relates to their specific needs such as learning difficulties and associated diagnoses.

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leaders and managers

Managers and staff have well-established networks and relationships with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in meeting the needs of young people. For example, staff work closely with teachers, children’s services professionals as well as maintaining necessary links with local agencies with lead child protection and advocacy roles. Managers strongly promote young people’s needs and challenge partners where responses to meeting needs have fallen short of what is required.

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leaders and managers

The provider organisation employs a safe recruitment procedure that ensures young people are looked after by staff who have been appropriately checked and vetted. The service provided by the home is accurately described in the Statement of Purpose and young people's guides. Young people are well informed about what to expect from the staff team and what is expected from them. The guides provide a good description of the home's commitment to promoting young people's rights and entitlements.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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