Children's home run by Bramley Care Limited

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Young people make significant progress in raising their self-esteem and developing internal controls, so lowering their risk of reoffending. A professional commented that, ‘Being at the home has made a huge difference,’ to one young person, particularly his confidence. Another said that a young person was, ‘now engaging, taking part in therapy and accepting responsibility for actions.’

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Attendance and achievement in education are excellent for the great majority of young people. They take pleasure in accomplishments and regard themselves as able to learn. Work experience placements are particularly successful.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Young people have an extraordinarily high level of trust in the manager and her staff, which allows them to accept help, to address very sensitive issues with confidence and to manage change.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 The entire team has a detailed knowledge of each child, his history and background. Staff are fully aware of children’s therapeutic and educational progress.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Young people know that the manager and staff listen to their views, consider them seriously and will act on them wherever possible.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Assessments are thorough and provide a helpful overview of young people’s recent progress, current plans and aims. Where available, end of placement summaries for those who have moved on give a good account of the work undertaken.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Staff encourage each young person to pursue their interests, leading them to take up constructive projects and activities, and so develop their personalities.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Staff meet the health needs of young people well, including helping them to cease smoking and improve their self-care. Care of their emotional well-being is exemplary.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 An effective reward system is in place, which reinforces acceptable behaviour and motivates young people to achieve.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 The manager and staff work well with other agencies and professionals. All those spoken to had a high regard for work undertaken, the methods used and for the welcoming attitude of the team.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Family members highly appreciate the support offered to them by staff. One commented, ‘They are there for my son and for me and I have learned from them.’

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that: (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint a record is made (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: (i) has spoken to the user about the measure, and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate (c) within five days of the use of the measure an addition is made to the record that the child has been spoken to about the measure. In particular, records must show that these timescales have been adhered to. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 12/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review of premises, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (2)) 31/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 The home should take the initiative in identifying others, including local safeguarding children boards, which must play a part for their children, and engage with those relevant people proactively, advocating for the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.7)

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Recommendations

 Staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk of child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered person must specify how staff should support a child who has been missing from care on return to the home, specifically requesting an independent return home interview from the responsible local authority. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraphs 9.28 and 9.30)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent monitoring, including under regulation 44 – the reports of which should be produced in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to accommodate nine young males with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and is one of four run by the service provider. All young people have access to the organisation’s specialist therapeutic service and to the school run from the same premises.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/10/2015 Full Outstanding 25/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/12/2014 Full Outstanding

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Outstanding

Young people come to live in this home with highly troubled backgrounds. On admission they often have histories of not attending school, of frequently going missing and of antisocial behaviour as well as committing offences. Some have had several placement moves. For some, this is the only alternative to custody.

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Outstanding

The organisation, together with home, school and therapy, meets the needs of this group through an approach based on the ‘good lives’ model. This emphasises developing strategies for achieving aims and aspirations without resorting to offending behaviour. It is underpinned by the unconditional positive regard that staff hold for young people. One member of staff said, ‘It is so different here, how the boys are treated with respect and are helped to respect one another.’

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Outstanding

The approach starts before admission. A professional spoke of a young person who was very uncertain about coming: ‘Staff could not have made him feel more welcome on his first visit. He was not judged or criticised and he realised he was not alone, but would be helped with the difficulties he has. It changed his mind.’

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Outstanding

Young people frequently make progress from the point of admission. For example, one who initially ran away several times within a few weeks has not done so for some months, and having hardly been to school prior to arriving is now attending every day.

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Outstanding

The relationships forged between the staff and young people are important to the progress made. One young person said, ‘I had no reason to trust adults before I came here, but staff respect me and so I respect them.’ He added, ‘I’ve learned that if I show respect, people respect me.’ This shows how the team’s approach can effect a remarkable change, one that extends beyond the bounds of the home.

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Outstanding

Firm boundaries are in place from the outset. This includes rules about doing homework before being able to participate in leisure activities and having to demonstrate responsibility before having unsupervised time in the community. Young people spoke of finding this difficult at first but in time the majority appreciate that it helps them to develop their own internal discipline to manage feelings and behaviour.

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Outstanding

Not all those who are admitted respond to the help offered, but staff will go to extraordinary lengths to maintain placements until it is obvious that progress is not going to be possible. In one recent case, a young person only moved on after he had physically assaulted staff on several occasions. There had been joint interventions made in collaboration with psychiatric specialists, a crisis management plan had been put in place and, crucially, the young person had refused to engage with his therapy.

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Outstanding

Most young people do benefit, having invested in the ethos of the home. A staff member spoke of how, ‘Boys put the boundaries in place for themselves and challenge each other if being inappropriate,’ adding that, ‘The group addresses the behaviour.’

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Outstanding

More than one member of the team commented on the importance of close relationships, so that they can offer the kind of support young people need. One said, ‘You read their body language, don’t just go into it straightaway.’ This kind of skilled observation was evident during the inspection when the manager spoke to a young person about how anger shows in his facial expressions. When he later non- verbally displayed frustration, she drew it to his attention and the young person was able to manage the feeling before it became disruptive.

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Outstanding

The emphasis on self-discipline is counter-balanced by rewarding positive behaviour through a points-based system that staff review with young people daily, and the awarding of ‘star boy’ status that carries particular privileges.

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Outstanding

Young people enjoy a range of activities in the home, and their personal interests are encouraged, including growing vegetables for themselves and developing a wild garden. One professional commented, ‘Social input has been excellent. Staff have gone above and beyond to meet particular needs.’

