Children's home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1255147 1 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

This home provides care and accommodation for up to eight girls who have learning disabilities. A private provider operates the home. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2019. She holds the registered managers’ award and has previous experience of being a registered manager with another organisation.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1255147 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/04/2018 Full Good 05/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1255147 3

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Recommendations

 Children’s homes have a duty to provide access to a telephone that children can use privately (regulation 22(3)(a)). This can include the provision of a mobile phone where appropriate and safe for the child, as long as an alternative is in place for the child to make calls in private if their personal mobile phone is lost, out of credit or broken. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.17) This specifically relates to the service having a reliable phone line in and out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child has been living at the home since the end of June 2019. The registered manager and staff team worked closely with the placing authority, family and child to ensure that her move into the home was a good experience. The registered manager and staff spent time talking to, and gathering information from, key people in the child’s life to help staff understand how they could best meet her needs. They shared information about the home with the child in a format that she could understand. Staff supported her to choose her bedroom and then decorate and equip it to her liking. This has all helped the child settle quickly into the home. Staff are building relationships with the child and gaining her trust. As her confidence grows, they are working at her pace to support her to make good progress in key areas of her life. For example, she is establishing a healthier sleep pattern. Her medication has

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

been reviewed and has reduced. She has explored (and is now enjoying) a wide range of activities in the home and the garden. She is experimenting with and eating a wider range of foods. The staff promote contact between the child and her family and work in partnership with other agencies. Overall, this has been positive. However, there have been two occasions when the home’s phone lines have not worked. This was an ongoing issue on the days of the inspection and was not making communication easy for staff, the child’s family or other professionals.

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

Staff receive a range of safeguarding training which is refreshed and updated regularly as part of the mandatory training programme. Staff know how to initiate safeguarding procedures if required and understand their own roles and responsibilities regarding Inspection report children’s home: 1255147 4 keeping children safe. This is helping the child to become safer. For example, historically the child placed herself at risk by going missing. However, since moving to the home, staff have ensured that the child has not gone missing. Staff consistently encourage the child. They reinforce and praise positive behaviours. They support the child to manage her anxieties, challenges and behaviours. They are working closely with other agencies such as the child and adolescent mental health service to enhance and develop their practice and relationships with the child. As a result, incidents when the child hurts herself have significantly reduced in volume and

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

severity. Staff are supporting the child to develop her communication skills and alternative ways to express and manage her needs and emotions. This is increasing her ability to complete tasks, such as washing and showering, and cope successfully in new situations, like starting at senior school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In February 2019, the responsible individual and registered manager made a strategic decision not to move any more children into the home until they had completed a review of the service and implemented an action plan based on lessons that they had learned. The responsible individual and registered manager made a range of improvements before moving the current child into the home. For example, appropriately experienced staff have been recruited to the new staff team. They have all received an induction, probation and training that ensures that they have the knowledge and skills that they require to meet the needs of the children that they care for. The child is being supported by the right staffing levels that match her specific needs and vulnerabilities. Staff feel well supported by the registered manager. They receive regular supervision which supports them to reflect on and improve their practice. Monthly staff meetings

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

also provide opportunities for continuous professional development. The registered manager and staff ensure that they have good relationships with parents and other professionals. The registered manager ensures that their views are fed into her review of the quality of care. This ensures good standards of practice and positive outcomes for children.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: 1255147 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

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Information about this inspection

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: 1255147 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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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1255147 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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