Children's Home run by Brythan House Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: 1260700 1 Registered provider: Brythan House Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children or young people up to the age of 18 years. The home accepts children or young people on a planned basis. The children or young people accommodated at the home may have previously experienced emotional and/or behavioural issues. There is a registered school on site that children and young people can attend. There is a registered manager who has been registered since the home opened in October 2017.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 22 November 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1260700 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/11/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/04/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1260700 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or, if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.3

Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

p.3

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(d)) 31/07/2019

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to: respond to the health needs of children; help children to manage long-term conditions and where necessary meet specific individual health needs arising from chronic conditions or other complex needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12) Inspection report children’s home: 1260700 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a focus on admitting children to this home who have experienced early trauma and have complex emotional health needs. Children are very well supported by a team of staff that radiates emotional warmth. A social worker described staff as ‘warm, welcoming and restorative’.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Therapists visit weekly to support children with their emotional health and to provide staff with strategies to help children regulate their behaviour. Staff have a close working relationship with children’s mental health services and social workers to ensure that a carefully thought-out, individually tailored package of care is provided for the children.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience being wanted and loved. They are happy. They know that staff care about them. Consequently, most children make significant progress with their emotional health. This has led to high attendance at school and engagement in class when previously children had not attended school at all.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not smoke. In fact, some children are very anti-smoking. A member of staff said: ‘I even stopped smoking because she [a child] asked me to.’ This demonstrates a high level of commitment towards the child. Staff talked about them being part of a family and about treating the children as they would their own. A member of staff said: ‘It’s like home from home,’ and the child who was with him agreed.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views and wishes of the children are important to staff. Consultation with children is embedded in the culture of the home. A member of staff said: ‘You can see bits of everybody here.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is currently being extended to provide more space. Children are excited to move into bedrooms with ensuite facilities.

p.4

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

Staff use rewards and praise to give children a sense of pride and self-esteem. Staff know how important it is to be open and honest with children. They have frequent restorative conversations to help children have a better understanding. For example, staff talked to children about the damage that ligatures do when they are tied around their necks. Children have not exhibited this behaviour since this discussion.

p.4

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

Staff use creative strategies to help children with their anxieties and emotional health. For example, if a child does not eat, staff leave their favourite food around, so the child can help themselves, believing that staff are unaware that they are eating.

p.4

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

Children do not take drugs, drink alcohol or go missing from this home. They feel safe and secure because of the strong, nurturing relationships they have with staff. Inspection report children’s home: 1260700 5 Vetting procedures are not yet robust. Important checks such as disclosure and barring certificates and references are sought and received prior to staff commencing employment. However, further checks need to be completed. These checks include:  being clear that a reference has been completed by the referee, particularly if the reference has not been signed or is not on headed paper or via email.  ensuring that there is a record of the discussion when references are verified. This is particularly important when a basic human-resources reference has been received  ensuring that there is documentary evidence of relevant qualifications  ensuring that there is a record of the conversation or risk assessment when a

p.4

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

disclosure and barring certificate is not clear  ensuring that there is a record of contacting all settings where a member of staff has previously worked with vulnerable people to ascertain why the employment ended.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the service. She is experienced and qualified. She is uncompromising about ensuring that children are at the centre of all practice. She has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and has plans to address shortfalls. She is an ambitious and inspirational leader who is highly supportive of her staff. She continually strives to develop the service further to ensure that it fully supports the safety, health and well-being of the children and helps them to achieve their aspirations.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and professionals praised the manager and the staff for ‘sticking with the child’. This has been an enormous challenge for staff because children have sometimes been violent. However, with continuity being provided, and being told that they are loved and wanted, children have settled and are starting to flourish. The registered manager said that she sees the children as her own children and would ‘fight’ for them to stay at the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are committed to and passionate about providing children with a family-like home. Approximately half the team members are qualified. Others are completing the appropriate qualification. Staff receive a limited induction into the home but feel very well prepared and supported for their work. They have completed mandatory training such as safeguarding children and first aid. They also have a therapist who visits monthly to complete workshops on topics such as trauma and attachment theory. However, the staff have not yet received the in-depth training they require to be able to have a thorough understanding of the complex emotional healthcare needs of the children they are looking after. Some further training is planned. The registered manager is also reviewing therapeutic models of care that would fit with the ethos of the home and the children living there. Once this has been decided on, staff will receive training in

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: 1260700 6 this too.

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: 1260700 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brythan House Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1RJ

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jennifer Collighan

p.7

Inspector:

Joanne Vyas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1260700 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector:

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

Inspector:

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

p.8

Inspector:

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

p.8