Children's home run by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council in Bradford

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . Children and young people continue to enjoy and receive good quality care during their short break. They is a range of activities accessible to them, such as the hydrotherapy pool and sensory rooms. Staff have also introduced additional activities that promotes increased interaction between children and young people, such as the ‘cooking club’. This provides further opportunities for children and young people to develop friendships, along with increasing social interaction and participation. Parents and carers feel reassured that their children are being competently looked after by an experienced and motivated staff group who understand the complex health needs of each individual child or young person in their care. One parent commented: ‘The staff are great at caring for my child’s health needs. They ask me

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

lots of questions about her health.’ The staff team ensure that they are fully informed about any changes in children’s care plans, with close working relationships with health care professionals, parents and carers supplementing this. This is echoed by a comment made by a parent: ‘When my child has been ill and I am not there, staff do not hesitate to take her to the doctors’. The administration of medication is undertaken both meticulously and with sensitivity. It is kept in a secure and controlled environment with appropriate checking systems in place to ensure there are no inaccuracies. Since the last inspection staff have completed further training in specific areas, such as epilepsy, gastronomy feeding techniques, and the administration of oxygen. One young person has benefitted and become more settled, partly due to a new feeding regime that has seen a reduction in self-harm. Consultation, and the exchange of information between staff and parents, has

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

improved. Staff engage with the children and young people in creating a scrapbook that details what they have been doing during their short break. This contains photographs, certificates of achievement, and uses simple written language to describe events. There are also visual display sin the home that indicating the achievements made. However, individual bedrooms could be decorated with more personal effects and made to look more homely. Children and young people continue to enjoy outings in the local community. This has included a visit to the theatre to see the Christmas pantomime and three young people went to watch a local football match. Outings involving more than one wheelchair user have been curtailed due to the homes’ mobility van being replaced by a smaller van that can only accommodate one wheelchair. This has resulted in one young person commenting: ‘Don’t want broken bus’. This hinders young people being able to go out in a group, and limits

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

social inclusion. The home is purpose built and spacious with a wide range of equipment, aids and adaptions available to meet the extremely complex physical, mobility and learning needs of the children and young people. Some areas of the home are in need of redecoration and refurbishment that would give a more homely feel to the environment. The recording and reviewing of children and young people’s progress and changing needs is inconsistent, and is an area that requires greater managerial oversight. Revised recording tools and individual behavioural development plans is recognised as a positive initiative, but the implementation of this remains a procedural shortfall. The home has experienced a period when the manager has been absent from work. Suitable cover arrangements are in place, but there has been an impact on service delivery in this area and Ofsted were not informed about this absence. Since the last inspection the manager has taken measures to improve the quality of

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

care and experiences for the children and young people. A visit was undertaken to a similar residential provision to look at the range of communication and interactive approaches that they use with children with complex needs. The manager has taken steps to implement some of these initiatives. The home continues to be effectively managed with some capacity for improvement. The requirement and recommendation made at the last inspection have been met, leading to improved consultation and communication with parents and carers. Two new requirements are made at this inspection and three recommendations.

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.4

Recent inspection history

16/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

6: In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to the internal decoration, replacement of lounge carpet and personal effects and decoration in the bedrooms, the regulation referred to in paragraph (2)(c) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. 31/03/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

48: Notice of absence If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence. If the absence arises as a result of an emergency or is unforeseen, the registered person must give notice of the absence within one week of the beginning of the absence; and specifying the matters in (2)(b). If the notice required under paragraph (2) or (3) has not been given as required, it must be given without delay. The registered person must notify HMCI of the return to duty of the person in day-to-day charge of the home no later than seven days after the date of the person’s return. (Regulation 48(2)(b)(3)(a)(b)(4)(5)) 10/03/2017

p.5

Recommendations

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

p.5

Recommendations

 Children who have disabilities or illnesses may have physical or emotional difficulties which mean that participation in leisure or cultural activities in the community is difficult to achieve. The registered person, in conjunction with any relevant person (such as a parent or the school), should assess what would be safe, achievable and reasonable for each child, in line with their relevant plans, and ensure that appropriate opportunities are available for each child to have fun, form friendships and enjoy life, relative to their stage of development and individual needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.10) This is with particular reference to ensuring that suitable transport is provided so that more than one child who is wheelchair bound can be escorted at the same time.  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the

p.5

Recommendations

needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food, hygiene, etc.). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This is with particular reference to the replacement of the lounge carpet, internal decoration and personalisation of the bedrooms. Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records must be kept up to date and stored securely while they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

p.6

Recommendations

This is with particular reference to the completion of young people’s daily living and development plans.

p.6

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’.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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 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. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the

p.7

Information about this inspection

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 .

p.7

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,

p.8

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Information about this inspection

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

p.8