Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children's home: SC372619 1 SC372619 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 September 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

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

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children's home: SC372619 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person is making outstanding progress in all areas of his life.  The young person has positive relationships with staff.  Staff have helped the young person to develop an interest in scooters. This has resulted in him forming positive, sustained relationships in the local community.  The young person has re-engaged with school. His attendance and academic progress have improved significantly.  Previous challenging and risky behaviours, including violence towards staff and damage to cars and property, have stopped.  Missing from care incidents have been reduced significantly, because of the input of the registered manager and staff team.  The staff team is small and consistent. Members are experienced, qualified and passionate about their vocation.  The registered manager is a skilled leader who fosters positive relationships with partner agencies, staff and the young person.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Good 11/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC372619 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young person is making outstanding progress because of the support that he receives from a consistent staff team. He has settled into his new home and has built positive relationships with staff. They are proud of his significant achievements, and have high expectations that he will continue to grow and develop new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young person has overcome his negative feelings towards school and is now attending full time. Staff strongly encourage his continuing progress and improvement. Staff have ‘gone the extra mile’, and initially attended school with him to provide additional support. This is no longer required. However, staff are still in day-to-day contact with school staff. When there have been difficulties, they have liaised with education staff and advocated on his behalf. More recently, they have arranged for the young person to receive regular homework and negotiated a change in his timetable, which has resulted in an increase in the amount of time spent on academic subjects including English, maths and science.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Within school, the young person’s confidence and self-esteem have increased immeasurably. He has attended school events and actively participated. He has taken on key roles and responsibilities and supported other young people new to the school to settle in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage the young person to experience a wide range of hobbies and activities. As a result, they have discovered his interest in stunt scooters. The registered manager and staff team purchased a scooter and have supported him to visit local skate parks. Through this activity, he has made friends in the local community. Some have become close friends with whom he socialises. He also goes to their houses for sleepovers and they stay with him at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young person has developed and sustained positive relationships with his family. The staff team is highly influential in this important aspect of his life. They have provided transport not just for the young person but also for family members. This ensures that family contact takes place. A social worker stated: ‘The progress he has made since moving into the home is amazing. He didn’t have any positive interaction with peers. He now has friends and siblings who visit him and stay over.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young person has developed a good range of knowledge and skills that will support him to become more independent and move successfully into adulthood. He enjoys a healthy lifestyle and undertakes tasks around the house, which he has fun doing alongside staff. He cooks, does his own laundry, helps to decorate the house and maintains the garden. He is responsible for, and successfully cares for, his pet hamster. He has responsibly increased the amount of unsupervised time that he has with friends and in the local community. He keeps in touch with staff, and negotiates and organises social arrangements. Inspection report children's home: SC372619 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff have very successfully changed patterns of historical high-risk behaviours, including violence towards staff and damage to cars and property. There have been no physical interventions or consequences for this young person since the last inspection. Staff resolve any incidents effectively through discussions and key-worker sessions. Staff are very skilled in identifying triggers and providing alternative solutions to difficult situations. Staff use the ‘Playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, empathy’ (PACE) model of parenting to develop the young person’s emotional stability and coping strategies. The young person told the inspector: ‘Staff are all about communication. We talk about everything. Then things get sorted. I think I have learned a lot from them. I still don’t always get it right, but I am getting better at it. I think this is my best improvement. It’s all about listening.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff have a clear understanding about how to manage any safeguarding allegations. When there are concerns, they work quickly and effectively with partner agencies to ensure the safety of the young person and achieve a positive resolution that informs future practice. They receive regular safeguarding training that covers a range of topics, including being missing from home, child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. This is enhanced by research and discussions, with a psychologist, which are specific to the young person’s needs. The young person knows how to raise a complaint or concern, and is confident that the registered manager and staff team will act quickly to help him with any of his worries.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff skilfully balance the young person’s need for safety with his increasing independence. They promote and support the young person’s social experiences. This includes having free time away from staff and increasingly regular contact with his girlfriend and friends. When the young person has gone missing from the home, staff have dealt with this well. The registered manager is clear that these are ‘life lessons’ and should be used to learn new skills. Discussions, negotiations and compromises take place, and these help the young person to reflect and learn. This has resulted in a month-by-month decrease in incidents, successfully leading to no incidents in May, June, July and August 2017.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The home is well maintained, homely and inviting. The young person and staff have worked hard to develop the house and garden, and have successfully created a more welcoming and cared for environment. The responsible individual is involved in the development of this service. This year he is focusing on the standard of the environment. He produces monthly reports and action plans. These support the registered manager and staff team to raise standards. Inspection report children's home: SC372619 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A qualified, skilled registered manager has led the team since 2010. She holds a national vocational qualification at level 4 in care and management, and a therapeutic childcare degree. The registered manager also manages another home located close by.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has excellent insight into the strengths of the home and the areas for development. She uses internal and external quality assurance tools, as well as consultation, to continue to develop the home and drive up standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Consistency within this team of staff is outstanding. The three members of staff who work with the young person have not changed since he moved into the home in October 2016. They cover each other’s annual leave and sickness to ensure continuity of care. The young person stated: ‘The staff team is outstanding. They are not like other staff. They are here for me. They listen to me and help me to sort out problems. They tell it as it is… they are honest with me. They want me to do well and improve.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team consists of the registered manager, a deputy and two senior staff. They are all appropriately qualified and experienced. They are well supported through training, regular supervision sessions, appraisals and team meetings. A psychologist attends all staff meetings. She is currently working with the registered manager to develop the staff team’s knowledge of the parenting model and PACE. Each month, the whole team works though a set topic. This registered manager and staff team are eagerly developing their learning and practice from the resulting discussions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The young person’s records are extremely detailed. They present an excellent picture of his experiences and progress. Records are maintained to a very high standard, and information is well organised in case files.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff team have excellent relationships with parents and other professionals. When necessary, for example when outcomes for the young person are possibly being compromised, the registered manager is not afraid to challenge other professionals to secure appropriate change. For example, she has challenged education professionals to ensure that the young person receives homework. She has also requested changes to his school timetable to make sure that he receives the support that he needs to gain academic qualifications. Inspection report children's home: SC372619 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children's home: SC372619 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Edward James House, Hadley, Telford TF1 6QJ

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC372619 8 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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