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

Inspection report children’s home: SC397092 1 SC397092 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 children’s home is operated by a private company. The home is registered to accommodate two children who exhibit complex behaviours because of their childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has 11 years of experience as a registered manager at other children’s homes and holds a level 4 qualification in management. She has applied to Ofsted to become registered as manager at this service.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 December 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

Date of last inspection: 5 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC397092 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2019 Full Good 31/01/2018 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC397092 3

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments; however, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person is responsible for leading a team which provides high quality care for all children living in the home. They must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children which is demonstrated through care, resources and opportunities offered to children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff proactively support children to move in and out of the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out to a semi-independence provision nearer to her family home. A younger child has moved into the home. Staff have helped her to settle quickly by establishing and maintaining important everyday routines, such as personal hygiene, mealtimes and age-appropriate sleep patterns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children, which enables them to encourage good progress. For example, one child had been out of full-time education for a significant period. Staff worked in close partnership with her new school, and with support she is now making good academic progress. Another child has been researching and trying new clubs and hobbies in the local community. As a result, he is now regularly attending sea cadets and is about to start playing for their football team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The new manager and the staff are in the process of redecorating and refurbishing the house. Both children’s bedrooms have been redecorated and are personalised. A new range of age-appropriate toys and activities have been purchased for the younger child who has recently moved into the house. However, broken furniture in the hallway and sitting room and a ripped settee in the sitting room do not make this house feel homely or well cared for. A muddy walk across the lawn to the front door, no doorbell, and a lack of outside lighting to the house and staff cars also present a health and safety risk and do not make a good first impression of the house. Inspection report children’s home: SC397092 4

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

Children are kept safe by well-informed staff. Staff promote positive interactions and behaviour through discussion and praise. Consequences and physical interventions are rarely used, and only as a last resort.

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

Staff know children well. They use their positive relationships to influence children’s actions. As a result, historical high-risk behaviours such as going missing from care significantly reduce. When incidents do occur, staff are quick to react, and they resolve matters by following appropriate procedures with partnership agencies. Children are well supported to explore and discuss their actions in key-worker sessions and with independent professionals.

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

There are daily discussions that support children to develop the skills they require to live successfully alongside others. Staff are also skilled at managing the environment. They ensure that each child feels listened to and has enough dedicated time and attention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, a new manager has been appointed to the home. She has used monitoring systems effectively to capture children’s progress and to ensure that documentation is in place. This has allowed her to address shortfalls, understand strengths in the home and identify areas that require further development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are still building relationships and developing consistent ethos, practice and parenting. This process has not been helped by the fact that the manager has not had a consistent deputy or senior team to support her. This has meant that she has struggled to model practice over a 24-hour period to train and develop staff, and establish a consistent team approach. There has been no team building or team training. A deputy has now been appointed and is due to start in post soon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are, however. feeling supported. They are now receiving regular supervision, all mandatory training is up to date and team meetings are taking place on a monthly basis. The staff know the current children well and are beginning to tailor the service to meet their individual needs.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC397092 5 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: SC397092 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: SC397092 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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