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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397092 1 SC397092

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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 and provides care for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2020 and holds a qualification in management at level 4.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to following information received by Ofsted which raised concerns regarding physical restraint practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted completed a risk assessment and made the decision to complete the inspection remotely.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last inspected the home on 10 December 2019. At this full inspection, the service was judged to be good in all areas of practice.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently three children living in the home. Since the last inspection, one child has left, and two children have moved into the home. These moves were well planned, and the transitions for children were managed effectively. This means that children feel supported and reassured during important periods in their lives.

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This monitoring visit

The home has a core team of regular staff that provides consistent care for children. However, since the last inspection, there has been a high turnover of staff which, at times, has left vacancies within the team. There is a continual programme of staff recruitment and the registered manager has recently recruited to the one remaining vacant position. Staff have worked overtime to cover vacancies alongside consistent support from staff from a sister home. This means that children are cared for by staff who understand their needs. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397092 2 Staff understand how to manage risk and work hard to keep children safe. Staff discussed children’s plans with the inspector and were able to describe strategies used to protect children from harm. These behaviour management strategies are also recorded in children’s risk assessments and provide clarity to staff. As a result,

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This monitoring visit

this approach keeps children safe in the home.

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This monitoring visit

There have been several incidents where staff have been required to use physical restraint. These measures were used as a last resort and to keep children safe. However, there have been shortfalls in the recording and evaluation process. Following some incidents, staff were not spoken to about the measures used and the manager has failed to comment on the effectiveness or consequences of the use of the measures. As a result, key reflection and learning opportunities to support children’s behaviour have been missed.

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This monitoring visit

Staff complete a range of training to enable them to support and safeguard children. In response to an increase in incidents with children, staff have completed additional physical intervention training. This has helped to develop the staff team’s confidence and learning when managing challenging behaviour. Consequently, the number of significant incidents with children has reduced.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has a good oversight of the home and seeks the views of children in making improvements. However, external monitoring systems to support the home are not robust, and the independent visitor has not spoken to children on a regular basis. This means that children have missed out on opportunities to express their views and wishes to somebody who is independent to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has submitted a statement of purpose to Ofsted. However, this does not contain full or accurate information relating to the home. This shortfall prevents the regulator from having oversight of the home.

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This monitoring visit

When appointing new staff, the registered manager has not consistently followed safe recruitment practice. For example, not enough checks are carried out to explore the reasons why staff have left previous positions when working with children. This has the potential to compromise children’s safety.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/12/2019 Full Good 05/02/2019 Full Good 31/01/2018 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397092 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the recruitment of staff and matters highlighted in Schedule 2. In the recruitment of staff, the registered manager is to ensure that all gaps in an individual’s work history have been recorded and that the reasons for leaving previous roles involving work with children have been verified. 11 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

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

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. 11 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397092 4 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(vii)(viii)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to incidents involving the use of physical restraint with children whereby a debrief discussion was not completed with staff about the measure. The records do not confirm whether children have suffered injuries and the registered manager has not evaluated the effectiveness of the measures used.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to the fact that the independent person has failed to consistently capture the views, wishes and feelings of children when completing visits and calls to the home. 11 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397092 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should develop and keep under review a statement of purpose (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s statement of purpose should be child focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children receiving care. (‘Guide to the children’s home’s regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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.

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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: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397092 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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