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

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The home’s statement of purpose is not up to date and requires reviewing.  When there has been an incident in the home that has resulted in a physical intervention there is no evidence to show that any learning is captured.  The home’s workforce plan requires completing to show how the care the home provides is to be developed further.  There is a lack of continuity of care for young people.  Staff and young people’s safety is not fully promoted because the floor covering in the shower room is in a poor state of repair.  Staff supervision records are not detailed and do not reflect continuing professional development.  Young people have not had access to independent advocacy services  Young people who are not in education are not receiving home based work to complete.  Monthly monitoring visits are not being undertaken by an independent person.  The home’s location risk assessment requires completing to identify any

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The children's home strengths

 The home works effectively in partnership with others  Social workers receive information in a timely manner.  The home provides staff with appropriate training.  The home supports family contact with the young person

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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

12. The protection of children standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure –

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Requirement Due date

(d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. 31/08/15

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure –

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Requirement Due date

(2)(e) that the homes workforce provides continuity of care to each child 31/08/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate revise it;

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Requirement Due date

Notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3) (a)(b)) 31/08/15

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Requirement Due date

7. The children’s reviews, wishes and feelings standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard the registered person must ensure children receive care from staff who -

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Requirement Due date

(2)(d) ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about -

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Requirement Due date

(iii) what advocacy support or services are available to the child, 31/08/15 how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision.

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Requirement Due date

(a) that within 24 hours of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes;

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Requirement Due date

(iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

(iv) a description of the measure and its duration details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

(vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (a)(iii)(iv)) 31/08/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that if the independent person becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest (whether under regulation 43(3) or otherwise) after a visit to the home, the independent person must include in the independent person’s report details of the conflict of interest and the reasons why the independent person did not notify the registered provider of the conflict of interest before the visit. (Regulation 44(6)(a)(b)) 31/08/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(2)(a)(b)(c)) 31/08/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(5)) 31/08/15 The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard)

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 31/08/15

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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 a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff - including the homes manager. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, 10.8).

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Recommendations

 Ensure where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28, 5.15).

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records that must be kept are detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3(14)). This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, 9.31).

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Recommendations

 Ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61, 13.4).

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. The home provides care for one young person of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/02/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement

A committed staff group delivers individualised care. The level of support the young person receives contributes towards them making progress in various aspects of their lives. The young person spoke positively about their care and support received at the home.

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requires improvement

The young person living in the home attends the organisations independent school. Attendance at school has been average. There have been instances of where the young person has been sent home from school for home working but there has been no work made available. This means that the young person has little to occupy them during the day.

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requires improvement

Staff attempt to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people. A period of staff instability has meant that working together as a regular team has not always been achieved. As a consequence of this, the young person has not received consistent care. This has impacted on the young person’s key working sessions and their care planning.

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requires improvement

The young person contributes to menu planning and upon arrival at the home is able to design their room to personal taste. Further consultation with the young person has been minimal due to the inconsistent staff team. The young person’s views through key working sessions have been hampered for a period of time due to inconsistency in staffing. This means that the young person requests and wishes are not being heard.

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requires improvement

The home effectively supports all family contact. This ensures the young person remains close to individuals who are important to them and benefits from being involved in a wider support network outside of the home.

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requires improvement

The home is mainly well maintained and decorated. However, the shower room floor covering is peeling away from the wall and this presents as unsightly and unhygienic facility for the young person. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

The young person reports feeling safe at the home. Up until the staffing became inconsistent regular key-work sessions were undertaken. These sessions provided an avenue for the young person to discuss their feelings, thoughts, strengths and vulnerabilities which helps to promote their skills and to nurture their talents and interests.

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requires improvement

The young person has had periods of being missing from care. There is effective liaison with placing authorities, families and the police to make coordinated efforts to locate the young person. There is no recent evaluation of this behaviour to examine trends or issues, therefore staff are not able to reflect and learn to inform future practice.

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requires improvement

There is a behaviour management policy. Care plans include guides to managing the behaviour of the young person. There are a number of restraints and some sanctions; the recording of both does not capture the details leading up to the behaviour. There is no evidence to show that any learning is captured. This denies staff and the young person the opportunity to reflect and learn from this.

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requires improvement

The home ensures that the healthcare needs of the young person are met. They are registered with the various local healthcare services and are supported to attend any appointments. Specialist support is readily available to meet the emotional and psychological needs of young people through individual therapeutic sessions. The young person has disengaged from this specialist support and attempts are being made to re-engage them.

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requires improvement

Medication is stored safely, and records are maintained on the administration of medication. There are clear policies and procedural guidance and these are followed in practice.

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requires improvement

The young person is aware of their rights to complain. They are clear about the complaints procedures. The young person has not had the opportunity to liaise with advocates. This means that they have not had the opportunity to help them take forward their concerns in a productive manner. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

The home has an appropriately qualified and registered manager in place, who manages two homes. The manager has been in post since July 2014 and holds a National Vocational Qualification in leadership and management. Staff said they are very well supported and the manager is always available to them .

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requires improvement

The home’s statement of purpose is currently out of date, so does not provide parents and professionals with a current overview of the home. The home’s workforce plan is also out of date and this means that any future workforce planning may be impacted upon. For example there is no contingency plan to support for staff shortage.

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requires improvement

The location risk assessment, which reviews the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises, is out of date. This means that any risks presented by the home’s location, is not being identified along with strategies for managing them.

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requires improvement

The majority of the staff team either have a suitable childcare qualification or due to complete one. Staff have a range of training opportunities available to them, that are both taught and online. The registered manager uses an electronic training matrix to support him in the monitoring of this. Staff receive monthly supervision. The registered manager could not locate records of previous supervision documents beyond the most recent. This hindered the inspecting of the quality of monitoring individual staff performance.

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requires improvement

The internal and external monitoring of the home is regularly completed and reports are forwarded to Ofsted as required. An individual that has other responsibilities within the organisation undertakes the monitoring visits. This means that monitoring visits are not objective or independent.

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requires improvement

The home adheres to organisational recruitment procedures in place to safeguard young people. Safety checks are carried out in full on all new starters. This means that young people work with suitably vetted and selected staff.

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requires improvement

The home promotes and develops effective partnerships with other agencies including the police, Youth Offending Service and placing authorities. There is evidence that young people are better protected as a result of this collaborative approach.

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requires improvement

There are robust and thorough fire safety processes in place. The young person in place has practised fire evacuation in line with the home’s fire evacuation plan.

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requires improvement

There were three requirements made at the last inspection, all these requirements have been met.

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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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