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Outstanding

The therapy undertaken to help young people change is partly done through sessions with the therapeutic team, but also in the daily life of the home. Each evening, staff and young people sit together in ‘handover’ meetings to consider the events of the day. The group addresses problems with the astute use of peer support and challenge, accentuation of positives and repeated offering of opportunities to make amends or show willingness to change. This is skilled work and staff are to be commended for the timely interventions that they make to help young people.

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Outstanding

Young people who have lived in the home for some time spoke of how hard they found the challenging of their actions at first, but recognise that it has made a huge difference to how they think of themselves and how they behave. When asked: ‘What would you say this home has done for you?’ one said, ‘The staff and the handovers – they helped me to change.’ Another replied, ‘I wouldn’t own up to anything before, now I will.’ These young people actively participate in the process of encouragement and challenge that helps others to progress too.

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Outstanding

The outcome is that young people are much better equipped to manage their behaviour and to be safer in the community than if they had not had the kind of assistance available at the home.

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Outstanding

The statement of purpose is fully justified in stating: ‘Family contact is facilitated extremely well and the staff team understands the importance of contact for both the young people and their families.’ There has been some excellent practice in the transition of contact from supervised to unsupervised, with staff drawing up working agreements, agreeing contingencies and providing telephone support and transport. As a result, a significant step has been taken, with everyone confident that it would be safe and successful.

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Outstanding

Personnel files show that safer recruitment protocols are followed, with the manager vigilant about such issues as gaps in employment histories and following them up with previous employers. This helps to prevent the possibility, for example, of anyone attempting to hide a period in custody from working with vulnerable children.

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Outstanding

Staff record significant incidents, such as physical interventions and measures of control, extremely well, with attention paid to antecedents as well as the incident. The manager addresses these with young people and staff members, but only occasionally dates records to evidence that timescales set in regulations are met. Young people’s comments are frequently given, although rarely signed. When no comment is made, staff do not record if young people have been asked or not.

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Outstanding

Staff demonstrate acute awareness and good practice regarding risks, such as missing and inappropriate behaviour. Swift action has prevented situations from developing into safeguarding issues. They are less familiar with sexual exploitation or radicalisation, as high levels of supervision of young people and limited access to the internet mean that young people are at a far lower risk than might otherwise be the case.

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Outstanding

Staff have responded well to episodes of young people absconding, following protocols closely, both when they are missing and once they return. The home’s policy refers to return to care interviews being required, but not who should conduct them. There is confusion among staff as to who should be asked to do these. The manager has been proactive in arranging for a member of the neighbourhood policing team to undertake interviews, but has not consulted with placing authorities about their protocols. The officer does not supply feedback that would inform the home’s risk assessments but the staff are, nevertheless, successful in helping young people to avoid absconding in the future.

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Outstanding

Staff deal with disclosures and other serious incidents promptly. They follow procedures and liaise well with other agencies. This demonstrates to young people that the home prioritises their safety.

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Good

The provider has completely revised the home’s statement of purpose since the last full inspection. It clearly sets out the objectives of the service, the approaches used to achieve them and the standards of practice it has set. The manager leads a team that fulfils these aims in their entirety and aspires to better the lives of children and young people.

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Good

Research and experience are used in therapy, education and in the home to develop and achieve aims. A culture of ‘continuous improvement’ is engrained in the organisation and in the manager’s leadership style. A revised development plan sets out aims for the home that identify areas for change, how these are to be achieved, who is responsible for undertaking them and by when. It addresses improvements in the physical environment, gathering information to develop practice, monitoring arrangements and specific areas of work with young people. It is an exemplary document.

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Good

The independent person undertaking regulation 44 visits to the home has recently changed, leading to reported problems in communication and a delay in the provision of reports. This has had an impact on the effective external monitoring of the home’s care of young people.

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Good

The manager has addressed the requirements and recommendations of previous inspection reports to good effect. This includes the revised development plan, the compilation of a workforce plan and a new sharing of information consent form. A new impact risk assessment document for admissions and a transition folder for young people leaving the home have been introduced, but require bedding into practice to achieve their objectives fully.

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Good

Impact risk assessments have limited information in them to demonstrate that all concerns have been addressed in making decisions about admissions. However, the manager revised one during the inspection, which made it a more comprehensive document and showed that she knew the potential risks and had acted on them.

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Good

Transition files collate evidence of work done to assist young people to move on from the home. They demonstrate how managers have arrived at decisions, which is particularly important when they have given notice on a placement, but they lack information about how staff have assisted a young person. Details of how they have been told of the decision, introductory arrangements and emotional support offered are not routinely included.

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Good

Both permanent and bank staff spoken to report that they are well supported by the manager and colleagues. The home has a policy for the supervision of agency workers, depending on the number of shifts worked, and the workforce plan should reference this. Vacancies have increased recently, leading to a reliance on staff from other homes within the organisation and agency workers to cover shifts. However, the manager is careful to ensure continuity of care by selecting those known to young people whenever possible. The majority of young people say that this does not have an impact on their care.

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Good

Professionals are complimentary about the high level of communication with them. Some mentioned that phone calls and emails are returned promptly, others that staff will always find time to talk to them about how placements are going. One was impressed by, ‘The excellent standard of reports, always corroborated by what is said by staff at reviews.’ Emails on case files also evidence the efforts made by staff to obtain relevant documentation from placing authorities. This all demonstrates the part that the home plays in ensuring that agencies work together for the benefit of children and young people.

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Good

The organisation’s residential, therapy and education provision cooperate together extremely well through joint meetings and information sharing to ensure that each discipline is fully informed about developments. Young people’s care is therefore consistent and helps them to focus on relevant issues in each setting. The collaboration enables many young people to make remarkable progress.

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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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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