Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 1 SC411142 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is owned by a private company. The home cares for one child who exhibits complex behaviours because of their childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2018. She has completed the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for health and social care children and young people’s services (residential management pathway).

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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 9 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. There were no serious and widespread concerns identified and the report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2019 Full Outstanding 24/10/2018 Full Good 19/06/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has continued to live in the home.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager does not maintain the home’s physical environment to a good standard. Furthermore, she has failed to make improvements in response to shortfalls identified at the home’s last inspection. As a result, several areas of the home were damaged, and the home would benefit from refurbishment and redecoration. This means that the home does not create a homely or nurturing environment for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always use the home’s therapeutic model of parenting with the child. This is because they do not fully understand the model and their knowledge is limited. As a result, staff have not always shown curiosity and empathy when supporting the child’s anxieties. Furthermore, they have issued consequences to the child and removed several recreational activities. Consequently, the number of incidents has increased, and the child has made several allegations against staff. The child informed the inspector that he ‘says these things as he is bored’.

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improvement to be good

Staff work effectively with some health professionals to support the needs of the child. This means the child is supported to take prescribed medication relating to his medical needs. One professional stated that the manager ‘is really knowledgeable’ and knows the child’s medication ‘inside out’. However, there have been significant delays in the child receiving the identified assessments to meet his mental health needs. Also, staff and managers have failed to challenge or escalate their concerns with the relevant professionals. Consequently, the child is yet to receive the specialist support recommended by health professionals.

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improvement to be good

Overall, staff and the management team share positive relationships with the child. The inspector observed staff and the registered manager playing with the child and sharing jokes. These relationships help staff to complete meaningful and focused key work with the child. For example, staff have completed work around the impact of using racist language and physical aggression. As a result, the child has been provided with the opportunity to learn and reflect on his behaviour and the impact it can have on others.

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improvement to be good

Overall, staff have worked hard to support the child to overcome challenging periods in his life. This commitment has provided the child with stability and opportunities to make progress at school. Furthermore, the support provided has enabled the child to maintain positive relationships with his loved ones. One external professional stated that this ‘was the longest placement for (the child) ever’ and that ‘this was a credit to the staff and manager’. Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 4 Staff support the child to attend school and engage positively with his education. Furthermore, they celebrate his achievements. For example, the child spoke with pride about the awards he has received from school and showed the inspector his trophies and certificates. This support improves the child’s confidence to engage positively at school.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not always respond effectively to the child when they make allegations against staff. On two occasions, leaders did not follow the home’s child protection policy. For example, following an incident requiring physical intervention, the child informed the home’s deputy manager that he had been hurt by a member of staff. However, the deputy manager failed to identify or act on the information shared with her by the child. This means that she did not notify the local authority or senior leaders on the same day, as instructed in the home’s policy and procedure. Following another allegation made by the child against staff, the registered manager failed to inform senior leaders. Consequently, on both occasions, staff members, who were the subject of the allegations, remained working in the home. This potentially left the child at further risk of harm. In contrast, following other incidents, the registered manager has followed the policy and informed the

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improvement to be good

local authority and senior leaders. This meant that action was taken to safeguard the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff will sometimes issue a consequence to the child as a behaviour management strategy. However, on three occasions, staff have issued a consequence to the child and failed to record it. For example, staff removed the use of the child’s bike and did not allow him to attend football training. When asked why these consequences had not been recorded by the inspector, the registered manager stated, ‘These are natural consequences that staff used to keep [the child] safe.’ This means that the child missed out on learning opportunities to improve his behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager does not consistently follow safe recruitment practice. For example, prior to agency staff working in the home, she has not carried out satisfactory checks. This means that she could not be sure of the reasons that staff had left previous roles when working with children. Consequently, leaders and managers cannot be fully assured about the suitability of people they allow to work in the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been a high number of incidents requiring the use of physical restraint with the child. These incidents have led to both the child and staff receiving injuries and there has been damage caused to the physical environment. On occasions, staff have not always applied techniques related to the training they have received. Furthermore, there are shortfalls in the recording of incidents. For example, staff do not record the de-escalation techniques they use to avoid the need for physical restraint with the child. The registered manager has also failed to evaluate the effectiveness of the measure. As a result, key learning, and opportunities to reduce the risks to staff and children, have been missed. Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 5 Staff work hard and are committed to keeping the child safe. As a result, the number of occasions when the child has gone missing from the home are low. On

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improvement to be good

one occasion, staff responded effectively in line with the child’s plan to return him to the home immediately. These actions ensured that the immediate safety of the child was secured.

