Children's home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255147 1

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Bryn Melyn Care Limited

Monitoring visit 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.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit to the home on 26 May 2020 because of concerns raised in a complaint to Ofsted on 21 May 2020. During the monitoring visit, the inspector found specific failings in the leadership and management of the home, which have compromised young people’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to ensure that staff follow young people’s risk assessments to ensure that young people are kept safe. The manager reviews the young people’s risk assessments after incidents and significant events. However, due to staff’s poor recording of significant incident records, it is not possible to see whether these new actions are being followed by staff or whether they are being successful in preventing future events.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not established the actions taken by staff or ensured that records are updated to be clear and accurate. There are no records of staff de-briefs or reflections on practice. There has been no follow-up work completed with the young people, to help them understand the impact of their actions.

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This monitoring visit

A partnership agreement for staff to call a parent daily is not being consistently followed. The time for the call detailed in the agreement is not clearly recorded in the child’s plan, and there have been occasions when staff have not phoned at the agreed time.

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This monitoring visit

The premises of the home are not maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to their health or promote their well-being. The decor in the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255147 2 house is tired. There are stains on walls where food and drink have been thrown and staff have not been able to clean it off. The curtains in one young person’s room had no hooks on them and were hanging off the rails. Some furniture is broken. Other areas of the home look institutional. Hygiene and cleanliness in the home are poor, which presents a health risk to children and staff. Areas of the home were dirty, and the kitchen and bathrooms did not have adequate handwashing or drying facilities.

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This monitoring visit

Positive changes have been made at the home. There has been a permanent staff team in place since the beginning of April 2020. This has enabled the manager to work off shift and concentrate on supervising staff and on operational matters. Since the end of April 2020, there have been no agency staff used at the home. However, new staff are still developing skills and working to build positive relationships with the two young people.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring visit, the inspector spoke with staff on duty, who demonstrated that they are being supported to understand the plans in place to keep young people safe. They are also able to talk about incidents, and the actions taken as a result of incidents, to prevent them from happening again in the future. These are positive early indicators of progress.

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This monitoring visit

The reoccurrence of incidents and themes in this home leads Ofsted to question whether staffing levels are adequate to ensure the safety and well-being of children and to ensure the day-to-day operation and upkeep of the home. If all the staff on shift are required to supervise young people to prevent incidents, it is unclear how they are expected to undertake additional tasks such as cooking, cleaning, the maintenance of the home and completion of paperwork.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has issued the provider with two compliance notices and also a notice restricting accommodation. Ofsted will undertake a further unannounced monitoring visit to monitor the provider’s compliance with these notices.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 28/08/2019 Full Good 11/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/04/2018 Full Good 05/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255147 3

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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. 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; help each child understand how to keep safe; and have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(d)) * 28/06/2020

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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. The standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(d)(h) * 28/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive well- planned care from the home and have a positive experience of admission and transition processes. 28/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255147 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and his or her parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14(1)(2)(d)

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements. The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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: Bryn Melyn House, 3 Hawksworth Road, Central Park, Telford, Shropshire TF2 9TU

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255147 5 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 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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