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’s provision is good because:

 Young people have built and sustained strong relationships with staff.  Young people think that they are well looked after. Staff seek their views and listen to them.  Some young people have maintained their longest successful placement.  Staff are experienced, dedicated and resilient. They have remained child- focused during a period of considerable change within the service.  Partnership working, with a range of professionals and agencies, is effective. Staff recognise that joint working will provide young people with the best support and care.  The staff team provides consistent care to young people. Staff have a nurturing ethos, supported by clear rules and safe boundaries for young people.  Young people receive frequent positive feedback about their achievements. In addition, they benefit from continual guidance on areas where they still need support to make further progress in their lives.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person 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 registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) In particular, that the outcome of complaints must be clearly recorded, and it must be noted whether the complainant is satisfied with the outcome. 28/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation. However, in doing so homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression (‘Guide to the children's home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). In particular, personalise bathrooms, decorate the upstairs landing and make changes to prevent access to the flat roof.  Staff need to have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets as well as their next steps for learning (‘Guide to the children's home regulations including the quality standards’, page 27,

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Recommendations

paragraph 5.11). In particular, staff must make sure that young people’s personal education plans include grades and targets to enable them to support young people’s educational progress.  A child’s plan should form the basis of their care. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 30, paragraph 6.1). In particular, evidence all the care work undertaken to achieve care planning objectives, progress and achievements.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. It provides care for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/08/2015 Full Requires improvement 22/06/2015 Full Inadequate

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Good

Young people have built strong, trusting and sustained relationships with staff. Staff clearly understand their needs and tailor their support to provide individualised care. A young person said: ‘The staff here are sound, I like living here.’

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Good

Young people’s health improves because of changes to their diets, better health care and because they become more aware of the dangers of smoking, and alcohol and drug misuse.

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Good

Similarly, young people’s educational outcomes change for the better. They improve their attendance at school, and their engagement in learning when they are there. An educational professional said: ‘X’s attendance has improved.’

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Good

Young people gain good independence and life skills with the support and guidance of staff. This includes young people helping with household chores and preparation of meals. This increases young people’s self-confidence and ability to be more self- sufficient in adulthood.

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Good

Young people receive good support to maintain contact with their families, through visits and telephone calls. This enables them to keep in touch with those who are important to them.

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Good

Young people live in a homely environment. However, bathrooms and the upstairs hallway lack personal touches, such as pictures and ornaments. The flat roof at the rear of the building presents some health and safety issues, with young people accessing this area.

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Good

Staff demonstrate an extensive knowledge of the risks posed to each young person in their care, and implement specific strategies to keep them safe from harm. Staff work tirelessly to protect and safeguard young people. High-risk behaviour is addressed through effective strategies. This has resulted in a reduction in young people going missing, in challenging behaviour, exposure to child sexual exploitation and involvement in criminal behaviour.

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Good

Young people say that there is no bullying now. When incidents have occurred, staff challenge, discuss with and support young people to stop this behaviour. Young people know that there is zero tolerance of bullying. This ensures that they feel safe within their home.

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Good

Young people benefit immensely from the positive reinforcement of good behaviour. Staff provide consistent care through structured daily routines, specific care planning goals, and clear rules and boundaries. Sanctions for negative behaviour are low in number. Physical interventions are rare and only occur to protect young people and/or others from harm. Staff’s approach to listening to young people, regular discussions, guidance and reassurance enable young people to manage their own emotions and behaviour in a more positive way.

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Good

There is currently a vacancy for the registered manager position. Interim management arrangements have been in place since May 2016, with a qualified and experienced manager supporting the service until September 2016. The local authority is currently recruiting to the post.

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Good

Through effective monitoring, the interim manager and senior team are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. They have made changes to address any shortfalls and to develop the service. They have ensured that recommendations from the last inspection are met. This has brought about improvements in the quality of care that young people enjoy. This ensures that the home operates within its statement of purpose.

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Good

Young people benefit from the care of a stable and experienced staff team. Staff hold the level 3 diploma qualification in caring for children and young people. Additionally, staff are trained in behaviour management, child protection, first aid and more specialist areas, such as drug awareness, cultural awareness, child sexual exploitation and Signs of Safety.

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Good

The staff team is resilient and strong. It has managed a number of changes within the service positively. A staff member said: ‘Our real strength is our good communication and support for each other.’

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Good

Good and effective communication and support systems provide young people with cohesive and consistent care This provides stability to young people who have previously experienced multiple placements.

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Good

Staff work exceptionally well with other professionals, who report that the staff provide good care and support to young people. Staff communicate frequently with social workers, education professionals, health workers, the police and youth offending officers. This multi-agency approach promotes young people’s well-being and safety.

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Good

Prompt action is taken to address any complaints that are made. However, records do not always detail the outcome of the complaint, or if the complainant is satisfied with the action taken. This does not reassure the complainant that they have been listened to or that the home has fully acted upon their concerns.

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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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