Children's home run by Bramley Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC068272 1 SC068272 Registered provider: Bramley Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The staff at this home look after 10 boys for whom there are concerns about their behaviours. The ‘good lives model’ underpins their practice. All children have access to the organisation’s specialist therapeutic service and to the school run from the same premises. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 15 August 2008.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 December 2018

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 29 November 2017

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC068272 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2017 Full Outstanding 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Outstanding 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC068272 3

p.2

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: – detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the homes Statement of Purpose; – detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); – detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; – detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4)(b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications

p.3

Recommendations

completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.8)

p.3

Recommendations

In particular, the registered person should ensure that any formal or informal safeguarding training provided, especially during induction, is recorded appropriately on staff’s records and that maintenance staff’s training records are monitored effectively.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress, and many recognise the difference that living here has made to their lives. Compatibility assessments demonstrate that careful thought is given to whether it is right for a child to come to live here in the home. The assessments consider the child’s needs as well as those of other children. The matching process maximises the chances of successful placements for children and minimises the likelihood of placement breakdown. One child said that he was made to feel very welcome here. He said that everyone, both children and staff, helped him to understand what it is like to live here and that he was settling in well. Inspection report children’s home: SC068272 4 The staff develop meaningful relationships with the children. Children talk about the staff affectionately, saying things such as they are ‘kind’ and ‘good at talking to you’. One child said that ‘the staff show them respect even when they [children] are a little nasty

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

to them’. Many children said they can talk to all the staff.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health, education and well-being improve immensely because of the holistic care provided. The staff quickly identify children’s needs and work with appropriate services to investigate any potential health problems and to develop healthier lifestyles. The three services on the site (the school, therapy services and care staff) work very well together; their combined efforts have transformative effects on children’s lives. The services help children to understand their past, live well in the present and build a better future. Most children could say how the support provided had helped them to make positive progress, have ambition for the future and a greater understanding of themselves.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Activities are promoted well. The staff assist children to be a part of the community and use these events as opportunities to help them to develop strategies which will support them in the future. Where a child knows the career that they want, the staff help them to find activities which will assist them to achieve this, for example a relevant cadet group if a child wants a career in the armed forces.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s views are central to their care. In every aspect of the inspection, examples of this were evident. The children are empowered to work in partnership with adults. They are involved in all decisions, no matter how big or small. This helps children to maintain trust in the people who care for them and lowers their anxieties successfully. One child who had decided to leave was very positive about how the staff had supported his decision. He acknowledged how positive the staff had been in their support and how sad they were at his decision, adding, ‘I know that they care.’

p.4

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

Children are supported well to feel safe. Children said that they feel safe here and are developing their understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe too. They said that the staff were fair and respectful when they challenged them and that the staff issue sanctions appropriately.

p.4

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

Staff know what to do if a safeguarding concern arises. They tenaciously follow up outcomes and progress of safeguarding concerns. However, while managers discuss safeguarding procedures with new staff when they arrive, they do not always record these discussions.

p.4

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

Great importance is placed on helping children to develop good behaviour. This results in children knowing their goals and being keen to achieve these and do well. Several children were positive about getting the weekly ‘star boy’ award, which they clearly valued. Inspection report children’s home: SC068272 5 There is a focus on reward rather than sanctions, which motivates children effectively to improve behaviour. The care staff and therapeutic team emphasised their use of rewards, rather than sanctions, as a positive way to motivate children. As a result, children rarely go missing from the home and few restraints occur. If children go missing, or staff decide to restrain, the decisions are appropriately made and recorded well. Staff reflect on how they can prevent risky behaviour occurring.

p.4

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

Risk assessments make clear statements about the risks for children. The assessments are supported by thorough sets of risk management strategies, which are frequently reviewed and are updated when necessary. A well-considered local area assessment supports staff to understand local risks and how to manage these. If children have free time in a particular area, a separate risk assessment is completed of that area and linked to the child’s particular risks.

p.5

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

The staff manage children’s difficult behaviours very well and model respectful relationships effectively. The staff’s calm approach in all interactions positively assists them to work collaboratively and learn about how they can best support individual children’s needs. The staff:  are extremely good at defusing situations and finding out what triggers a child’s behaviour to change  show great skill in dealing with the complex dynamics and interactions between children  make clear connections about children’s previous behaviours and experiences and their current behaviour.

p.5

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

This has helped children to develop more positive strategies of expressing their feelings and to feel more positive and confident about themselves.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is exceptionally able. She is a great role model for staff and children and resolutely champions children’s rights in day-to-day practice and challenges services which do not meet their needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The methods the manager adopts with children are mirrored in her approach to managing staff. The staff are continually supported to respond to children’s needs appropriately. One child commented on the patience staff have with them. He said that the staff all ‘speak very calmly, no matter what happens’. The manager’s skilful leadership enables the staff team to increase their:  skills in working together as a team  ability to interact therapeutically with children  empathy for what children are experiencing and what has happened to them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are clearly proud to work with the registered manager and the organisation. They Inspection report children’s home: SC068272 6 consider the registered manager’s guidance invaluable and were very positive about how the wider organisation supports and develops them. They feel valued. Children are aware of the excellent team spirit. One child said that the staff are ‘like a big family’. He explained this meant to him that ‘they got on and worked together’.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There a is a full training programme and staff’s needs and progress are assessed at every supervision session. The effects of the home’s formal and informal training are evident in the ways in which staff skilfully work together to care for children. However, records of maintenance staff training are not monitored as rigorously as other staff’s records.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff work well with other agencies. For example, a case involving a social worker who raised a concern was being dealt with well. The social worker had every confidence that the issue would be resolved. In addition, the home’s therapy team is working with a university to review how well psychiatric measures currently used by the team support an understanding of harmful sexual behaviours. They have collated a number of years of data from their work which they also hope to develop into some longitudinal studies of children’s progress.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The organisation is in the process of reviewing how regulation 44 visits are conducted and reports compiled. These aspects have recently improved. For example, the time of day that the visitor arrives now coincides better with when children and staff are present in the home.

p.6

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.

p.6

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: SC068272 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bramley Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nicholas House, Riverfront, Enfield, Essex EN1 3FG

p.7

Inspectors

Ruth Coler, social care inspector Peter Jackson social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC068272 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8