Children's home run by Bristol City Council

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 1

p.1

Bristol City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to two children and young people aged up to 18 years with social and emotional difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted for this home since it was registered on 1 December 2020.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out because of a high number of notifications relating to a child regularly going missing from the home and concerns about child sexual exploitation. At the time of this visit, two children were living in the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection took place remotely. In response to the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, the inspector reviewed a range of records and spoke with the children, staff and external professionals by telephone.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home has been caring for children since May 2020. Two managers were put forward by the local authority to register with this home but later withdrew. The current registered manager has moved from another home within the service to enable the local authority to register the home with Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Poor decisions made by leaders and managers about the matching of children who live in the home have significantly affected the quality of the care provided to children and the progress they make. For example, one child moved into the home in August 2020. They have made two complaints about staff inability to manage the aggressive and disruptive behaviours of another child who has been living at the home since May 2020. Insufficient action was taken in response to the complaints.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Staff have not consistently ensured that the child who is identified as at high risk of child sexual exploitation has been protected from further harm. This is because staff have not taken effective action to prevent the child from going missing. They have not always followed her to encourage her to return or to check her welfare. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 2 Consequently, the child often leaves the home late at night, and is observed by staff getting into unknown vehicles and returning in taxis.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Staff and managers lack professional curiosity and fail to recognise potential indicators of exploitation, such as unaccounted for money and possessions, and do not consistently check the suitability of the child’s ‘friends’. This failure to protect the child has left her at significant risk of harm.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Behaviour is not always managed well by staff. Expectations and boundaries are not consistently enforced and this sometimes results in aggressive incidents that staff are unable to manage. One child complained that he was ‘scared’ following an incident in a car involving the other child. The lack of clear routine and boundaries has meant that one child is not engaged in education and has not attended youth offending appointments and statutory health assessments as required.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Manager monitoring and oversight of incidents is weak. The manager has failed to identify patterns and trends when a child is missing from the home or to put in place actions to help staff to reduce and, where possible, prevent these incidents. Neither has the manager reviewed incidents and behaviour management plans, to provide clear actions for staff in managing behaviours that they find difficult.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Multi-agency meetings take place regularly to help to manage the risks to the child at risk of exploitation. However, while she has been living at this home for nine months, progress has been slow. The manager has not properly escalated her concerns about staff inability to keep this child safe from exploitation within the local area. As a result, the child’s well-being has not been prioritised.

p.2

This monitoring visit

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have supported children to keep in touch with their families and those who matter to them. For example, staff take children to visit their family and encourage families to visit the home to share meals with their child. This is positive; however, staff have not ensured that a child has adhered to COVID- 19 regulations when spending periods away from the home meeting friends.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff lack the experience, skills and qualifications to meet the needs of children. For example, two thirds of the staff team do not have a level 3 qualification in residential childcare. Some staff have not worked in a children’s home previously. Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have received training in restraint. Significant gaps were also identified with mandatory training of some staff, including relating to medication, first aid, food hygiene and fire safety.

p.2

This monitoring visit

During this monitoring visit, leaders and managers decided to move one child from the home to ensure her safety and well-being are prioritised. The inspector was informed that, as an immediate response, waking night staff will provide care during the night and that increased managerial oversight will be in place at evenings and weekends. Compliance notices have been issued in relation to regulation 6, the quality and purpose of care standard, and regulation 12, the protection of children standard. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 3 Ofsted will monitor action to address these notices and will review the care provided at this home.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 4

p.3

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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that—

p.4

Requirement Due date

If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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 (c)(d))

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered manager is required to escalate her concerns to senior managers if she considers a young person’s needs are not being met at the home or that staff are unable to safeguard young people. 5 March 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

*The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.4

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; 5 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 5 ensure that staff—

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

p.5

Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

p.5

Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

p.5

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

p.5

Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

is not arranged or provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006(a), Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 6 satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3).

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the registered person keeps the child’s general medical practitioner informed, as necessary, about the progress of the care throughout its duration. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii)(d)(i)(ii) (3)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The provider is required to take urgent action to ensure that staff have the training and skills to meet each child’s needs. In addition, the provider is required to review the statement of purpose to ensure that each child moving into the home can be supported to meet their full potential and that staff can meet each child’s individual needs according to their plans.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set 5 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 7 out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.7

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;

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

p.7

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

p.7

Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 8 relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that staff take appropriate action to keep children safe by supporting them to reduce their behaviours around risk taking and going missing from home, to develop positive relationships and to reassure them.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.8

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 5 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 9 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; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

p.9

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—

p.9

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.9

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;

p.9

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.9

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;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

p.9

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)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff having the skills, training and experience to be able to meet the needs of children displaying harmful behaviours.. 5 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 10 The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.10

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.10

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.10

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.10

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

p.10

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

p.10

Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.10

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.10

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

p.10

Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or

p.10

Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(e)(i)(ii)(iii)) 5 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 11 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.10

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 it was registered.

p.11

Information about this inspection

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

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bristol City Council

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bristol City Council, Director of Legal Services, City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR

p.11

Inspector

Anna Gravelle, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2586752 12 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.11

Inspector

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 . 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.12

Inspector

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

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12