Children's home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Telford and Wrekin

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 new manager has significantly improved leadership, organisation, and consistency in staff practice and staff support since starting in post.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff practice is reflective and tailored to the individual needs of young people living at the home.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The young people living at the home are developing confidence and independence. Staff encourage this by providing new experiences and opportunities while putting measures in place to ensure safety.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people’s relationships and friendships are promoted and skilfully managed by staff to ensure that they are positive experiences.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people are sensitively supported to learn the skills they will require to live independently as adults.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Some staff are not receiving regular supervision to support the development of their work practice.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people have not consistently had return interviews carried out by an independent person when they have been missing from care. Although this is not the responsibility of the home, staff need to be more proactive in challenging partners to carry out this important piece of work.

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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

The registered person must ensure that all employees –

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Requirement Due date

(b) Receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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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 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including 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

25 January 2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26 January 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people make good progress as a result of living at the home. They benefit markedly from effective care and achieve good outcomes in most areas of their lives. There is a recurring theme of encouragement and support, which creates a positive atmosphere in the home. Any needs that arise from a young person’s background are clearly identified and addressed. External professionals noted that staff work hard to bring about positive changes in young people’s behaviours and skills. Young people are fully familiar with their individual targets and make progress in taking responsibility for their implementation.

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Good

Social workers recognise and value the difference that the staff team make to young people’s outcomes. They are positive about the registered manager, staff team and outcomes young people are achieving; in particular, that young people are more reflective, developing the skills they will require as adults and more able to make informed decisions which keep them safe.

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Good

Staff ensure that young people’s education is given a high priority. They support them to overcome previous and current difficulties which affect their schooling and educational outcomes. Overall attendance is good and achievements are celebrated. When young people’s progress is at risk the registered manager is proactive. For example, if it is assessed to be beneficial, staff from the home support in school. This ensures that young people remain focused and educational placements do not break down.

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Good

Young people are encouraged to develop healthy lifestyles. Their physical, emotional and social development is well supported by the staff team. They are educated and encouraged to have healthy diets and lead healthy lifestyles. When risk-taking behaviours such as alcohol misuse occur, direct work is undertaken that promotes opportunities for change. As a result, the young people develop lifestyle habits that benefit their long-term physical and emotional well-being.

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Good

Young people grow in confidence and self-esteem because they actively participate in the running of the home. They are proud of their contribution to the development of the garden, the house’s decoration, how they are looked after and what hobbies and interests they pursue. Their views are taken into account on a daily basis and they take advantage of both formal and informal opportunities to express their opinions. They are empowered in an environment where they are involved in discussion, negotiation and collaboration. Young people clearly enjoy the company of the staff team. They engage in a variety of stimulating and enjoyable activities in both the house and garden. They are active in the local and wider community and are members of local clubs. They take part in a range of community activities and make use of the local facilities. For example, one young person volunteers at a local youth club and sings in a church

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Good

choir. This develops young people’s social skills and sense of self-worth.

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Good

Staff help young people build emotional resilience to lessen the impact of being away from their home area. There is effective liaison with young people’s families and contact is proactively supported. Young people are also 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 for young people to learn 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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Good

The staff team are committed to providing a nurturing and enabling environment where young people are safe. Staff share relevant information with partner agencies. The registered manager is well informed and in regular dialogue with social workers and police. This ensures that plans are in place which effectively reduce future risks and support young people to manage their behaviours, relationships and emotions.

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Good

Staff have a clear understanding of how to manage any safeguarding allegations. They receive regular safeguarding training which includes a range of topics including children who go missing from home and awareness raising in relation to child sexual exploitation.

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Good

Where young people demonstrate challenging behaviours, the staff team use a range of de-escalation techniques to defuse situations. Positive relationships between young people and staff means incidents of challenging behaviour are rare. Physical intervention is only used where absolutely necessary and has not been used since the last inspection.

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Good

The use of positive praise far outweighs the use of sanctions. Young people are encouraged and supported to display socially acceptable behaviours. This results in young people developing an awareness of how their positive behaviour affects others.

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Good

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. When young people go missing from care, they are not receiving return interviews from their local authorities.

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Good

There have been no complaints from young people since the last inspection. Should a young person have a concern, they know how to raise it and know staff will take prompt and appropriate action. The young person’s guide to the home contains all required details. This ensures that young people can raise concerns with outside agencies should they wish to. As a result, young people are empowered to make complaints and know that they can do so independently of the staff.

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Good

Fire safety is well managed in the home. Regular fire drills take place and all young people know how to evacuate the home in the event of fire. The home environment is safe and poses no risks to the health or well-being of young people. Regular checks are made by the vigilant staff team, and when defects are identified they are swiftly resolved. As a result, young people live in a home that promotes their safety and does not expose them to avoidable risk.

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Good

There is now clear and effective leadership in the home. The home was without a registered manager for 11 months. The current registered manager has been in post since December 2015 and registered with Ofsted since April 2016.

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Good

The registered manager is currently studying for a level 5 diploma in leadership in children and young people health and social care. She holds a NVQ 3 in children and young people and a BA Hons in therapeutic childcare. In addition, she has substantial relevant experience, including a previous managerial position in outstanding residential childcare.

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Good

Since being appointed, the registered manager has successfully supported the staff and, as a result, young people are engaging and making good progress.

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Good

The registered manager has reviewed the home’s statement of purpose and it accurately reflects the aims and objectives of the service. She has also taken action to ensure that the requirements raised at the last inspection have been carried out.

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Good

The staff team are organised and supported in a way that ensures the needs of young people are prioritised. Most staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are within regulatory timescales at present to obtain their qualification within two years of starting work. Staff are supported to develop their practice through training, clinician-facilitated meetings, structured team meetings, supervision and appraisals, all of which enable them to reflect on their practice, discuss how well the young people are progressing, and provide challenge. Although the frequency of supervisions has significantly improved, there are still some shortfalls as not all new staff are receiving fortnightly supervision in line with the organisation’s policy.

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Good

Professionals associated with the home consider that young people become more insightful and self-confident as a result of their strong relationships with staff. Staff ensure that their strategies are based on close communication with social workers. As a result, social workers feel confident that staff are addressing agreed targets for young people effectively.

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Good

The registered manager models a commitment to all staff about identifying areas to improve and sustaining an excellent quality of care to young people. A clear development plan is in place to further improve standards in the home. This plan is regularly reviewed and evaluated for impact by the registered manager and the staff team.

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Good

The registered manager audits the operation of the home, seeking feedback from young people, staff and placing social workers. This results in a home that is continually striving to improve the quality of its provision. An excellent understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses underpins the registered manager’s improvement plans for the home.

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Good

The registered manager ensures that the progress of young people is carefully monitored and reviewed. As a result, there is clarity about the progress that young people are making and this is clearly evidenced for parents and social workers. Regular reports detailing the experiences and staff observations of young people ensure that all parties see the good progress being made. Where concerns arise, the registered manager ensures that appropriate actions are taken. For example, where education services are not fully meeting young people’s needs, the registered manager takes decisive action to communicate with these services. This robust approach ensures that young people do not experience disruption and further promotes their outcomes.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 that 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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