Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC372617 1 SC372617 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

The service is owned by a private company. The home is registered to accommodate one child or young person. Children and young people come to live at the home because of family or placement breakdowns. Some children and young people have specific needs that make their situation very difficult. They may choose not to live in a family setting. Some children and young people have experienced abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager of this home has been in post since 2010. She holds a national vocational qualification at level 4 in care and management, and a therapeutic childcare degree. She also manages another home located close by.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 2019

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC372617 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2018 Full Outstanding 19/09/2017 Full Outstanding 23/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC372617 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people experience personalised, well planned transitions. One young person, who moved out after a highly successful long-term placement, keeps in touch with staff and calls them for advice and support. He achieved his goal of entering the armed forces and staff proudly went to watch him in his passing out parade. A new young person then moved in. Staff went to work with the young person for a time at her previous placement. This helped her to begin to form positive relationships with staff before she moved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person currently living in the home is very happy and settled and wants to live here until she is 18. She has warm and trusting relationships with staff and can talk to them about anything that is worrying her. She loves her bedroom and benefits from living in a calm, comfortable and welcoming home where she can relax. This supports her emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work skilfully and sensitively with the young person. They understand her complex needs and support her in a way that is appropriate to her understanding and learning style. Staff listen carefully to her views, wishes and feelings, which she expresses confidently, and take them seriously. Staff consult with her and explain decisions that are made. Staff respond quickly to changes in the young person’s needs. They adapt their approach and provide her with the care that she needs. They engage her in conversations about her emotions, behaviour, school and healthy meal choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person enjoys a range of fun and stimulating experiences with staff. When she moved in she was reluctant to engage in physical activities, but now benefits from going trampolining, go-karting, cycling, quad biking and swimming. She enjoys helping staff cook and exchanging jokes in the kitchen when they sit down to eat.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is making very good progress in her education, emotional well-being and managing her own behaviour. Staff focus on supporting her social skills and encourage her to join clubs and take up hobbies with other young people. After a lengthy period without attending school, the young person now has 100% school attendance, is making friends and producing good-quality work, especially in cooking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person’s social worker is very positive about the young person’s experiences and the progress that she is making. She highlighted that staff have enabled the young person to see her family again after a year. This is a significant step for her and promotes her emotional well-being and sense of identity.

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

Staff keep the young person safe and she feels safe. Staff know her well and are highly trained. They understand the impact that the young person’s past experiences and developmental needs have on her behaviour and vulnerability. Staff engage with her to Inspection report children’s home: SC372617 4 help her begin to understand and manage her own emotions and behaviour. Firm boundaries and routines provide the young person with structure and security.

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

Staff seldom need to use physical intervention, and then only as a last resort. The young person had been restrained regularly before she moved to this home. This has reduced significantly since she moved in. The few incidents of restraint since the last inspection have been carefully reviewed by the registered manager, who has identified and shared learning points with the team.

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

The young person has not gone missing while living in this home. Despite this, the registered manager has ensured that the local police have essential information about the young person, including a photograph and other important details. Staff would know how to respond if she did go missing. No young people have been subject to exploitation or radicalisation since the last inspection.

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

Staff safeguarding training is up to date and includes important topics such as missing, self-harm, e-safety and ligature use. Staff work closely as a team to reflect on and share effective safeguarding practice. Ongoing communication with teaching staff provides staff with up-to-date information about any issues that arise while the young person is at school.

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

Staff talk to the young person about risks, including road safety, stranger danger and internet safety. They fully understand the young person’s vulnerabilities and are vigilant. Staff recognise and respond appropriately to bullying, which they discuss with the young person.

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

The home is well maintained and safe and the administration of medication is safe. The registered manager reviews the recruitment of new staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with young people. Staff have access to up-to-date risk assessments and behaviour support plans, which the registered manager reviews monthly. These provide staff with valuable, clear accounts of behaviours, triggers and support strategies to reduce and manage risk effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, one young person has left the home after living there for five years. The highly skilled and child-focused registered manager and staff provided him with an outstanding experience. They are now successfully adjusting to caring for another young person with different needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All members of the experienced staff team are in senior roles and hold a level 3 qualification as a minimum. Staff are very positive about working with the young person. They are dedicated, creative and have high aspirations for her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very positive about working here and feel strongly supported by the registered manager and the staff team. Staff supervision is regular and enables staff to reflect on practice and their own professional development. Staff training is up to date and Inspection report children’s home: SC372617 5 supports staff to carry out their roles effectively. Staff engage in regular team meetings, where their views are welcomed by the registered manager. The registered manager knows the strengths and areas for development in her team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Close communication with school staff and social workers ensures that everyone involved with the young person works together. The social worker for the young person is very positive about the work that staff undertake and the quality of the information that she receives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s monitoring of the service is thorough and includes consultation with the young person, staff and social workers. The registered manager ensures that documentation is up to date and shared with staff. Complaints are recorded and responded to appropriately. The registered manager regularly reviews placement plans to ensure that work is appropriately targeted and to monitor the progress of the young person. This means that the service is well run and supports the young person to achieve good outcomes.

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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

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: SC372617 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

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC372617 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 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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