Children's home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2507038 1 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 privately owned provision is registered as a children’s home to accommodate up to 33 children and young people with special educational needs and learning disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder. There are six detached houses on the one site. The service was registered in March 2019. The registered manager has been in post since 3 July 2019. She holds a registered manager’s award and a foundation degree in therapeutic childcare.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2507038 2

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children 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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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff are not always following child protection procedures. On one occasion, the registered manager and staff did not make a prompt referral to the local authority safeguarding team after a child made an allegation. This could potentially place the child at risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are not being effectively used to ensure that appropriate actions are in place to reduce risk. One risk assessment did not contain all the information available to the registered manager to help inform her decision to allow a member of staff to work with children, pending the outcome of an investigation. This has the potential to place children and staff at risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s needs are not being consistently met. Managers have been unable to meet the long-term needs of a child in line with her local authority care plan. There were insufficient staff to meet her needs. This was due to staff sickness, staff leaving and a lack of newly recruited staff. This resulted in the child being moved to another home within the company on a temporary basis.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers do not always work in partnership with others effectively. The child’s local authority and family were only told of the staffing shortages and the need to move the child at very short notice. The move has meant that the child is not able to see her family as agreed in her care plan.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirement to create a domestic and homely feel to the site and homes, set at the last full inspection, has not been met. Dining room chairs have been replaced but the old chairs are still being used around the buildings. Work to replace the main doors into two homes has not yet been completed. Outdoor play equipment has been ordered but is not yet available to children. The staff team continues to develop the environment and children’s bedrooms feel personalised. However, some shared areas do not feel welcoming.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since moving into the home, the three children who have lived at the service have all made good progress in some areas. For example, this includes attending education, participating in activities on-site and in the local community, developing friendships and enjoying play. Incidents and physical interventions have reduced as relationships develop with staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers are aware of the service’s strengths and areas for development. Specific work is currently underway to recruit to the staff team. The induction, probation and support to new staff throughout these processes has been reviewed and developed with a view to improving the retention and well-being of staff. Inspection report children’s home: 2507038 3 While a recruitment drive is underway, key staff continue to support the child who has moved to another home. The staff team from the other home worked with the child for a fortnight prior to her move. She continues to access education and the numbers of incidents have continued to reduce. Inspection report children’s home: 2507038 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2507038 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)) 31/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 31/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs and seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(d)) 31/03/2020

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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 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 31/05/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2507038 6 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child and ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(d)(e)) 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 31/05/2020

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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.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 2507038 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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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: 2507038 8 to 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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