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:

 Children and young people receive good-quality care that successfully and consistently meets their very complex health needs.  Staff have a very good understanding of the nature of each child’s and young person’s disability. They receive the training that they need to respond to the medical and personal care needs for each child and young person.  Short-break arrangements are effectively planned and coordinated. Staff work closely with families, health professionals and schools to ensure continuity of care for children and young people during their short-break stays.  Children and young people are safe because they are under the close supervision of staff both inside of the home and when they are out and about in the community.

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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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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)) 31/10/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Registered persons have a key role in seeking to develop the home's effective working relationships with relevant persons, including parents. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 52, paragraph 10.3) Specifically, communicate to parents what their children have done, enjoyed and achieved during their short-break stay.

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation under short-break arrangements for up to 10 children with learning and/or physical disabilities, some of whom have life-limiting conditions.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/09/2015 Full Good 14/01/2015 Full Good 11/06/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Children and young people benefit from their short breaks. This is because they get the chance to enjoy activities and sensory experiences that may not otherwise be available to them. Their short breaks give them a chance to socialise and make new friends, as well as giving their families much-needed support and respite. Parents and carers are confident that staff understand and consistently attend to their children’s complex health needs. Feeding and medication regimes are delivered in a careful, caring and nurturing way. This helps children and young people to maintain optimum health as well as providing them with the specific nutrition that they need. Staff are diligent in observing children’s and young people’s appearance and demeanour. They are alert to signs that could indicate distress or a deterioration in their health. Staff are quick to provide reassurance, care and comfort and, where necessary, implement emergency medical procedures.

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Good

Parents feel that their children are very well looked after and are pleased with the service that they get. One thing that parents feel could be improved is staff communicating to them what their children have been doing during their short- break stay. One parent said, ‘This would give me something to talk about with my child.’ Parents retain responsibility for their children’s education. Staff support them in this by ensuring that short breaks do not disrupt children’s and young people’s attendance at school. Children and young people are supported to get to school on time, with secure travel arrangements in place. Staff let teaching staff know how children and young people have been during their short-break stay. This alerts them to any problems or difficulties that may impact on their day at school. The home is very spacious, comfortably furnished and well-resourced in terms of play and sensory equipment. It is organised to meet the needs of children and

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Good

young people with a range of extremely complex physical, mobility and learning needs, with the specialist equipment needed to help staff move and handle children and young people safely. Judgement grade

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Good

Parents say that they trust staff and feel that their children are safe during their short breaks at the home. The majority of children and young people need constant supervision because of their highly complex needs. This means that they do not have the opportunity to put themselves at risk through running away. There are no concerns about child sexual exploitation, but staff work effectively with safeguarding agencies when child protection concerns are identified. Staff support this process by being alert to indicators, such as unusual bruising, that may require further investigation. The storage and administration of medication is managed in a way that minimises risk. On the very rare occasion where a mistake has occurred, this has been responded to in a way that is supportive to staff and helps everyone to learn from the event. This helps to ensure that children and young people are protected from

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Good

such errors. The manager ensures that children and young people are protected by appropriate vetting and checks on new employees. In addition that the home provides a safe and secure space for children and young people to enjoy their time here.

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Good

The registered manager has been in charge of the children’s home since 2011. She is knowledgeable, experienced and suitably qualified to work with children and young people with learning disabilities. The registered manager provides effective leadership to staff and a commitment to their continued professional development. This includes specialist training in autism, sensory therapy and managing medication. Staff effectively apply their learning to their day-to-day work with children and young people. This ensures that their highly complex physical and learning needs are met. Partnership working with parents and professionals is a real strength of the home. This enables children and young people to experience continuity of care and routines of the standard expected by parents. Frequent consultation with health professionals means that staff have up-to-date knowledge of the individual challenges and changes in children’s and young people’s complex needs. As a

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Good

result, staff can be immediately responsive to any change to care regimes. The work that staff do and the goals achieved by children and young people are supported by effective monitoring from the independent visitor and the manager. A requirement for the visitor to confirm that children and young people are safeguarded and their welfare promoted has been met. The manager’s monitoring process is basically sound, but lacks evidence of consultation with parents, staff and children and young people. This means that their views are not taken into account in plans to further improve the service, and goes against the naturally inclusive ethos of the home. A requirement is set for the provider to address this.

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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 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 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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