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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 1 SC472977

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City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to 15 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Some children live at the home permanently and others access shared-care and short-break placements. The service also provides short-term care for children who are undergoing assessments by a Behavioural Evaluation Support Team (BEST).

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Information about this children’s home

There are two managers in post. They registered in October 2013 and May 2017 respectively.

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Information about this children’s home

Children have not been having overnight stays at the short-break and the BEST service since the beginning of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection was undertaken on 27 May 2021. The findings from this inspection confirmed that leaders and managers had not been effective in making and sustaining improvements over time. This resulted in children receiving inadequate care and having poor experiences, with some children not making any progress. The registered provider was issued with enforcement action and with requirements to improve.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted issued two compliance notices under section 22 of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to regulation 13 and regulation 35.

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This monitoring visit

Prior to this inspection, further concerns were brought to the regulator’s attention in relation to shortfalls in the care and the supervision of children. This resulted in one child putting themself at risk after they were able to leave the home. In another incident, a child under the supervision of agency staff was involved in a road traffic Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 2 accident. The agency member of staff driving the vehicle did not have a full driving licence.

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This monitoring visit

During this monitoring visit, inspectors found serious deficits in safeguarding practice and serious gaps in the leadership and management arrangements. Managers have failed to ensure that children are cared for by staff who are safe and skilled to do so. Insufficient staffing arrangements mean that several agency staff have provided care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to explore the skills and the experience of the agency staff. They have not completed basic checks aimed at safeguarding and at protecting children, such as Disclosing and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Managers have failed to ensure that agency staff are first-aid trained and have failed to identify which agency staff hold a full driving licence. The management oversight and scrutiny of safe recruitment practice is poor. Inspectors identified that an agency staff member had signed off their own checklist.

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This monitoring visit

There are insufficient numbers of permanent and trained staff to care for the individual needs of the children safely. Children have been left vulnerable, and this has placed children at risk of significant harm.

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This monitoring visit

Children are not provided with safe care. Poor communication systems, poor care planning and an emergency admission to the home has put additional pressures on a very depleted staff team. This means that some children have not received the level of care and support that they require.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments are exceptionally poor in quality. They do not identify children’s individual risks, nor do they provide the staff with any clear actions to take to reduce these risks. The strategies identified to manage the risks are repetitive and ineffective.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to demonstrate that all staff have the skills and the knowledge to manage children’s behaviour effectively. This results in sanctions being used inappropriately. One child was deprived of their liberty for three days and not allowed to have contact with their family. This same child was found to be sleeping on the floor. There was lack of managerial scrutiny and action in response to this.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has lost confidence in the safeguarding and the protection of children, and the leadership and management arrangements of the home. Ofsted believes that suspending the registration is the only reasonable and proportionate option available to ensure children and staff are safe.

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This monitoring visit

The additional requirements raised at the last inspection have not been reviewed at this visit. These will be explored at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/05/2021 Full Inadequate 06/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/02/2019 Full Good 20/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 4

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to making sure that staff have read and understood the children’s care plans and behaviour management plans each time they come to work.

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Requirement Due date

Also, that managers provide staff with clear instructions about their daily tasks and their responsibilities, and that managers monitor that tasks have been completed as outlined on the ‘Shift Action Plan’, for example, health and safety checks. 22 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 5 The registered provider must also ensure that damage to the home is repaired without delay, and that the children’s personal space is designed in response to their assessed needs.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; and

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii).

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider should ensure that regular residents’ meetings take place so that all of the children can have their voices heard. These meetings should include how to complain and be documented and read by the manager, so feedback on any concerns can be given to the children. 22 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. 22 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 22 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 7 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that risk assessments provide staff with the information needed to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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Requirement Due date

For those staff who are not trained in behaviour management, a risk management plan must be in place.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that staff are fully aware of their roles and their responsibilities to protect each child’s safety and welfare, and to follow the plans in place.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 22 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 8 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

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

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)) 22 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 9 In particular, the registered provider must ensure that children admitted to the home are able to be supported effectively by the staff team and that children’s care plans are created and aligned to their needs. In addition, the admission of any child to the home should not put at risk the care and support of all other children already living at the home.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must not impose a sanction for a child that intentionally deprives them of their liberty, without lawful authorisation. 22 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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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. 22 August 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 10 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 11 The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b)) 22 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

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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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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Balvinder Gill and Victoria Bolton

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Inspectors

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 12 Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Brian Wood, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472977 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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