Children's Home run by Bristol City Council in Bristol

Inspection report children’s home: SC034184 1 SC034184 Registered provider: Bristol City Council Interim 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 medium- to long-term care and accommodation for up to five young people. The home is operated by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people have left the home since the last inspection. One young person successfully moved back to their family home. Another young person was admitted to the home as an emergency admission and stayed for four nights only. The home’s statement of purpose does not state that the home accepts emergency placements. Accepting a young person on an emergency short-term basis to the home is unsettling and disruptive for the existing young people who are placed at the home for the medium or long term.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are struggling to meet the care needs and manage the violent and disruptive behaviour of young people who very recently arrived at the home. This admission is causing further disruption to the two young people who were previously very settled at the home and making good progress. An impact risk assessment was not undertaken by Inspection report children’s home: SC034184 2 leaders and managers to evaluate whether the young people would be a good match with the existing young people. Since one young person’s admission, the young people have been regularly fighting. One incident of aggression between the young people was witnessed by the inspector during the inspection. The staff de-escalated the fight promptly, but the incident left one young person visibly upset.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have damaged the home since the previous inspection. Graffiti is etched on a bedroom door, which has not been repaired. In one bedroom, the curtains have been pulled down and the base of the bed is stained. In another bedroom, a young person has left cigarette butts on their bedside table. This risky behaviour has not been addressed by the staff. This room has an unpleasant odour, and there is litter around the room. The bath has a damaged side panel, leaving sharp edges that could injure a young person. One young person reported that they are upset that the new young person is damaging their home and that they are no longer able to access the office, as the door is now locked to prevent the new young person causing damage.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people are making good progress with their education. One young person is now achieving 100% attendance. When they arrived at the home 18 months ago, they refused to attend school. They have achieved a college place to begin in the autumn term. One young person is currently excluded from school. The manager is in discussion with education providers to source an alternative education place for them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A strength of the home is the way in which the staff support young people to repair relationships with their families. The staff succeed in building trusting relationships with the families of young people, which enable effective communication. One young person recently successfully returned home to live with their family. Another young person is now enjoying unsupervised visits to their family and is having overnight stays.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Complaints are promptly dealt with by the manager in line with the home’s complaints procedure. The outcome of complaints is sent in a letter to the complainant. However, the record of complaints does not identify whether the complainant is satisfied with the outcome of their complaint.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents of young people being missing are reduced. One young person was frequently going missing when they arrived at the home and was frequently engaging in risk-taking behaviours. The staff successfully built trusting and nurturing relationships with this young person, and they are no longer going missing from the home. Another young person has increased confidence and self-esteem due to effective support from the staff and is now able to go out of the home alone, which for them is a major achievement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Placement plans have been reviewed since the last inspection. They now contain the aims of the placement and document the progress that young people are making.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are now supporting the young people to create memory books, so they have a reminder in the future of their time living at the home. The manager now has a development plan in place that documents the way in which further improvements will be implemented in the home and within what timescales. Inspection report children’s home: SC034184 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2018 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/06/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 care planning standard is that children receive well planned care from the home and have a positive experience of the admission and transition process.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to the need to ensure that the registered person should only accept placement for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The statement of purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to provide care for. 22/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: SC034184 4

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will be homely, domestic environments. Homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a ‘domestic’ rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) The registered manager should ensure that the damage to the bath panel and bedroom door is promptly repaired and that bedrooms are kept clean and hygienic.  Staff should encourage young people to share any concerns about their care or other matters as they arise. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.13) In particular, young people should be able to state whether they are satisfied with the outcome of their complaint and that this is documented.

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Inspection report children’s home: SC034184 5 Unique reference number: SC034184

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Director of Legal Services, City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034184 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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