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good

A suitably qualified and experienced manager leads the home. She was registered in July 2018.

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good

The registered manager has failed to implement effective monitoring systems to ensure that she has oversight of the home. As a result, the inspector identified several shortfalls that had not been addressed by the manager. Furthermore, at the last inspection, the home received four requirements. However, the registered manager has failed to suitably address any of these shortfalls and all the requirements are restated. This lack of oversight does not improve the quality of care for the child.

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good

The registered manager does not always work effectively with partner agencies to improve the quality of care received by the child. For example, following a significant number of incidents with the child, safeguarding meetings with the local authority to review these incidents did not take place. In addition, the registered manager did not challenge professionals effectively when the child did not receive timely support for his mental health. Consequently, these shortfalls compromised the child’s safety.

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good

Staff are not always suitably equipped to manage the child’s behaviour during incidents when he is in distress. For example, one staff member’s physical restraint training had expired. However, the registered manager had failed to implement a risk assessment and the staff member had continued to carry out physical restraints with the child. Furthermore, staff informed the inspector that they required additional and focused physical restraint training to meet the needs of the child, but this had not happened. This leaves staff feeling anxious and lacking confidence in their ability to safeguard the child.

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good

Significant incidents involving the child have not been notified to Ofsted. For example, two incidents requiring police involvement and an incident when the child has made an allegation against staff have not been shared. This means the regulator is unable to carry out its monitoring function to ensure that action is taken to safeguard the child.

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good

An independent person visits the home every month. These visits are completed within timeframes. However, the reports produced do not identify sufficient actions to improve the home. This means that external monitoring systems do not improve the quality of care for children. Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 6 Staff described feeling supported and reassured by the management team. Also, staff receive regular supervision and are given the opportunity to discuss their wishes and feelings. However, supervisions are not always reflective and do not give staff specific actions to improve. As a result, staff are not always able to develop and improve their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 7

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should consult with children’s social workers and regularly review the impact of significant incidents for children. Furthermore, the provider should challenge the relevant professionals’ performance when they have failed to provide specific healthcare support for children. 23 November

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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;

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 10 December Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 8 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that the home’s environment is well maintained, and that work is undertaken to repair damage to areas of the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders have the skills to identify and take action to safeguard children following incidents requiring physical restraint. Furthermore, leaders should understand and follow the home’s child protection policies when a child makes an allegation against a member of staff.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 23 November

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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— 23 November Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 9 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

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; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers ensure that the home’s child protection and safeguarding policies are followed in the home. Managers must also have clear monitoring and review systems in place to improve practice and understand children’s progress, specifically in relation to staff training and behaviour management records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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, 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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that a full and accurate employment history has been provided and validated before any individual commences work in the 23 November Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 10 home. Furthermore, leaders should ensure that they carry out checks where staff have previously worked with children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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;

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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; 23 November Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 11 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;

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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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers must ensure that all consequences issued to a child are recorded. Also, this relates to the manager’s oversight of incidents requiring physical intervention with a child in the home and the need to ensure that staff use de-escalation techniques to avoid physical intervention.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that they notify Ofsted of incidents with children requiring police involvement. Also, leaders should notify Ofsted when a child makes an allegation of abuse against staff working in the home. 23 November

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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’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person’s report must provide actions that the registered person may take to improve the quality of care received by children in the home. 23 November Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 12

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). The registered person may extend the time period if the member of staff hasn’t worked in the role for a prolonged period, such as sick leave or maternity leave, or if it is not reasonable to expect the member of staff to complete in this timescale due to the nature of the hours they work. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: SC411142 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC411142 14 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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