Children's Home run by Bristol City Council in Bristol

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged as requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In the seven months since the full inspection, the staff and managers have worked hard to make significant improvements to the appearance of the home. The home no longer has an ‘institutional’-style appearance and is homely and well decorated. One former staff office has been converted for use as a computer room by young people. The lounge has been decorated to a high standard, with photographs of the young people displayed. Bathrooms have been refurbished and now offer a clean and modern environment for young people to use. One young person has developed an interest in gardening and is creating a vegetable garden and a space for pet rabbits. The young people have been fully involved in the redecoration project and helped to choose many of the colours and furnishings. This investment and involvement in the home by the young people has resulted in far less damage to the home by the young people than before the redecoration.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people report that they feel safe living in the home. The manager has succeeded in ensuring that there is an appropriate mix of young people living in the home, who report that they get on well most of the time and there are no incidents of bullying. One young person said: ‘I really like living here; I would like to live at home but can’t, so this is the next best thing. I like the staff and get on well with the other young people here.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When young people go missing, the staff are proactive, they go looking for them and know the locations where the young people may go to and who with. Relationships with the local police and youth offending team are well developed and are succeeding in helping some of the young people reduce their incidents of being missing from the home and their offending behaviour. When the young people return to the home, staff ensure that an independent person offers a return-to-home interview.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The behaviour of the young people is generally well managed by the staff, who succeed in helping the young people to reduce incidents of risk-taking behaviour, attend appropriate educational placements and improve relationships with their families. Some long-standing ‘institutional’-type practice is, on rare occasions, still being used by the staff. For example, during a recent incident where the young people became angry because the internet was turned off, the staff resorted to locking the kitchen door to manage the behaviour of the young people. The front door is still operated by key fobs, and on occasion the staff lock the door from the inside during team meetings so that they can monitor who is going out.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff report that sometimes having only two members of staff on duty during the day, with five young people, means that the time that is available to be given to some individual young people with complex care needs is limited. The staff report that while safety is not an issue, if there was an additional member of staff then more nurturing, individualised care could be offered to the young people. For example, if one member of staff is out looking for a missing young person, on some occasions this leaves only one member of staff in the house alone with four young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff demonstrate a good understanding of the needs of the young people in their care and their priority is ensuring the well-being and safety of each young person. The staff are knowledgeable about each individual young person’s care needs and understand their safeguarding responsibilities. The staff know all of the young people well, and are vigilant in noticing any changes in behaviour or if a young person appears worried about anything.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people know how to complain and report that they feel listened to by the staff. Relationships between the staff and the young people are positive. It was observed during the inspection that staff use appropriate humour and redirection to engage the young people. For example, one young person who had recently arrived at the home was refusing to unpack his belongings. The staff engaged with him effectively and built relationships until he felt sufficiently relaxed to unpack.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to be well managed by an experienced manager who provides clear direction and has the respect of the stable and consistent staff team, whose members are well trained and supervised.

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Information about this children’s home

 This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 28/06/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/10/2015 Full Good 10/10/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

Ensure that the behaviour management policy is prepared and implemented, which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the home; in particular, that the procedure directs the staff not to lock doors in the home in order to manage the behaviour of the young people. (Regulation 35(1)(a)) 17/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that there are always suitably trained staff on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 2.7)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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 0300 123 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

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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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