Children's Home run by Bristol City Council in Bristol

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has responded to, and largely addressed the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection. However, there are five new requirements from this inspection and consequently this home still requires improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection, the group of young people has remained relatively stable with one new in placement for a period of assessment before moving on to another residential placement. The purpose and function of this home is to provide short-term care and assessment before young people can move on to an alternative provision or return to their family. This is not the case for all placements and some young people remain in this home for more than 12 months. The statement of purpose requires a review to ensure that the function of this home is accurately reflected in this document.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

For some young people there has been progress with their education and attendance in training, while others have struggled to maintain their levels of engagement. The manager and staff continue to find opportunities for learning for young people with access to college, voluntary work and programmes delivered by The Prince’s Trust. The manager has met with a representative from the virtual school to develop a working relationship and ensure that appropriate education is available to young people. Training for staff about the educational provision within the local authority is planned for later this year.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The mental health needs of young people are supported through collaborative working between the manager, staff, health and social care professionals. In response to an increase in episodes of crisis, additional staffing is in place to support young people. Mental health nurses employed as waking night staff initially provided some support but later were withdrawn as their presence encouraged young people to remain awake at night and have their sleep disrupted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been some delay in finding alternative placements for young people as they approach 18 years of age. Young people have struggled to wait to move on from this home and this has shown through an escalation in challenging behaviour, often resulting in the emergency services being involved. These incidents can have a negative impact on the residential group as their routines are disturbed. However, young people are sensitive and caring towards each other and offer their support when someone is upset.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Negative behaviours are addressed through sanctions. The manager strives to enable young people to make reparation through cleaning up any mess, or undertaking tasks such as decorating over graffiti. Sometimes there are financial sanctions towards the cost of damages. The recording of sanctions requires improvement. The record is not always signed by a manager and the effectiveness of the sanction is not routinely recorded. Generally the staff do well to de-escalate behaviours and resolve difficult situations through the strength of their relationships with young people. There has been no cause to use physical intervention since September 2015.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When young people are reported as missing to the police, clear records are maintained regarding the action staff have taken to locate them and assist in their safe return. Incidents of young people going missing have reduced from five in November 2015 down to two in February and two in March 2016. This reduction is a result of young people developing good relationships with the staff and responding to strategies of making safer choices.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection young people have enjoyed participating in a range of activities with bigger outings held during the school holidays. Young people say that they would still like to do more activities however, the minutes of their weekly house meetings show that they are regularly consulted and that arrangements are made. At the time of this inspection plans were being made for the Easter weekend with trips to the cinema and possibly a theme park.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Record keeping has improved, with a clearer focus on staff being more factual and using professional language, avoiding jargon. The manager maintains records of any concerns or complaints and these are responded to in a timely manner. These records do meet the regulations yet there are some shortfalls in that they are messy and difficult to read, as written complaints are stapled into a log book.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager undertakes regular reviews of the quality of care provided and identifies areas that need attention. Recently such monitoring has identified that the environment requires improvement with a deep clean and re-decoration. There are some minor areas requiring maintenance and a particular bedroom requires redecoration after some graffiti has been painted over. Another shortfall identified by the manager is the lack of regular staff supervision. High levels of staff sickness have contributed to this however, alternative arrangements are required to ensure that staff receive the level of support they need to effectively care for young people, and for their own professional development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One requirement not met from the previous inspection relates to an independent person visiting the home each month. The local authority has identified someone for this role though they failed to visit in the months of October 2015 and January 2016. This has a minimal impact on young people due to the monitoring completed by the manager.

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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 to provide short-term care and assessment before young people can move on to an alternative provision or return to their family.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

19/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must ensure-

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c)(i) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. In particular, ensure that bedrooms are decorated to a good standard and damaged items are repaired or replaced. 30/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

(3)(a) The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. 30/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

(4)(b) The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. 30/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that- (a) within 24 hours of the use of the measure of control discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a records made which includes-

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Requirement Due date

(vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so-

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Requirement Due date

(ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. 30/04/2016 44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. 30/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Review the recording of complaints and compliments to create an orderly system. The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 55 paragraph 10.24)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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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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