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

Inspection report children’s home: SC431696 1 SC431696 Registered provider: Bradford Metropolitan District Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by the local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation under short-break arrangements for up to 10 children or young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities, some of whom have complex and/or life- limiting conditions.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a permanent manager in place who has been registered since June 2011.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC431696 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2017 Full Outstanding 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Good 16/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC431696 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 28/09/2018

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Specifically, ensure that staffing rotas allow for adequate rest days between shifts and that supervision is provided at regular intervals for all staff.  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Specifically, ensure that supervision contains reflection about practice and

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Recommendations

identifies any appropriate actions, training or development activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people who attend for short breaks receive attentive and child- centred care from the staff team. The staff have a detailed knowledge of their care needs, gathered through strong partnerships with parents and carers, schools and health professionals. Inspection report children’s home: SC431696 4 Children and young people and their families receive a sensitive and planned introduction to the home which results in children and young people settling well and families feeling reassured and welcomed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The service provided by the home is greatly valued by the parents and carers of the children and young people. One parent said it is like her child’s ‘second family’. She feels that he is ‘a million percent safe and looked after’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Due to the staff team’s attention to detail, the children’s and young people’s complex health needs are extremely well looked after. The team members use their knowledge of individual children and young people to make sure that they are comfortable and well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are proactive and creative in the ways they enable the children and young people to take part in different activities and experiences. For example, one young person is going to have a tent in the garden so that he can camp. The staff created a ‘movie night’, making tickets and pretend ice creams with the children and young people who receive gastric feeding and then showed a film on a big screen. This enabled children and young people who are unable to attend the cinema often because of their health needs to have a fun experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff use observation well to interpret the feelings of the children and young people who are non-verbal. They use a range of communication systems, such as objects of reference, to help them communicate their wishes. They create opportunities for all the children and young people to make choices in their day-to-day lives, such as arranging toys so that children can self-select them. One young person requested that the computer be moved to a more accessible location and this was acted on.

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

The principal risks to the children and young people arise from their complex health needs, and the staff team manages these very well. There are good systems for administering medication and there have been no errors since the last inspection.

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

The staff are very experienced, and this knowledge enables them to be alert to any signs that a child or young person is unwell. They contact parents and health professionals appropriately, where necessary. The well-being of the children and young people is always their prime consideration.

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

The staff are attuned to the cues of individual children and young people. This helps them to de-escalate any frustrations quickly and avert significant incidents of challenging behaviour. The staff do not need to use any physical intervention and the children and young people are relaxed and happy.

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

Other risks to the children and young people, such as any lack of awareness of danger, are identified through good communication with parents and carers and school staff. They are documented in clear risk assessments which guide staff practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC431696 5 The children and young people are kept safe by effective door entry systems, a secure outdoor area and specialist equipment to cater for their physical needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team are extremely experienced in caring for children and young people who have a wide range of conditions. They confidently administer gastric feeds, manage seizures and provide routine and structure for those who have autistic spectrum disorder and other complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are knowledgeable about the plans for the children and young people. These are comprehensive and provide them with clear guidance about how to meet needs and minimise any identified risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Goals, identified in partnership with parents/carers and school, help the children and young people to make progress. The staff are thoughtful about helping them to achieve these goals. For example, for one child they have purchased a special toileting chair so that it is the same as the one used at home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recently introduced a ‘child and employee of the month’ to motivate and reward the staff, children and young people. One young person enjoyed a prize of mayonnaise, her favourite food, and a magazine because she had invented her own sounds by which to communicate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is currently experiencing high levels of absence due to long-term health leave. The manager has succeeded in achieving consistency of care for the children and young people. However, this has had an effect on other areas, with one member of staff working a significant number of shifts without adequate rest days. This practice could lead to unsafe care practice, having an effect on the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Gaps in supervision mean a significant number of staff have not received supervision on a regular basis. Where supervision has taken place, it does not routinely provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their practice, identify appropriate training and development or identify actions to improve practice and performance. The manager does not carry out annual appraisals. The staff last had appraisals in 2016. This leaves the staff without adequate opportunity to improve and develop their practice and for management to monitor their performance.

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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 differences 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC431696 6 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: SC431696 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sir Henry Mitchell House, 4 Manchester Road, Bradford, Yorkshire BD5 0QL

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Inspector

Janet Black, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC431696 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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