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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 1 SC059635 Registered provider: City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides long-term care and accommodation for up to six children and young people who have a range of social and emotional needs. The registered manager has been absent from work since August 2021. A temporary manager started in January 2022 and is yet to be registered.

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Inspection date: 16 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 15 September 2021

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Inspection date: 16 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 16 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At least three different people have been managing the home since the last inspection and in the absence of the registered manager. In January 2022, a temporary manager started to provide some consistency. The changes in leadership have inevitably impacted on the stability of the staff and children. To compensate for this period of instability, no further children have moved in since the last inspection. The provider has also reflected on not taking children in an emergency to minimise the risk of further instability. This has helped the current children to settle and develop good relationships with staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have made progress since the last inspection. They are engaged in education and are supported by staff to gain life skills to be able to move on into independence. There is a calmer atmosphere in the home arising from the positive relationships the children have with each other and with the staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements in the premises are evident, and the children’s rooms are personalised. This helps the children feel a sense of belonging. Children say they like living in the home and like the staff. One child said, ‘It’s a lot calmer now than it has been. I really like living here.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are good relationships with staff, which enable children to share worries and concerns. When children have complaints, these are responded to and result in action if appropriate. This means children feel listened to. There have been fewer incidences of children being held for their own safety, going missing or hurting themselves.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the breaches identified at the last inspection are still apparent. The action plan to address the shortfalls has been implemented, but change has not yet been universally effective or embedded. The staff team has shown goodwill and commitment to try and plug gaps in the wider networks around the children. Despite this, there is drift and delay in areas of some children’s progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s risk plans do not identify and describe their risks fully, nor do they include steps for staff to follow to mitigate the risks. For example, they do not describe the series of actions staff should take to minimise the risk of fire setting or the risk of harmful associations. There is contradictory information across plans, for example around the amount of free time spent in the community. This does not promote consistency and leaves the potential for an ineffective response. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 3 The practice relating to checking the suitability of agency staff has not yet been properly addressed. This results in children being cared for by staff who may not have the appropriate skills or experience to do so.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some aspects of safeguarding matters are escalated and pursued, while others have drifted. This leaves uncertainty over whether all necessary tasks have been completed to assure children’s well-being and safety. There is a lack of professional curiosity or rigour in satisfactorily concluding safeguarding concerns.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all staff have a good understanding of what actions constitute whistle-blowing. This does not provide reassurance that matters would be escalated as appropriate. Notifications about safeguarding incidents have not always been sent to the regulator when required. This limits the regulator’s ability to have sufficient oversight.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the children’s records contain language which is judgemental and value- laden. This could impact a child’s self-esteem and sense of identity. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/10/2019 Full Good 17/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 5

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; 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)(b)(iv)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This refers to ensuring day-to-day arrangements for care are set out clearly in plans and followed by staff, and that these arrangements promote the well-being and development of children. 08 May 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— 08 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 6 that staff—

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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; and

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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)(v)(b))

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This refers to managers developing the children’s plans to support staff to care for them responsively.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to management oversight to prevent poor- quality recording and ensure all critical information is included in children’s plans. 08 May 2022

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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 08 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 7 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

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)).

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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;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 08 May 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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 08 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are made familiar with the home’s internal whistle-blowing procedures. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.9)  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. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 8 will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 for children’s home: SC059635 9

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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 of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, City Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD1 1HY

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC059635 10 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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