Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report children’s home: SC372630 1 SC372630 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service is owned by a private company. The home is registered to accommodate four children. Children come to live at the home because of family or placement breakdowns. Some children have difficulties that make their situation very challenging, or they choose not to live in a family setting at this time. Some children have experienced abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

The home consists of two two-bedded houses. Both houses are detached and share the same garden. They have independent access, in a very quiet residential area.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since July 2018 and was registered with Ofsted in December 2018. She is currently working to complete the level 5 diploma in leadership for health and social care and children and young people’s services (residential management pathway).

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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: 5 December 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC372630 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2017 Full Good 30/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC372630 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. Where appropriate, children should be involved in choosing and preparing meals and opportunities to sit together and eat should be promoted. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

This specifically relates to keeping pets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living at this home and they feel well supported by managers and staff. Staff ensure that children make good progress from their starting points. They develop children’s confidence and understanding through meaningful key-working sessions. They promote education and actively support children who have been out of education to gradually re-engage.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff successfully promote children’s health and well-being. For example, they are working in partnership with health professionals to help a child manage his diabetes. They have supported another child to develop a healthy sleep pattern. They have also helped him sit down at mealtimes and begin to eat hot nutritious meals. There have been some key-work sessions encouraging him to stop eating his favourite junk food and try eating new meals and he has been supported to cook from scratch. However, there is little evidence of staff following up these discussions on a regular basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff team go to great lengths to make sure that they work in close partnership with children’s families. They maintain family links by enabling children to have quality family time. Staff drive one child a very long distance every fortnight to see his family. Staff also supported another child to be a bridesmaid at her mother’s wedding. Inspection report children’s home: SC372630 4

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

Managers and staff are very knowledgeable about safeguarding processes and practice. Managers have appropriately referred all safeguarding concerns, and when necessary, suspended staff pending the outcome of investigations. Good work has been undertaken to support staff to return to work and help children to rebuild relationships. Managers review all safeguarding concerns to identify any lessons that can be learned to improve practice, procedures and outcomes in the future.

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

This home has recently received some anonymous complaints. The responsible individual and registered manager have worked with the designated officer in the local authority to investigate and address any concerns that have been founded. During this inspection, staff and children did not raise any safeguarding or practice concerns in relation to the quality of care or leadership and management.

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

Children reduce their risk-taking behaviours because of the support provided by the staff team. For example, through discussions and developing a child’s interests in appropriate activities, the number of times that she goes missing has significantly reduced. When children do go missing, managers and staff follow procedures well. All incidents are thoroughly recorded and include actions taken.

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

Staff have helped children to personalise areas of their home. This helps them to feel at ease and to feel valued. On occasions, staff need to act more quickly to ensure that the house is kept clean and to identify and replace broken items and worn mattresses. Children enjoy owning pets. However, staff do not always complete adequate risk assessments in relation to this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new registered manager has completed a well-evaluated review of the quality of care provided. She is keen to develop the service and to ensure that children continue to make good progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been several changes to the staff team. Its members now feel settled and are working well together. They feel well supported by managers. They describe the registered manager as ‘approachable and supportive’. They receive regular supervision and training, which enables them to reflect on and develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are regularly held and involve a clinician. The focus is very much on the needs of children. The meetings are well documented and provide an opportunity to develop knowledge and to share practice updates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff team successfully work in partnership with professionals and families. When necessary, the registered manager provides robust challenge to ensure best outcomes for children, for example liaising with school colleagues to put in place an interim education timetable. Inspection report children’s home: SC372630 5

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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: SC372630 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Suzanne Young, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC372630 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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