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

Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 1 SC063978 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

This home is run by a local authority. It provides care for up to six children who have a range of social, emotional and behavioural needs. There are currently six children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has recently transferred to another Bradford local authority home. The assistant manager has been appointed as manager and is in the process of applying for registration.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/09/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 3

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improvement to be good

Children who have lived at the home for a longer time have developed positive and trusting relationships with staff. Children identify staff who they can talk to and this helps them to feel at ease in sharing any worries or concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff struggle to manage the behaviours of some children and to help them adhere FACto boundaries. The behaviours displayed by the children, such as smoking in their bedrooms and returning home late when on free time, mean that the usual calm atmosphere of the home is disrupted. This can overshadow the healthy and light-hearted banter that takes place between the children and staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff work hard to promote the importance of learning, and some children are making progress in their education. However, for others, there has been a decline in attendance and engagement. The manager and staff are proactive in attending meetings and liaise regularly with the virtual school service. This has opened the door for bespoke learning on a one-to-one basis or vocational training for the children to engage in.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they enjoy the activities that staff arrange. These have included go-karting, going to the cinema and day trips to the seaside. All the children have been on holiday this summer. For one child this was her first experience of going on holiday. Equally, staff try and motivate the children to stay active and have offered cycling, personal training and walks in the nearby countryside. This is promoting healthier lifestyle choices.

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improvement to be good

Some of the children are competent in achieving life skills in preparation for independence. However, the staff struggle to engage children as they prefer to spend time away from the home. The recording of key-work sessions with the children continues to be work in progress and staff are not always proactive in their approach when engaging children. The effectiveness of key-work sessions are mixed and could be improved by staff in terms of their quality and focus.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s contact with family. All the children continue to maintain positive relationships with individuals who are important to them. This has strengthened and nurtured family relationships. The manager has challenged the social worker following a shared-care arrangement which has been agreed prior to a full assessment. In this situation, staff are completing daily welfare calls and physical checks to ensure the well-being of the child.

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improvement to be good

The children live in a homely environment. However, the decoration and furnishings in the children’s bedrooms are looking tired and some furniture is broken. Some of the children say that they have been waiting a long time for their rooms to be re- Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 4 done. This does not promote the children’s self-worth and help them to take pride in their surroundings.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are well known by the manager and staff. This helps the staff to better understand how children’s life experiences have an impact on their current behaviour. Staff use a model of care that promotes positive engagement and relationship building and this is beginning to be embedded in their day-to-day practice.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are inconsistent and are not up to date. It is not clear whether identified risks are current or whether there is an over-reliance on past information. This means that staff may be relying on inaccurate information and their response could place children at further risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

The strategies and actions that staff use to safeguard children are not robust enough. There is no clear guidance for staff on the difference between children who go missing from the home and children who are absent without consent. This lack of clarity has led to staff giving children conflicting messages., leading to them making poor choices.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not routinely undertaken work with children on the dangers and consequences of risk-taking behaviour, including drug and alcohol misuse, online safety and all forms of exploitation. The manager and staff have not supported the children enough in their attempts to encourage them to engage with specialist services to bring about positive change.

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improvement to be good

During a tour of the home, the inspector found that some of the communal doors were locked. One of these doors leads to a fire exit. Children informed the inspector that the kitchen door is also locked and that they must ask staff for access. This practice of locking internal doors prevents freedom of movement around the home and also poses a health and safety risk to all individuals working or living in the home.

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good

The management of the home is undergoing a period of change. The registered manager has transferred to another home and the assistant manager has been appointed as manager. This has caused some instability for the children, but they also have an existing relation with the new manager. The children say that they miss the previous manager. One child said about the new manager, ‘[Name] is an alright manager.’

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good

There are gaps in the manager’s oversight of the home. Monitoring systems need to be embedded to ensure consistency in staff practice that promotes the well-being of Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 5 the children. The manager is aware of these shortfalls and has plans to address these.

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good

The manager has identified gaps in staff performance and morale. Some of the staff feel that others are not ‘pulling their weight’ and certain tasks are left for others to do. This has been discussed in a staff meeting to address this. The manager is motivated and has aspirations for both the staff and the children in his care to achieve their potential.

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good

Up until very recently, the independent visitor has only completed virtual visits to the home. Feedback has not routinely been sought from others, such as the children, their families or other professionals. This does not provide independent oversight and scrutiny. The independent visitor has not picked up on emerging risks and the decline in staff morale.

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good

The staff remain committed to putting the needs of the children first. They make every effort to build strong, trusting relationships with the children, to enable them to care for and work with them positively. Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 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, the 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 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

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

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager needs to ensure that risk assessments are clear and up to date; that staff understand the difference between a child being missing from the home and a child being absent without consent and what actions they need to take; that staff have the skills to address the concerns around children smoking in their bedrooms and be able to identify signs of child sexual and criminal exploitation. 30 September 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 7 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

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

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)(b)(f)(h)) 30 September 2021

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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. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 30 September 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 8 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; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b)(3)) 30 September 2021

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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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 9

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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 Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD1 1HY

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Inspector

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063978 10 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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