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

Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 1 SC472977 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

The home is owned and run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child with learning disabilities. The home was originally registered for up to 15 children but following a request to vary the conditions, the numbers were reduced.

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Information about this children’s home

The two registered managers were not available at this inspection. There is a new acting manager at the home. He is yet to register with Ofsted.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A full inspection was undertaken on 26 May 2021. The findings from that 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 2 registered provider was issued with enforcement action and requirements to improve.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was undertaken on 15 July 2021. Serious shortfalls were identified relating to safeguarding practice and management oversight. This led to an emergency suspension notice being issued. There have been three further monitoring visits prior to this visit. Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 3

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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 children’s home: SC472977 4

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improvement to be good

One child lives at the home. Direct care is delegated to a specialist clinical team. A phased plan is in place to reintroduce local authority staff back into the home to oversee the child’s care. Currently, all of the child’s care needs are being met by the commissioned team.

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improvement to be good

Professionals review the child’s care plans each week. The clinical team supplies information for the manager to create the child’s care plans. This arrangement is new, meaning that a review of the effectiveness of these plans has not yet taken place.

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improvement to be good

The child makes frequent comments about disliking the home and not feeling safe. The staff have introduced children’s meetings to allow the child to voice her concerns. A ‘moans and groans’ book also allows for a child-friendly approach for raising concerns. Key-work sessions with the child allow her to explore ‘feeling safe’ and discuss life at the home.

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improvement to be good

The child’s parents feel welcomed at the home and are positive about their child’s care. They have an established relationship with staff, who facilitate family time arrangements. The child is therefore spending regular time with those who are important to her.

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improvement to be good

The staff support the child’s education and learning and personalise this to meet her specific needs through a clear transition plan that gradually builds her hours back into school. Staff understand the challenges around transport and the child’s social needs. As a result, a phased reintegration to school is taking place.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to engage in activities and play. The child now has choices about activities and makes plans for the week with staff. She is making progress in managing her emotions and behaviours. As a result, her risks in the community have reduced and she is now going on trips to the park.

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improvement to be good

The child’s behaviour support plans are kept under review by the multitude of professionals involved. This helps to ensure that team members have the guidance and direction they need to support the child’s behavioural and emotional health needs. This is having a positive effect as the child’s mood continues to stabilise.

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improvement to be good

The child has not been missing from home. The high levels of staffing and constant supervision reduce the risk of the child missing in the community. There is a detailed missing-from-home protocol for staff to follow should any incidents occur. Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 5 The use of physical restraint is rare. The commissioned clinical care team’s therapeutic approach has reduced the need for physical intervention. The child feels more empowered to communicate with words, which is helping to reduce her anxiety.

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improvement to be good

The provider has failed to arrange to action one of the steps in the compliance notice and therefore an environmental assessment has not been completed. The impact of the setting on the child’s sensory needs is not fully known. Those providing care for the child have advocated that the assessment is fundamental for her welfare. This may limit the progress the child makes and cause unnecessary emotional distress.

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improvement to be good

The designated officer from the local authority is notified when concerns have been raised about staff members’ practice. However, the manager is uncertain if safeguarding procedures have been followed on all occasions. The written records that show the actions taken were not available. The manager has improved how safeguarding information is stored, though this is not yet embedded.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not always notified the regulator of any serious incidents in a timely manner. This increases the risk of harm to the child and reduces the regulator’s ability to monitor the team’s safeguarding practice.

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good

The continued changes in the leadership team have limited the progress this home has made. However, the new manager has had a positive impact since being appointed. This is recognised by the commissioned clinical team’s manager, who said: ‘We have seen a big improvement since [manager’s name] has arrived. He is really clear in helping us understand the regulatory expectations of a children’s home.’

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good

The arrangements for the child arriving at this home were poor. Responsibility had been delegated to the commissioned team without due regard for the child’s well- being. For example, dangerous items were found in the child’s belongings, which had to be confiscated. This could have resulted in the child or staff being harmed.

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good

The manager has daily contact with the clinical care team. He also attends weekly meetings with other professionals and family members to review the child’s plans. Discussions about the child’s care also occur at short notice. This ensures that important decisions about the child are made without delay.

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good

The manager has introduced team meetings and individualised supervision for staff. This is supplementary to the clinical supervision sessions already in place. These new forums provide additional guidance and support for the team with regard to the demands the role can bring. However, the new support sessions have yet to be embedded. Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 6 The child’s risk assessment is kept under review and staff update this as and when needed. However, the manager does not yet have a system in place to be reassured that all staff have read and understood the changes to the records. This may lead to inconsistencies in the child’s care.

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good

The manager does not yet have an established system to ensure that day-to-day shift planning and sharing of pertinent information is consistent. This does not provide reassurance to the regulator that once the commissioned care team withdraws, the child’s care will continue to be well organised. This may result in unsafe situations repeating and the child being at risk of harm. Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 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

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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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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. 9 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the child has in place an up-to-date environmental and sensory assessment, to ensure that the help and care that is being provided is aligned to the child’s assessed needs. 9 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 8 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the team has in place handover and shift planning arrangements to ensure that staff provide continuous safe and effective care to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that effective information management is in place so that evidence can be provided with the regard to the care of children. In particular, information in relation to the management of allegations. 9 January 2022

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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;

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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)(b)(e)) 9 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 9

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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: SC472977 10

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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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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Balvinder Gill and Victoria Bolton

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Inspectors

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Alex Howitt, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC472977 11 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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