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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 1

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Bryn Melyn Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for young people who exhibit complex behaviours because of their childhood experiences. The home provides care for up to four young people. It was registered by Ofsted in October 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is without a registered manager. The current acting manager has made an application to Ofsted to register and this is being processed. She holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this monitoring inspection because of concerns regarding two incidents at the home. Information given to Ofsted by the provider indicated that children may have caused harm to each other while living in the home. The monitoring visit focused on whether the acting manager took sufficient and timely action following the incidents to ensure that children were effectively safeguarded.

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This monitoring visit

The inspection found that the acting manager took action to ensure the safety of children living in the home, once she was made aware of the incidents. This included reporting the incidents to the children’s placing authority, liaising with the designated officer and supporting statutory processes. However, staff delayed reporting the incidents to the acting manager and this prevented timely action being taken. If staff were deemed to have potentially failed in their duty of care, the organisation took immediate action. Now that statutory processes have been completed, the acting manager will be undertaking an internal investigation.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has ensured that children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans have been updated following the incidents. However, these plans lack detail about the incidents that have occurred and do not give staff clear Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 2 guidance on how to safeguard the children concerned. The acting manager has now addressed this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has not ensured that the matching process for children admitted to the home is sufficiently robust. In particular, impact risk assessments failed to reflect that two children had a known history of sexualised or sexually harmful behaviour. This oversight meant that decisions to admit children to the home were not based on all of the available information.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured that the home has a range of suitably experienced staff to meet the complex needs of the children. Out of a staff team of 11, seven staff have no previous experience of working in residential childcare and are in the process of completing their induction work plans. This lack of experience means that a large proportion of the staff who work at the home lack the level of understanding that would be expected of individuals working with children who have complex needs.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has taken immediate action to ensure that staff working in the home receive additional training to increase their knowledge and understanding, particularly regarding the risks associated with children who display sexually harmful behaviour. The acting manager has also appointed a new deputy manager to the home. He has experience in residential childcare and has worked at another home in the organisation. It is anticipated that he will provide the less experienced staff with practical guidance.

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(iv)(vi)) 26/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to 26/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 3 fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(c)) The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide

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Requirement Due date

care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that impact assessments accurately reflect all known risks for children who are being considered for admission to the home, and for children already living in the home. 26/04/2019

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 4 to 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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