Children's home run by Bridge Communities Limited in Stroud

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC016600 1 SC016600

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Bridge Communities Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care and accommodation for up to five children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children and young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken in response to a call received by Ofsted from a young person living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was to review the actions the leaders and managers have taken to address the concerns. The visit included the inspector meeting with the young people living in the home. In addition, the inspector remotely reviewed records, consulted with two local authority professionals and interviewed the registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

Four young people are currently living in the home. Two young people told the inspector they no longer trust some staff. They expressed concern that confidential information about their circumstances has been shared unnecessarily among the staff team and with other young people who live in the home. The registered manager has fully accepted the seriousness of this allegation and is undertaking an internal investigation. A local authority designated officer and the local authority social worker are reported as being confident that this issue is being addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Staff members provide the young people with opportunities to discuss their concerns and worries, and records capture kind and sensitive conversations between the young people and staff. Despite this, two young people were extremely negative about the leaders and managers and stated that they do not want to live in the home. The registered manager recognises the importance of rebuilding the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC016600 2 relationships between the young people and the staff team and is working with the local authority social workers to stabilise the placements.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the records scrutinised by the inspector were found to be incomplete and out of date. For example, risk assessments, behaviour management plans and some impact risk assessments are incomplete. There is insufficient evidence of management oversight within some records. The registered manager accepts responsibility for not completing regular and robust monitoring of all records.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager shares information with all safeguarding partners and social workers. However, on one occasion, the registered manager failed to notify Ofsted of a serious incident.

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This monitoring visit

This visit identified several shortfalls in respect of the leadership and management standard, the positive relationships standard and notifiable events. As a result, three requirements are made.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 30/12/2019 Full Good 10/09/2019 Full Inadequate 23/08/2018 Full Good 29/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC016600 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(viii)(b)) 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC016600 4 The registered manager must ensure that steps are taken to help two young people feel safe and enjoy living in the home. In addition, ensure that young people are helped to develop trusting and respectful relationships between one another.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must monitor and review all records to ensure that they are up to date and accurate, and in doing so help staff to support the young people. 31 March 2021

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC016600 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken by leaders and managers following concerns that a young person had shared with Ofsted on 3 February 2021.

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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: Bridge Communities Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sutton Dipple, 8 Wheelwrights Corner, Cossack Square, Nailsworth, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 0DB

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Inspector

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC016600 6 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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