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

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 benefit from the secure relationships that have been built with staff.  Young people are very well supported by the specific routines and boundaries. This helps them immensely to reduce their anxiety levels and improve their behaviour.  Young people enjoy a variety of new life experiences by accessing individual interests and participating in community activities.  Young people greatly benefit from positive multi-agency working, particularly with their health and education.  Staff are compassionate, child focussed and committed. They are well trained and have relevant experience to work with young people with learning difficulties.  Staff keep young people safe. They understand their vulnerabilities and implement the necessary safeguards to keep them from harm.  Young people make progress as a result of clear leadership, good communication and team work that ensures that consistent care is provided

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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

8. In order to meet the education standard, in particular, eliminate or reduce barriers to accessing education for children to safely undertake and continue their learning, the registred person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iii)) 28/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

6. The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

6. In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, in particular replace damaged furniture, put curtains or blinds in all windows and make all areas domestic and homely, the registered person must ensure

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Requirement Due date

(2) (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

(ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 28/12/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page, 62, paragraph, 14.4) In particular, the key work sessions, achieved goals and the targets met should be clearly recorded.

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority run children's home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 15 children of either sex who have learning disabilities. Children and young people use this service for permanent and shared care placements and short breaks.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

29/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

Young people have strong and positive relationships with staff. They are treated with respect and dignity, ensuring their identity, disability and cultural needs are considered and taken into account when planning their care. A young person said, ‘I get on with the staff, I would go to X if I had a problem.’ Staff show young people who cannot verbalise what they think, that they want to spend time with them by actively seeking them out. Young people’s calm and relaxed behaviour indicates how much at ease they feel in the company of staff. A parent commented, ‘My daughter has very good relationships with the staff.’ These relationships build the young people’s trust in staff. In turn, this allows them to make progress through the care and support work undertaken with them. Young people use a variety of ways to communicate. This includes verbal, pictures individual schedules or objects of reference to ensure that they can communicate

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good

effectively with staff and others. This enables them to express their views and wishes, for example, their choice of activities and how they wish to spend their day. Staff support young people to understand their daily routines and what is happening by using their preferred communication aid. Young people have good opportunities to engage in activities at home and in the community. These include sensory play; watching DVD, playing in the garden, using the computer, swimming, shopping, going to the park and attending the young club. They have enjoyed a visit to a theme park and went on holiday this summer. Young people have also been involved in a community garden project. These provide an array of new experiences to enhance their day-to-day lives and build their confidence. Young people’s health is given high priority and they all have prompt access to health appointments and check-ups. For example a young person visited the

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good

dentist and play therapy during the inspection. This promotes their good dental care and emotional wellbeing. Special diets, young people’s likes and dislikes are fully catered for. The home has access to more specialist health professionals to support young people with their emotional and mental health. They are benefiting immensely from these joint working practices. It enables staff to respond in different ways, develop care and support strategies for young people which will help reduce their anxiety levels. This ensures that young people’s wellbeing, mental and general health needs are being met; they also manage their behaviour more positively. Parents said, ‘X has really come on since attending, he likes going to Best Project; this gives us a break. The staff have been really good to me and my son,’ and ‘Her behaviour has really improved since living here and she agrees with this too.’ A number of young people who live or access the service have made great

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good

progress in this area. This enables them to participate in everyday activities without becoming highly anxious. For example, travelling to school, eating with others and managing noisier environments. For others, this progress means that they will continue to live at home with their families. All the family profits from their achievements to participate in family life without major difficulties. Young people benefit from developing life and independence skills. They are encouraged and supported to take part in chores around the home; gain skills to dress and attend to their own personal care where able. During the inspection some young people washed pots, tidied their own bedrooms and went to the shops to buy sweets. This enables young people to actively participate in daily life which gives them essential skills that will support them into adulthood. Staff are dedicated to young people’s learning. The vast majority of young people

