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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 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 is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who exhibit complex behaviours because of their childhood experiences. It was registered by Ofsted in October 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 21 September 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this monitoring inspection because of concerns regarding incidents involving children at the home. Information provided to Ofsted by the independent visitor stated that children have caused harm to each other. Additional information given to Ofsted by the provider indicated that children may be at risk of harm when using electronic devices to access the internet. The monitoring visit focused on whether the acting manager took sufficient and timely action following the incidents to ensure that children were safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

There are four children living in the home. Since the interim inspection, there have been changes to the management team and a new manager and deputy manager have been appointed. Both staff members have been promoted internally and are familiar with the home. These appointments have provided consistency and continuity for the children and staff in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home is comfortable and welcoming and has undergone significant redecoration. Children have enjoyed personalising their rooms. One child informed the inspector that he was looking forward to his recliner chair being delivered for his bedroom. There are photographs of the children throughout the home. The homely environment helps children to feel supported and settled in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. One professional commented that ‘Staff and managers are super committed to each child in the home.’ The inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 2 observed children interacting with staff in a relaxed and friendly manner. Children confidently express their views, wishes and feelings to staff, who respond positively.

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This monitoring visit

Staff promote the importance of education for children effectively. Two children are very settled and attending school. The persistence of the manager has been crucial in securing a new school placement for another child. The staff are also using external support networks to ensure that another child attends school when she becomes disengaged. This approach allows children to make progress with their learning.

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This monitoring visit

Staff help children to understand risk by holding regular key-work sessions. There have been incidents where two children in the home have sent and received inappropriate images via electronic devices. In response to this, staff have followed their child protection procedures to include support from the relevant agencies. Staff have further supported children to complete key-work sessions and online safety training. These sessions help children to understand danger.

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This monitoring visit

While incidents of physical restraint with children are low, there have been shortfalls in the recording and evaluation process following a physical intervention. During one incident, the record was not signed by any of the staff involved and a debrief has not taken place with them. As a result, key reflection and learning opportunities to support children’s behaviour have been missed. These shortfalls have not been picked up when managers are monitoring the quality of care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments do not have clear strategies and actions in place for staff to follow. There have been bullying incidents in the home involving two children. Staff were able to explain to the inspector how they keep children safe and manage bullying incidents with children. However, these plans are not reflected in children’s records. There is no risk assessment in place for one child to demonstrate how staff protect him from bullying. Consequently, during one incident, staff did not intervene soon enough to protect him from being harmed by another child and the police were called to the home. This shortfall had an impact on the safety of both children. In addition, the home’s manager did not notify Ofsted of the incident. This prevents the regulator having oversight of incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s manager is helpful and supportive towards staff. Staff reported that he is available when they need him. This approach is underpinned by regular reflective supervision sessions. Staff receive a wide range of training which is specific and relevant to the needs of the children in the home. This means that children are cared for by staff who understand their needs.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has completed a review of the quality of care provided by the home and submitted this to Ofsted. However, he has failed to consider or include the views of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. The report also did not identify any actions which contribute to improving the quality of care provided for children. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection

06/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 4

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding and implementation of each individual child’s risk assessment, and their role in keeping children safe, particularly with regards to risks of bullying. 17 December 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 17 December 2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 5 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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager’s oversight and monitoring of children’s risk assessments and physical restraint records.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to an incident involving the use of physical restraint with a child whereby the record was not signed to confirm the accuracy and a debrief discussion was not held with the staff member about the measure. 17 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to a serious incident in the home where one child assaulted another. This led to police involvement and Ofsted was not notified. 17 December 2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 6 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

This refers to the most recent report submitted to Ofsted. In this report, the author had failed to identify actions in order to improve the quality of care for children. It also failed to include the opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff in the care provided for children. 14 January 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

This refers to areas of recording within the children’s care plans and risk assessments. This also refers to one recording which stated that a physical intervention had taken place with a child which was an error and misled the independent visitor and the regulator.

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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

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 7

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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

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2484180 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 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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