Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 1 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 home is operated by a large private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider has recently asked Ofsted to vary the conditions of its registration. As a result, the home currently provides care for up to two children who exhibit complex behaviours because of their childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since 4 October 2021 and is in the process of applying to be registered.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 16 November 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. 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: 6 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 2 Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Three compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 35 (behaviour management policies and records) were issued following the last full inspection. The compliance notices were deemed to have been met at the monitoring visit on 16 November 2021. Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/10/2021 Full Inadequate 30/06/2021 Full Inadequate 06/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, three children have left the home. One child was living in the home during this inspection.

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improvement to be good

While some parts of the home are homely and personalised, this is not consistently the case. Some areas of the home are damaged and have not been repaired effectively or within suitable time frames. Furthermore, staff do not consistently maintain the cleanliness of the home to a good standard. This has a detrimental effect on the quality of care received by children.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans do not always contain up-to-date or relevant information relating to their needs. For example, leaders have failed to obtain a child’s most recent care plan from the placing authority. This means that staff are not made aware of all relevant information in relation to the child. These shortfalls have the potential to leave the child vulnerable and have an impact on their progress. However, the manager took action to obtain some of the missing plans from the local authority during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff work with professionals to support and promote children’s health needs effectively. For example, staff have now arranged for a child to receive support from the home’s clinical team. This means that the child is now accessing specific support for their emotional health. The child was able to describe to the inspector how they are benefiting from this support.

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improvement to be good

Staff help and support children to overcome barriers in their education. Staff encourage children to work hard and engage in their education. This support means that the children feel valued and motivated to progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff build positive relationships with children. They ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings are listened to and acted on. For example, the manager has recently supported a child to attend ‘pizza and points of view’ workshops with other children. Furthermore, staff have worked with local hair salons to ensure that a child receives support in maintaining their hair. This support helps children to develop their confidence, self-esteem and, in this example, meets their cultural needs.

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improvement to be good

The quality of children’s risk assessments is improving. However, risk assessments do not always provide staff with specific guidance or strategies to keep children safe. For example, staff have implemented a risk assessment to support a child when they use the internet. However, while there is some guidance, it does not provide sufficient detail on the actions staff should take to keep the child safe. Furthermore, Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 5 staff are not consistently following risk assessments and applying strategies to safeguard the child when online. These shortfalls have the potential to impact on children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Leaders are continuing to develop the staff team’s safeguarding knowledge and practice. The manager is using performance plans and supervision processes to upskill staff and improve their knowledge around therapeutic parenting and safeguarding practice. However, this learning is not yet fully embedded into staff’s practice. For example, staff did not escalate concerns to the manager or show curiosity when a child refused to allow a staff member to check their laptop. This means that leaders cannot yet be assured that staff will consistently raise concerns with them about children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff and leaders take effective action when the child has made disclosures. They informed the child’s placing authority and took steps to safeguard and maintain the welfare of the child. This means that the local authority has up-to-date information and can carry out investigations. These actions ensure that children’s views are listened to and steps are taken to safeguard them.

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improvement to be good

Although there have been no complaints or allegations made against staff by children, children know how to complain. The management team has introduced guidance for staff to follow so that they know how to respond when a child makes a complaint. These actions mean that children have opportunities to express their views and feel valued.

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improvement to be good

The manager took action during the inspection to address some of the shortfalls identified by the inspector. For example, new guidance was produced for staff to follow when children refuse routine internet safety checks. This demonstrates that the manager is able to respond to feedback and take immediate action to safeguard children.

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good

Since the last inspection, a suitably qualified and experienced manager has begun to make improvements in the home. She is organised, child focused and has high expectations.

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good

Staff training is up to date and relevant to the needs of the children in the home. However, the manager has not ensured that all staff complete the required qualification within the compulsory timescales to work in the home. This means that not all staff who care for the children are experienced or qualified to do this.

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good

The new management team has continued to develop and make improvements to the home. For example, audits and monitoring systems have identified areas for improvement in staff recruitment and the administration of medication to children. However, these systems are not yet fully embedded to ensure that children receive consistently good care from the staff team. For example, staff fail to carry out Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 6 routine daily health and safety checks in the home. These shortfalls have the potential to compromise children’s safety.

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good

Leaders provide regular supervision to all staff. This is a supportive process which helps staff to develop their skills and understanding of the children’s needs. The manager ensures that staff receive opportunities to develop their learning. This is starting to improve the care that children receive.

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good

Leaders have reviewed and made changes to external monitoring systems. For example, a new independent visitor has been appointed and has visited the home. The visitor spoke to the child and identified actions for improvement. Furthermore, the national care manager has completed audits and safeguarding training with the staff team. This means that staff are better equipped to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities with children.

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good

The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She is taking action to improve the performance of the staff team. Also, senior leaders in the organisation are providing support and are more involved in the day-to-day running of the home. As a result, the home has made progress since the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 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

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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should maintain the home’s environment and make suitable arrangements to repair damage to property. 10 February 2022

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)) 10 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 8 In particular, the provider should ensure that staff understand and follow risk assessments which have been put in place to keep children safe.

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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—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that monitoring systems are used to identify areas for improvement in the quality of care received by children. 10 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma").

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (3)(b) (4)(a) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that staff achieve the appropriate qualification within the required timescales. 3 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 10 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2484180 9 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that documents are received after statutory meetings and that and these are in children’s files.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2484180 10

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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: 2484180 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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