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good

have very good attendance at school and achieve their individualised education targets. This is borne out of the staff support, commitment and partnership working with education professionals. Young people have access to a computer, other learning aids, and educational activities. A young person said, ‘I use the computer most days.’ An education link said, ‘X has excellent attendance and has made steady progress. The staff team keep us well informed. X has had a difficult period. We have worked well with the staff and the mental health team to support X. This joint working has helped X to continue in her education.’ One young person has not been able to access her education provision. The staff have tried to resolve this issue without success. Other local authority departments have not all met and agreed a way forward in a timely manner. Therefore, this young person’s special needs have not been met to enable her to continue to learn

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good

and achieve. Staff clearly understand the care needs of the young people. This is reflected in the written care plan and other supporting records on how they are to provide care and meet each young person’s needs. Young people’s care plans are followed. They have specific targets set to assist them to make progress in particular areas. Young people’s relevant plans are regularly reviewed and updated. However, the records do not always detail all the direct work undertaken with them or document all the progress they have made. This does not demonstrate the full extent of all the progress and achievements for each young person. Judgement grade

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good

Young people’s diverse needs and significant vulnerabilities are well known to the staff team. They know how to protect them and keep them safe. Individualised written risk assessments are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain current and continue to safeguard young people. Staff have a good understanding of the risks associated to specific young people. For example, stranger danger, anxiety in noisy environments and challenging behaviours. Staff implement the precise support and behaviour strategies in conjunction with each young person’s daily routine. This enables young people to feel secure in their daily life experience, reduces their anxiety and assists to maintain their safety.

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good

Young people experience consistent care, with the implementation of clear boundaries and routines. As a result they manage their behaviour more positively. The ethos of the home is to focus on positive behaviour. Each young person has set goals for them to achieve, which are very particular to them. This reinforces good behaviour.

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good

Young people are protected from going missing as staffing levels in the home are high. Staff are vigilant and closely monitor young people’s whereabouts. This means that such events are very rare occurrences.

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good

Some young people do experience being phsycially held to safeguard them or others from harm. The management team support young people and staff by analysing these recorded events, and adjust care and support to minimise these incidents occurring again. Young people also benefit from the input of the children and adolescent mental health team. This additional professional advice and guidance ensures that the staff respond and support young people in the best way possible when they experience a crisis. This is invaluable. The majority of young people’s challenging behaviour has reduced over time. This enables them to enjoy more and positively participate in their daily life. For example, attending school and going out in the community to participate in activities.

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good

Young people live in a spacious and safe environment. They have their own bedrooms and have a number of communal areas. The home environment meets their diverse and individual needs. A number of areas are personalised including young people’s bedrooms. Young people enjoy the space within the home, particularly the sensory areas and the garden. However, there are still areas around the home, which do not have curtains or blinds. Bathrooms are stark areas which lack personalisation and a domestic feel. One settee has a damaged arm rest. This does detract from the otherwise homely environment to enhance young people’s every day experience. Judgement grade

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good

The manager has worked with children and young people for over twenty years. She has been the Registered Manager for the service since 2007 and holds suitable care and management qualifications. Therefore, young people profit from having a very experienced manager who gives clear leadership and direction to staff to ensure they are well looked after.

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good

Young people benefit from being cared for by a very compassionate, stable and experienced staff team. Staff receive a good level of training. The vast majority are qualified and hold the National Vocational Qualification Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young people. This is complemented with mandatory training in such areas as child protection, first aid and medication. In addition, more specialist training is undertaken in such areas as communication and autism. This makes sure, that staff have a clear understanding of each young person’s needs and the necessary skills to provide good care.

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good

Staff are well supported and work as a cohesive team. This is achieved through regular staff meetings, formal supervision and detailed handovers at each shift change. As a result, young people benefit and receive consistent care. This reduces their anxiety levels, as this ensures all staff execute their care and support routines in the same way.

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good

Professionals state that they have strong and positive working relationships with the staff. An education provider said, ‘The staff are good, they ring us and keep us well informed. There is good multi-agency working, to make sure we are all working together to support X and meet her needs.’ As a result, young people make good progress over time to manage and enjoy day-to-day life and have new experiences.

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good

Thorough monitoring of the service is undertaken, which includes consultation with young people, parents and professionals to ensure accurate feedback is gained on the quality of care provided by the staff team. The majority of recommendations made from the monthly monitoring visits are implemented. This supports continual improvement of the care and service provided to young people.

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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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