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

Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 1 SC065552 Registered provider: City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority owns and runs this home. It provides care for up to six children aged between 8 and 13 years. No child will move into the home who is over the age of 13. The children may have social, emotional, and/or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in March 2021. There is an acting manager in post who has yet to apply to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 26 November 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/07/2018 Full Inadequate 12/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a well-planned move into their new home. The manager’s careful assessment makes sure that new children are matched appropriately to the children already living in the home. This helps children settle as they have similar interests, and they enjoy playing together and spending time in each other’s company.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children continue to make progress from their starting points. Staff provide nurturing care and the children say that they enjoy living at the home. Children have developed trusting relationships with staff, particularly those children that have lived at the home for some time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The majority of children attend full-time school and have good attendance records. Staff reinforce the importance of education and help the children with their homework. An external tutor also helps the children by providing extra weekly lessons. For those who struggle with school, staff have a weekly plans to provide bespoke educational activities. This ensures that all children have a structured week, and this keeps them engaged in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The new manager encourages the children to participate in the running of their home. The staff seek children’s views and welcome feedback. The manager acts on the children’s requests and they have benefited from a trampoline at the home, and they all have a bike. This provides children with new opportunities to do physical activities and exercise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has introduced a child-friendly weekly summary to celebrate the children’s achievements. Additionally, the staff are creative and have made beautiful, personalised memory books. This gives the children happy memories of their time living at the home and demonstrates the loving care provided by staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Due to their young ages, children are closely supervised by staff. The staff help the children to take age-appropriate risks by supporting them to increase their independence skills when out in the community.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The children’s risks and vulnerabilities are outlined in their support plans. Staff know the children well and help the children to understand how to keep themselves safe. Children are not misusing substances and any self-harming behaviour has significantly reduced.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children can discuss their emotions with staff during a range of key work sessions provided for them. When needed, the police support officer comes to talk to the children. This coordinated approach helps reinforce important messages to the Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 4 children to educate them about issues that could affect their lives, such as knife crime.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children do not often go missing from home and if they do they are only absent for a short time. Staff make efforts to quickly locate the children. When needed, staff use the support of the police support officer, who knows the children well. This makes sure that children return home at the earliest opportunity. Children have an independent return home interview. This helps staff to understand why the children feel the need to leave the home in an unplanned way.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are occasions when children are restrained to keep them and others safe. Staff have recently received positive behaviour support training to improve their interventions to keep children calm. The discussion with children after an incident helps to identify any possible triggers. Consequently, children manage their emotions better and as a result, they enjoy living in a calm home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The independent visitor conducts monthly remote visits. However, they do not regularly seek external feedback from others. This does not provide the regulator with external scrutiny of the home so that any shortfalls and omissions can be addressed promptly with the provider.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager and assistant manager work well together and have implemented new processes and procedures. These have increased the children’s involvement in the home and aim to improve their sense of belonging. The staff’s recording is more child friendly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are improvements in management monitoring and oversight, through the introduction of monitoring tools. This makes sure that staff keep the children’s plans updated. The home’s statement of purpose is not up to date and does not reflect the increased age range of the children living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children are cared for by an experienced, long-standing staff team. Staff know the children well and notice any changes in a child’s behaviour or demeanour. For example, when a child is tired and sleeping more than usual. The improved monitoring of these changes helps staff look at the possible causes and offer additional support if needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. Staff are open and honest with managers. The staff feel listened to, and their concerns are addressed. Staff have development opportunities and are, on occasion, promoted to more senior positions. However, it is not clear whether staff’s training is up to date as there are gaps in the workforce development plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff talk of feeling invigorated by the positive changes made. The management team has a clear vision for the home, with staff involved in the development plans. Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 5 The quality-of-care review does not reflect the manager’s vision to improve the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 6

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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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 10 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to making sure the manager completes the review of the workforce development plan and that staff receive any refresher training required. 30 July 2021

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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

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b)) 10 July 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should decide what each review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as missing or exploitation. They will also consider what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 7 whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4.)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065552 8 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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