Children's home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report children’s home: SC449245 1 SC449245 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have a variety of needs.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post. She is in the process of submitting an application to become registered with Ofsted. She is currently working towards completing her level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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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

Since the full inspection, there have been significant changes in the management and staffing at the home. The home’s previous registered manager left on 1 November 2018. A new manager was appointed but left on 30 January 2019 before becoming registered with Ofsted. Another manager was appointed and started on 4 February 2019. She is now in the process of applying to Ofsted to become registered. Inspection report children’s home: SC449245 2 Changes in managers and staff fail to promote the consistency of adults in children’s lives or help children to develop positive, meaningful relationships. Furthermore, management changes have resulted in inconsistent standards of line management support to staff in relation to supervision and training. Although some improvements have been made, these are yet to be fully embedded.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A lack of clear management direction and continuity of staffing has resulted in some aspects of children’s plans not being proactively addressed. For example, one child is not attending education. Another child had a course, which she was doing well at, stopped because a teacher went on maternity leave. The child has been given additional study time at home instead. Staff have failed to support a child to continue with her semi- independence plan, which was started prior to her moving into this home. Key-worker sessions and children’s house meetings are not helping children resolve or understand issues they have with each other. As a result, children are not making good progress in some areas of their lives.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At times, incidents have escalated due to poor staff responses or staff being ill-informed. For example, staff and children voiced frustration at receiving mixed messages about visits with friends and staff supervision arrangements during these times. A child was clear that she had signed a contract agreeing to two staff being present during a visit. However, staff could not understand why she would be unhappy at having three staff present. This resulted in an incident. On the day of the inspection, another visit was scheduled. Staff had not learned lessons from the previous incident and were again suggesting an increased staff presence that had not been agreed. As a result, staff are not working with children. Instead they are making decisions that cause children to be frustrated and angry.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The house is not homely or welcoming. This is a reoccurring theme for this home. There are no photos or personal items around the house. Pictures have not been put up for a child in her new bedroom. Her shower is not working. One of the staff sleep-in rooms continues to smell of damp. This lack of care taken in the environment does not promote children’s self-worth.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff do not adequately consider the health, hygiene and risks of children having pets in the home. Staff have also not considered the additional implications of children having pets when sharing a house with other children. For example, this includes where the animals are going to be kept, the impact this might have on other children, and any risks to the pets. This lack of consideration has led to incidents between two children and potentially put the pets at risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

On a more positive note, the number of times children have gone missing from the home, and the number of incidents of self-harm, have reduced. Staff have taken the time to plan and support children’s moves in and out of the home. Visits to family and friends are promoted. One child’s school attendance and academic progress continue to be positive. She has also researched college courses and has attended interviews, successfully gaining a course place for the next academic year. Inspection report children’s home: SC449245 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2018 Full Good 09/01/2018 Full Inadequate 13/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/09/2016 Full Good

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the workforce provides continuity of care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)(2)(c)(e)) 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (Regulation 8 (1)) 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the 31/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC449245 4 child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; ensure staff are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own

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Requirement Due date

feelings and responses to the behaviours and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(x)) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure staff help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vi)) 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must ensure the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)) 31/05/2019

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Recommendations

 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) This specifically relates to keeping pets.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC449245 5 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

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

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC449245 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 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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