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 say that they like where they live and get on well with the staff who care for them.  A stable, diverse and experienced staff team provides reliable care and establishes trusting relationships with young people.  Staff are child-centred in their approach and want the very best for young people in their care.  Strong partnership working with other professionals ensures that everyone supports young people’s progress consistently, with a focus on keeping young people safe.  Good care is provided due to the continual monitoring of the quality of care.

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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, fully implement the home’s policy and procedure. 28/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) In particular, that child sexual exploitation training is built upon to provide more in-depth knowledge and understanding. 28/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Homes are required to develop and keep under review a ‘statement of purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s statement of purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in their care (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5). In particular, include more specific detail about the young people to be cared for, and review the staffing arrangements and any building modifications that may need to be considered as a result of these changes.  Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet

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Recommendations

the child’s needs (see regulation 5 (c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8). In particular, ensure that a recommendation made at a planning meeting for a social worker to discuss a contract of expectations with the young person, is met.

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority runs this children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/09/2015 Full Good 17/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/11/2014 Full Good

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Good

Young people make good progress and they benefit from having positive and new life experiences. A young person said: ‘I’m doing OK at college and go full time. The staff are good here and I get on with them all. We had a great holiday in Wales this summer.’

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Good

Young people live in a positive environment, with homely surroundings, which are well furnished and presented, including recently improved facilities for young people with the creation of a games room in the basement of the house. This ensures that young people enjoy and thrive within this safe and secure home.

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Good

A well-established and experienced staff team demonstrates commitment and dedication to improving the lives of young people. They build strong relationships that enable young people to trust them. As a result, young people respond to the clear rules and boundaries set for them within the safe and secure environment in which they live.

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Good

When young people struggle to engage at the start of their placement, staff persevere and over time young people attend health appointments, reduce risk- taking behaviour and start to attend education. Those young people living at the home for a length of time fully participate in health check-ups and have excellent education attendance.

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Good

Young people have developed independence skills. A young person said: ‘I’ve completed my independence training, and can cook and budget well. We all do our own laundry and clean our rooms.’ A staff member said: ‘Work continues in other areas to prepare young people for leaving care, such as minor household maintenance and paying utility bills.’ This approach helps to prepare young people for independence, in line with their age and understanding.

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Good

Young people confirm that they have regular visits to see parents, and have telephone contact and, for some, overnight stays. This enables them to rebuild and maintain support networks with those who are important to them.

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Good

Young people are regularly consulted about their care, daily routines, the running of the home and activities. For example, they decide on menus and say what activities they would like to do. They have also chosen the decor and soft furnishings for the home.

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Good

Young people choose to spend their leisure time by going to the local youth club, visits to the cinema and spending time with friends. They are encouraged and supported to attend their statutory reviews, where they can give their views about the plans for their future.

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Good

When young people make a complaint, staff listen to them and take action to investigate their concerns. However, young people receive no formal response about the outcome of such investigations. This is contrary to the home’s procedures and prevents young people from taking matters further if they are unhappy with the outcome.

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Good

For most young people, the actions of staff to keep them safe has resulted in significantly reduced risk-taking behaviour. In some cases, this has stopped completely. This includes risks such as criminal behaviour, substance misuse or going missing from the home.

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Good

The home adopts a multi-agency approach for those young people with high risk- taking behaviour that includes child sexual exploitation. This involves a cohesive and constant review of the care and support strategies by all the agencies involved. As a result, effective safeguarding measures help to protect young people.

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Good

Young people respond well to praise and to consistently delivered care routines and boundaries. Staff support young people to learn how to manage their own behaviour better, such as giving themselves space and time to calm down. Rewards for positive behaviour support young people’s progress. A young person said: ‘I get on with staff and can talk to them.’ Young people say that they feel safe in their home, and report that there is no bullying.

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Good

Behaviour management strategies work well, with the use of sanctions being rare. This is because of the staff team’s positive approach and skill in de-escalating difficult situations. This is clearly effective, as there have been no physical interventions since the last inspection in February 2016. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager has held his position since 2002 and holds suitable qualifications in social work and management. He has an immense amount of experience of working with children and young people.

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Good

Staff receive good support through informal and formal supervision, and through peer support. Other communication forums include daily shift handovers and staff meetings. These provide the staff with clear leadership and good support, and ensure that young people receive consistent care.

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Good

For several months, the registered manager has been seconded to support another service, with the deputy manager stepping in to manage the home. Monitoring has remained effective during this transitional period, ensuring that young people continue to receive good-quality care.

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Good

Partnership working with professionals from health, education, the police and specialist services is effective. One professional said: ‘The staff communication is excellent. I’m always kept up to date about how X is doing.’ Another commented: ‘Staff will phone for advice and to pass on information.’

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Good

However, the manager does not always escalate concerns when other agencies do not fulfil their commitments to young people. In one particular case, a social worker has yet to share and discuss with a young person expectations about the placement. This may cause unnecessary difficulty for both the young person and staff.

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Good

The manager is aware of the service’s strengths and weaknesses. The home is currently working within the aims of the statement of purpose. However, recent changes to the service’s conditions of registration now include the home providing care for male and female young people. This, combined with building modifications which mean that the home is now a four-storey building, have an impact on the monitoring and supervision of young people. Consequently, to ensure that young people are safeguarded effectively, the statement of purpose requires reviewing.

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Good

Young people benefit greatly from the care they receive from a well-trained staff team. All staff are qualified and hold the national vocational qualification level 3 in caring for children and young people. In addition, they receive training in topics that include behaviour management, child protection and more specialist areas, such as drug awareness. Most staff have received training in child sexual exploitation. However, this is at a basic level and some staff are still to undertake this training. When completed, this will ensure that staff are fully equipped to meet the safeguarding needs of young people in their care. Action has been taken to implement the two recommendations made at the last inspection. These were to ensure that a record is kept following any missing from home incident, and that young people receive a visit from an independent agency. The progress young people are making is now evidenced within their case files.

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Good

This helps to track their achievements and to set new objectives.

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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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