Children's home run by Bristol City Council

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC067151 1 SC067151

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Bristol City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides short breaks for up to five children who may have a learning disability and/or complex health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since April 2018. They are currently on maternity leave. The current manager is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was completed because the home has not been inspected since 11 June 2019 and to explore information in the independent visitors reports. At the time of this visit, one child was visiting the home for a short break.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was a blend of remote and on-site work. The remote work included a review of records and discussions by telephone with the manager, responsible individual and staff. During the on-site visit, the inspector spent time with the child, had a tour of the home, observed staff practice and reviewed records.

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This monitoring visit

Children benefit from being cared for by well-trained staff who know them well, understand their needs and how these are to be met. Observation of interactions between staff and the child visiting the home were caring and supportive. The child, with staff support, made a pizza for his tea and was very proud of his achievement, which staff celebrated. Staff skilfully use alternate communication approaches to understand children’s views and to help them to make choices. Staff have recently developed these approaches to make them more individualised.

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This monitoring visit

The current manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development and is working with senior managers to make improvements. However, the review, analysis and evaluation of work undertaken at the home, Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC067151 2 including consultation with families and records maintained, require improvement to further aid in the development of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Children benefit from staying in a welcoming and well-maintained home. Staff have redecorated and themed each bedroom to provide children with a fun and comfortable space. Staff personalise each room prior to each child’s arrival by placing photos of the children and their family, their favourite toys and sensory equipment, in their bedrooms and around the home. Over Christmas, staff turned the sensory room into Santa’s grotto, and the children loved this. The garden is spacious and has been identified by the staff as an area that needs to be improved. Plans, which the children have been involved in, are in place for this.

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This monitoring visit

Social workers are very positive about the care the children receive and the progress they are making. Social workers praised the staff for the support they provide to the children and their families and how well staff work with other professionals to achieve the best outcome for children.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans are detailed, provide clear guidance for staff and evidence the progress the children are making. These plans are frequently reviewed and demonstrate that the staff are working cohesively with families and other professionals to ensure these plans reflect the child’s current and emerging needs.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of other records requires improvement as they are not of a consistently good quality or stored in a way that supports effective management oversight. Safeguarding concerns are appropriately referred, but records do not consistently reflect the discussions held about these concerns. Restraint records do not consistently record the duration of each hold used or provide a clear explanation of the breakaway techniques used. Incident records do not consistently record what happened after the incident. In addition, discussions with staff after a restraint or an incident are not consistently recorded, which does not support the development of staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staff receive regular supervision and have regular staff meetings, but the quality of records about these sessions vary. The manager has already identified this shortfall and is taking steps to address it. In contrast, staff annual appraisals are good quality. These sessions include feedback from peers, review of the work undertaken and areas to support the member of staff’s development.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/06/2019 Full Good 27/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/07/2018 Full Good 11/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC067151 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must review, analyse and evaluate records to aid in the development of the home. This includes consultations with parents, restraint and incident records. 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which —

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular —

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)) 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC067151 4 In particular, safeguarding records must consistently reflect all discussions held and should be maintained in a format that supports leaders’ and managers' monitoring.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In addition, records must be retained of discussions with staff after an incident and/or restraint. 30 April 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure all staff receive good-quality supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Records of these meetings must be of a good quality, reflect the discussion held and actions set. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC067151 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: Bristol City Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC067151 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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