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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC486606 1 SC486606

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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

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children aged between 10 and 18 years who may have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides emergency, short-term or medium-term placements.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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This monitoring visit

‘The previous full inspection on 3 and 4 August 2021 resulted in a judgement of inadequate and three compliance notices were issued as a result. This monitoring visit took place on 7 September 2021 to monitor progress in respect of those compliance notices. These notices were regarding the protection of children, the leadership and management of the service and planning children’s care. The inspector found that the provider has met all the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed an action plan to address the deficiencies found at the last inspection. This action plan has been robustly managed and reviewed by the home’s managers. It has been supported by strategic managers in ensuring no children have been placed in the home if their needs are outside of the home’s statement of purpose. The action plan has ensured that the steps in the compliance notice have now been met.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a short period where there have been no children living in the home. The provider has used this time to refurbish the property, replace soiled carpets and flooring, and purchase new furniture. The physical barriers of the window bars and wall spikes have been removed. This reduces physical risks to children as well as Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC486606 2 making the environment feel homely. The home now looks and smells clean and welcoming.

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This monitoring visit

There is an updated flowchart for admissions to the home, to ensure that children are admitted appropriately and safely. Recently, a decision has been made not to admit a child into the home based on the impact risk assessment and the needs of another child living in the home. This is a positive step in enabling the manager to demonstrate his authority and responsibility to make child-centred decisions.

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This monitoring visit

For the child who has been recently admitted to the home, there is a clear impact risk assessment. A timely planning meeting included the child and their parents to ensure their needs and any safeguarding matters were quickly identified. There was prompt communication with staff about potential risks to the child and agreed strategies to mitigate these risks.

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This monitoring visit

The provider works with a multi-agency team to ensure additional needs, in relation to education, emotional health, or speech and language, are identified and promptly responded to. The staff team are working with the child’s family to promote positive relationships and family time.

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This monitoring visit

The provider acknowledges that transitions out of the home have not always been done in a child-centred way. There are plans in place to ensure that any future children are better supported in their transitions, and to ensure that high-quality multi-agency information is collated and passed on to the child’s new carers. These will help ensure a smooth transition and provide some support for children during an unsettling time.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have access to a comprehensive training offer and all staff have received mandatory training. Staff also have access to other training, delivered via the local child safeguarding partnership and through an in-house training programme. This provides access to specialist training, such as speech and language and key-work sessions. Managers have developed a training matrix to oversee the developmental needs of staff. The staff team are adequately trained to meet the needs of children who fit within the scope of the home’s statement of purpose.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/08/2021 Full Inadequate 09/03/2020 Full Good 20/11/2018 Full Good 04/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC486606 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 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b)) 5 September 2021

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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

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)(d)) 5 September 2021

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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

promotes their welfare. 5 September 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC486606 4 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(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

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 5 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that— 5 September 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC486606 5 medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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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

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. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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

Provision sub-type: Children’s home Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC486606 6 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

Louise Hollick, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC486606 7 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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