Children's Home run by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council in Bradford

Assurance visit report: SC472977 1 SC472977

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a local authority. This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to 15 children and/or young people who have learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Some children and young people live at the home permanently and others access shared-care and short-break placements. The service also provides short-term care to children and young people who are undergoing assessments by a Behavioural Evaluation Support Team (BEST).

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There are two managers registered at this setting. They were registered in October 2013 and May 2017.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The short-break service along with BEST have been closed during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19, Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

p.1

Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits. The assurance visit consisted of two separate site visits and involved two social care regulatory inspectors attending on both days. Assurance visit report: SC472977 2 Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

p.1

Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:

p.2

Findings from the visit

 Behaviour management is poor, resulting in a high number of times that children and young people are held by staff.  Monitoring systems are not effective in identifying shortfalls in staff’s practice and areas to improve.  The staff team is not working together consistently for the benefit of children and young people.  The provider is not consistently notifying the regulator about serious incidents.  Not all staff have received training in key areas.

p.2

The care of children

The running of the home has been affected considerably by COVID-19. There have been some children, young people and staff affected by the virus. Several agency workers and bank staff have worked at the home in response to staff shortages. This has led to disruption for the children and young people, who have previously benefited from the familiarity and consistency of the existing staff team.

p.2

The care of children

Since the COVID-19 lockdown, one manager has been working from home. The lack of monitoring of staff’s practice has led to poor-quality and inconsistent care for the children and young people.

p.2

The care of children

The refurbishment of the sensory room and the development of a games room need to be completed before children and young people can benefit from these. One of the bathrooms was not clean and smelled strongly of urine. Some cleaning equipment products were not stored securely. A broken window frame exposed a sharp piece of wood that could cause harm to children and young people. These deficits detracted from providing the children and young people with consistently safe, clean and comfortable surroundings.

p.2

The care of children

Some children and young people who don’t need monitoring because of serious health conditions have closed-circuit television (CCTV) in their bedrooms. The surveillance was not used in line with legislation and guidance, and its use was not reviewed as required. The use of this monitoring has not protected their privacy. Assurance visit report: SC472977 3 During lockdown, the children and young people did not attend school, and found this change in routine difficult. Most have returned to school; however, for one young person, the staff’s lack of co-operation and strained relationships with school staff have led to her having no education provision.

p.2

The care of children

Staff provide the children and young people with informal learning through play, and they access a wide variety of leisure activities in the home and garden. These include sensory and water play, board games, roller blading and baking. Social activities in the community have been more limited during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the children and young people have visited local parks, gone shopping and gone on minibus rides. This keeps them appropriately entertained.

p.3

The care of children

The staff support the children and young people to routinely see and speak to their family members. Throughout the lockdown, family time took place regularly through video and telephone calls.

p.3

The safety of children

A large number of high-level physical intervention ground holds have been used by staff to manage children and young people’s behaviour. The use of these holds has not always been in line with the guidance in the children and young people’s individual behaviour support plans and risk assessments.

p.3

The safety of children

The staff’s recording of these physical interventions is very poor. Many of the records fall significantly short of providing the detail required in the regulation. This includes whether the children and young people’s breathing is monitored following a ground hold and whether there has been any impact on their health. Records do not demonstrate whether the children and young people are provided with an opportunity to share their views and feelings about the way they were held by staff. In addition, the management oversight of such interventions is insufficient to ensure that the practice is safe, and staff report they do not have the opportunity to discuss the incident. This provides no evaluation of the appropriateness, effectiveness and safety of such holds.

p.3

The safety of children

Staff do not always provide the children and young people with timely medical care. After an accident in the garden when a child sustained an injury, the staff did not seek medical attention until the following day, despite the parent stressing the need to do this. It was later noted that the child had sustained a serious injury to his leg. The managers failed to notify Ofsted of this accident.

p.3

The safety of children

The administration of medication has not been adhered to in line with the policies and procedure of safe practice. There has been at least one occasion when a specific child’s prescribed medication has been administered to another child. Also, staff have not always administered the correct dose of medication to children. This falls short of safely meeting the children and young people’s health needs. Assurance visit report: SC472977 4

p.3

Leaders and managers

The poor leadership and management of the home has resulted in several regulatory breaches. The managers’ internal monitoring of the service is weak. This has impacted on the experiences of the children and young people living at the home.

p.4

Leaders and managers

Managers are unaware of what training staff have received and whether this is in date. This is particularly in respect of positive behaviour management and first aid training.

p.4

Leaders and managers

The standard of staff’s record keeping is generally very poor. This includes the quality of staff’s direct work sessions with children and young people. This prevents the management from reviewing and evaluating the detail of the care practices of staff effectively. Consequently, shortfalls are not detected and addressed, and the managers have been unable to make any improvement in these areas.

p.4

Leaders and managers

Staff have not routinely received supervisions and not all staff have had their annual appraisal in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This falls short of providing the staff with individual support, development opportunities and further oversight of the children’s care.

p.4

Leaders and managers

Staff team meetings take place, but do not regularly provide an arena for staff to discuss and improve practice. Staff are not provided with guidance and leadership to make sure they work cohesively together as a team to ensure good standards of care and the safety of children.

p.4

Leaders and managers

External monitoring of the service routinely detects shortfalls and omissions. However, the managers do not promptly address the independent visitor’s recommendations.

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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. 30 November Assurance visit report: SC472977 5 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)) In particular, ensure that bathrooms are clean and free from the odour of urine; and that the refurbishments of the sensory room and games room are completed. The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and

p.4

Requirement Due date

are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)) In particular, professionals should work together to find solutions to the presented barriers to ensure that children access full-time education placements that meet their needs in a timely manner. Parents’ views need to be listened to and suitable action taken. 30 November

p.5

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— take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iv)) In particular, ensure that children and young people access immediate medical attention after a serious accident. Cleaning equipment and cleaning materials must be safely stored. 30 November Assurance visit report: SC472977 6 * 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in

p.5

Requirement Due date

the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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)(a)(b)(c)(h)) 13 December

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 21 (a)) Specifically, to remove all the CCTV cameras from the children’s bedrooms. 30 November

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. In particular the registered person must ensure that— medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c) * The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the child; 13 December Assurance visit report: SC472977 7 details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 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”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that all staff know when there is a need for physical intervention; and that staff understand that, when the need for physical intervention occurs, they record it in detail as required in the regulation. Also, that the registered provider must ensure that the records relating to physical interventions are scrutinised and evaluated to ensure that practice is necessary, proportionate, safe and effective. The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 30 November Assurance visit report: SC472977 8 a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.7

Requirement Due date

is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, City Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD1 1HY

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individuals: David Byrom Mark Trinder

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered managers: Balvinder Gill, Victoria Bolton

p.8

Inspectors

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Tina Ruffles, Social Care Inspector Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC472977 9 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.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9