Children's Home run by Bristol City Council in Bristol

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 1 SC034184

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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 is operated by the local authority to provide care for up to five children aged up to 18 years with social and/or emotional difficulties. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2020.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 1 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out due to the number of notifications received regarding a child going missing and due to concerns about how staff were keeping the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments carried out for moving this child into the home are detailed but lack clear guidance for staff on how to mitigate and reduce the level of risk. The education provision identified during this process was not made available to the child at the point of their move. This did not support the structured approach needed for this child to settle into the expectations and routines of the home. Leaders and managers have escalated their concerns about these delays with senior managers. In addition, leaders have also escalated concerns effectively when they have felt other professionals have not acted in the best interest of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are working effectively with other professionals regarding this child through regular multi-agency meetings where practice and plans are shared and are developed. However, the outcome of these meetings is not consistently reflected in the child’s plans or supported by clear guidance for staff. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 2 When this child goes missing, most incidents occur when they are out in the community and they fail to return to the home on time. Staff search the areas the child is known to frequent and follow up a list of known addresses. They strive to maintain phone contact with the child and their family members during the time the child is missing. Return home interviews are offered but currently the child refuses to engage with these. Staff have appropriately arranged for the child to have additional support from a mentor from an organisation who works with children from the black

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This monitoring visit

Staff are still developing their relationship with this child to redress the push and the pull factors in favour of the home. Although a work in progress, small improvements have been made which staff continue to build on. The staff encourage the child to join in with activities by including their sibling as well. This approach is having some success.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are not consistently exercising enough professional curiosity or evidencing this. For example, staff are not always clear what they do with information about contacts that the child makes. In addition, senior staff are not always fully informed of the outcome of police actions which does not aid their oversight of the service.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of recording requires improvement. Staff do not consistently sign records using their full name. In addition, missing-from-home records lack detailed information. Leaders and managers are aware of this and are working with staff to improve their practice.

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This monitoring visit

At this visit, leaders and managers did not ensure that all records required for inspection were made available to the inspector.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements from the previous monitoring visit were not reviewed at this visit and will remain in place for the provider to complete. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/07/2019 Full Good 19/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/08/2018 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; 30 November 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 5 help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)(xi)(b))

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; 30 November 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 6 that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or

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Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(e)(i)(ii)(iii))

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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,

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Requirement Due date

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)) 30 November 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. 30 November 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 7 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 the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person needs to ensure that staff understand and follow safeguarding procedures to safeguard children, and keep accurate and accessible records with clear actions and outcomes recorded.

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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

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

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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—

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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)) 30 November 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 8 In particular, the registered person should ensure that debrief discussions with staff are recorded in detail, and that managers’ reviews of incidents include how to improve practice and reduce the use of restraint.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to ensuring that notifications of significant events are made to Ofsted, and that they are made promptly after concerns have been raised or allegations have been made. 30 November 2021

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; and 15 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 9 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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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

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered manager must ensure children’s plans provide staff with clear and consistent guidance on how to care for and support the child. The registered manager must also ensure children’s plans are reviewed and are updated, as required in light of any decisions made at professional meetings, including team meetings. The quality of key-worker sessions with children needs to include reflection on events to enable the child to develop an understanding of the impact that these events have on themselves and others, as well as developing effective support skills for the child’s future.

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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; 15 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 10 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

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Requirement Due date

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

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In addition,, the registered manager must ensure staff display professionals curiosity in relation to keeping children safe, and staff must consistently record the actions they have taken to safeguard children.

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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

In addition, training records must be available to the point of inspection . 15 October 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s individual health care plans are updated to reflect any new medication that the child is taking. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person must ensure that the impact risk assessment completed on a new child contains clear guidance for staff on the mitigation and reduction of identified risks. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping. Staff must sign all record with their first name and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 11 surname. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: City Hall, College Green, Bristol, Bristol BS1 TRE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Golbourn

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034184 12 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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