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

Inspection report children’s home: SC059635 1 SC059635 Registered provider: City of Bradford Metropolitan Borough 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 is a local authority children’s home for six children and young people. The registered manager has been in post since 2016.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home has been subject to a notice restricting accommodation since the last full inspection. This ended on 4 June 2018 following a monitoring inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC059635 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2018 Full Inadequate 30/08/2017 Full Good 30/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC059635 3

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Recommendations

 Children should be encouraged to develop positive relationships with others both in and outside the home as set out in the positive relationships standard. However, staff should be alert to the possibility that children may be at risk from such relationships including with other children in the home, staff, family members, friends and others outside the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.13)

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Recommendations

 The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Children and their parents should be supported to understand the nature of records kept by the home and how to access them. Staff should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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improvement to be good

Outcomes for the young people are beginning to improve following a period when their progress was declining.

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improvement to be good

Proactive partnership working between the registered manager and the virtual school has resulted in an increased availability of educational provision for some of the young people. The staff have successfully supported young people to engage with this. Some of the young people have accomplished sitting their GCSE exams.

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improvement to be good

The perseverance of the staff has resulted in some of the young people securing places at post-16 provisions with a view to them starting in September. This is considerable progress for some young people who have not attended external educational settings for a long time.

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improvement to be good

The young people’s well-being has improved since the last inspection. They are feeling more secure in the home and say that it is ‘much calmer’ now. The stress and anxiety felt by some young people have diminished, and they are now gaining confidence. One young person has started to spend more time outside of her room and is able to join in with outings and group activities.

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improvement to be good

The young people now have opportunities to engage in a range of constructive activities with staff such as dog walking, meals out and day trips. They are busy planning and looking forward to their summer holiday when they will fly in a plane for the first time. Inspection report children’s home: SC059635 4 This is at the request of a young person. A Roma storyteller has visited the home as part of literacy week. These activities are strengthening young people’s relationships with the staff, widening their experiences and building their self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Careful planning has taken place for the admission of two new residents to the home. The manager has assessed their needs and risks against those of the existing group. The new residents have been introduced sensitively to the existing young people, which has been especially important given their understandable fears about a return to the previous unrest in the home.

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improvement to be good

The young people are having appropriate contact with their families. They are being supported to manage their feelings around this when they encounter difficulties. One young person has made such progress that the plan is now for her to return home in a phased transition, supported by the staff. This is a significant achievement for both her and the staff team.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have been effective in the actions they have taken to enable the young people to start making positive progress. However, these actions have yet to be securely embedded in care practice to ensure that the young people’s improved outcomes are sustained.

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

The young people can identify a trusted adult whom they would turn to. They report feeling safe in their home now.

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

The vulnerabilities and risks associated with individual young people are documented in plans which are regularly reviewed. The contents of these plans are known by the staff, including any casual staff. However, in the case of one newly admitted resident, there has been an assumption that his existing friendships are appropriate and safe. While there is no evidence to suggest that this is not the case, more exploration of his whereabouts when out in the community, to include in his risk assessment, would strengthen safeguarding practice.

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

Staff are now consistently following the routines and boundaries put in place for the young people, and the young people are responding to this well. Behaviour has improved markedly, meaning there has been no need to use physical intervention in the last two months. Incidents of challenging behaviour and young people going missing have stopped, and there have been no safeguarding notifications since the last inspection. This is a significant achievement for the staff in being able to support the young people in managing their feelings of frustration and anger more appropriately.

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

Relationships between the young people are now managed in an appropriate and restorative way by the staff. The youth service has started a 12-week programme around bullying in which all the young people are engaging. This is helping them to learn how to deal with their relationships more effectively and understand the impact of their actions on others. Inspection report children’s home: SC059635 5 The young people are rewarded for positive behaviour through a financial incentive scheme and through rewards tailored to their individual interests. For example, one young person receives WWE items as he loves watching wrestling.

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

All the staff have refreshed their safeguarding and de-escalation of conflict training so that they are aware of their responsibilities in this area. One member of staff has undertaken training in ‘cyber safety’ and is sharing the key aspects with the others to ensure a consistent response.

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

Alongside staff, three of the young people engaged with fire safety training and achieved a level 2 certificate. These young people are helping to build positive relationships and are teaching the others about how to keep safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager has taken decisive action to address the shortfalls identified. As a result, all the requirements made at that inspection are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New admissions are subject to well-planned transitions since the regulator lifted the restriction on accommodation. Good partnership working with social workers, carers and the young people has resulted in the staff being able to plan how to meet the needs of all the young people, and keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s expectations around boundaries and education are beginning to effect positive change, with young people now making progress in terms of their education, well-being and behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are receiving regular supervision that is focused on the needs and the progress of the young people. Regular team meetings are developing the knowledge and skills of staff. These have addressed topics such as managing change and team working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The physical environment is much improved since the last full inspection. Damage has now been repaired and the home is well furnished and homely. The young people are supported to clean their rooms and appreciate their environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ensuring that records are in place to inform care practice and to document the lives of the young people, however they are not written in a child-friendly way. For example, key-work sessions are recorded and held electronically so the young people do not contribute their opinions directly and are not able to access the records freely. The current format prevents the young people from being able to fully reflect on and engage in the process. The manager is in the process of introducing a more collaborative way of chronicling this work, but it has yet to be embedded in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The internal monitoring of the home has improved, with the manager using a range of checks to ensure that the young people are having constructive experiences and are making positive progress. External monitoring through the independent visitor is good. Inspection report children’s home: SC059635 6 Reports provide a thorough account of practice in the home, with appropriate actions being raised. The manager acts to address any concerns swiftly.

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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 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: SC059635 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: City Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD1 1HY

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Inspector

Janet Black, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC059635 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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