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:

 The young person benefits of a stable residential placement that consistently meets their needs. From their starting point, the young person is making good progress.  The young person feels safe.  The young person benefits from the service’s integrated approach to education, care and clinical support. Partnerships between these connected services are strong which contributes to the all-round provision of a good service.  Attendance and engagement in education is prioritised which has resulted in the young person being able to address and overcome some of their difficulties around learning.  The young person feels consulted and involved in the running of the home. Because it is a solo placement, discussions around needs and wishes are exclusively focused on one individual at a time.  The stable, consistent staff team are very motivated and they know the young person well.  Staff provide the right support to the young person that results in them

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The children's home provision is good because:

learning to be more social responsible.  Risk taking behaviours have reduced over time, which has contributed to improved family contact.  The registered manager provides effective leadership to the small team of experienced staff who are very familiar to the young person.  The team are well organised and supported, they play their part in helping to shape and organise themselves in a way that best suits the young person they look after.  Although the young person’s involvement in the running of the home is high, feedback about staff practice is not currently gathered as part of the appraisal process.

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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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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure the young person is consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. This is in relation to staff appraisals and the need to involve young people in this process. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22 paragraph 4.11)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This home is operated by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

27/02/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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people living in the home are

The young person experiences the right home environment because staff are committed to providing stable and consistent care based on individual needs. The staff team have a good insight into the young person’s background and circumstances that helps them personalise their approaches to care and support. The young person is able to build confidence and new skills to help counter previously harmful and risky activities that include escalating offending and anti- social behaviours. Risks associated with these areas have reduced because of the direct work undertaken by the team.

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people living in the home are

The young person experiences good emotional support and very practical help with contact arrangements. Family relationships have improved and contact has increased in line with the young person’s overall progress. Visits home to family are carefully planned to counter the impact of living away from an area with strong family and community ties.

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people living in the home are

The young person feels listened to and consulted because staff actively seek their views and opinions and incorporate this information into daily plans. Staff capture important discussions in key worker records to help the manager determine the progress being made. Staff actively pursue opportunities to help broaden the young person’s horizons. They inform and educate the young person on important matters that have an impact on their health, well-being and safety. For instance, work is undertaken to improve the young person’s behaviour in public and how to conduct relationships and interactions with others. Where there are long standing difficulties these are always pursued in ways that allow small steps to be taken that are realistic and manageable. For example, difficulties with food and diet are tackled sensitively in order to help sustain positive change.

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people living in the home are

Staff keep clear records of all health appointments and interventions so they can monitor the young person’s health and well-being. Arrangements for the storage and administration of medication are safe and meet individual needs. The young person is on long-term medication so staff liaise with health professionals to ensure medicines remain beneficial to their good health.

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people living in the home are

The young person’s physical and emotional health is promoted and monitored well. Professional practice and therapeutic input is consistently child centred and personalised. Residential and educational staff as well as clinical professionals identify and analyse the young person’s progress and continually review the value of their input and the impact of agreed care arrangements. This approach effectively contributes to the overall review of the young person’s placement. The placing social worker is very positive about the placement and the progress the young person has made to date.

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people living in the home are

Staff are very effective at supporting the young person to attend their full time educational placement. The young person currently attends the organisation’s own registered school provision. Residential staff provide daily support to the young person while in school. This helps to focus on learning and also helps to manage relationships with other pupils. Close working relationships with educational staff is a key factor in helping the young person make academic progress and sustain good levels of attendance. Achievements and successes are uniformly acknowledged and celebrated. This is currently demonstrated by the young person winning ‘the most improved pupil award’ over the last academic year.

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people living in the home are

The young person appreciates the efforts staff make to respect their privacy and to create stability and security in the home. The young person can arrange their personal space according to their choices, interests and needs. Staff encourage the young person to personalise areas of the home by choosing wall decorations and displaying photographs of activities they have been involved in. The young person has free access to a range of clean and tidy communal rooms that are comfortable, suitably equipped and furnished. The accommodation is sufficiently personalised to make the young person feel very much at home.

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people are helped and protected

The young person feels safe in the home. The service has an effective impact on the safety of the young person because day-to-day practices and arrangements are based on extensive and thorough risk assessment processes. The team take their responsibilities seriously for keeping everyone safe and they promote a culture of openness and respect. Lines of communication between the registered manager, staff team and external professionals reflect that the home’s focus is on safety and welfare of the young person.

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people are helped and protected

The young person is able to resolve any difficulties or concerns without the need to use the home’s complaints process. They know who they can approach if they are unhappy or concerned about something. This extends to being able to talk to an independent advocate if needed.

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people are helped and protected

The young person does not go missing from care and for most of the time; staff know their whereabouts. On the few occasions where the young person has been away from the home without permission, staff used individualised assessments to guide their responses when this happens. Assessments are based on the young person’s age, vulnerability and history. Staff ensure that the young person is safe in these circumstances and they do this successfully by following well-established procedures and expected practices.

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people are helped and protected

Staff are practical and proportionate in support of the young person’s behaviour and relationships. Very few formal sanctions are used and physical restraint has not been necessary for a long time. Staff prefer to prevent or deflect negative behaviours and use their training and knowledge of the young person to promote the use of reasoning and negotiating skills. The young person is encouraged to reflect on their behaviour as a way of learning how to improve relationships and interactions. The young person feels that staff are fair when it comes to helping them manage their behaviour and can recognise the progress they have made.

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people are helped and protected

The young person benefits from living in a home that is physically safe and secure. The environment is maintained well and regular assessments are undertaken to ensure any risks identified are known and can be managed. Good health, safety and maintenance arrangements ensure that the young person lives in a home that is comfortable and free from hazards. The young person is further protected by practicing evacuation drills that ensures everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire.

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leaders and managers

The home is managed efficiently and successfully by an experienced person who has just been registered by Ofsted. The registered manager is currently in the process of gaining the necessary level five qualification that is required for the role. The post holder also manages another registered children's home, which is situated nearby. The manager’s time is shared between both homes depending on the needs, demands and circumstances of each service.

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leaders and managers

Staff are well supported and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They work exceptionally well as a team because of effective communication and strong leadership. They demonstrate a very clear commitment to delivering high standards of childcare practice, matching their approach to the very specific needs of the young person. The team provide constant and familiar care because staff rotas are managed to minimise the impact of any changes needed. Regular multi-disciplinary meetings with a range of professionals help evaluate progress and map out necessary changes to care and placement plan aims and objectives. These arrangements play a full and vital part in how the home is organised to help the young person succeed and improve their life chances.

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leaders and managers

The trained staff team are held accountable for their individual performance. Their development needs are identified through daily discussions and regular supervision. Annual appraisals are also completed that enables the registered manager to help staff identify how well they are working. However, there are no current arrangements in place for the young person to provide specific feedback about each member of staff. Although the process helps to develop staff, this is done in the absence of any direct feedback about what a young person may think of a staff member’s approach to their care.

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leaders and managers

The provider meets the aims and objectives outlined in the statement of purpose. The registered manager conducts regular monitoring of the service and an independent person visits the home monthly. The independent visitor reports provide the registered manager with a good overview of the home’s operation and the impact staff are having on the young person. The provider organisation has just implemented a new quality assurance format to use which the registered manager is in the process of completing. These arrangements contribute to the home’s overall approach to improve and develop the service further.

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leaders and managers

The young person’s records are organised well and contribute to an understanding of their lives and experiences. Appropriate arrangements are in place to notify individuals and agencies of any significant events affecting the young person’s safety and welfare. The two requirements and two recommendations made at the last inspection have been met in full.

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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