Children's home run by Bracknell Forest Borough Council in Bracknell Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 1 SC037986 Registered provider: Bracknell Forest Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides day care and residential short breaks for five children with learning disabilities. It is owned and managed by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager is vacant.

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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 21 January 2021 to carry out 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 30 September 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/09/2019 Full Outstanding 11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 14/03/2018 Full Outstanding 05/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a compassionate and nurturing team of staff who understand their care needs and vulnerabilities. Staff know the children’s communication needs and their personalities extremely well. Children enjoy staying at the home. The inspector witnessed very excited children running to the front door on arrival. Staff are appropriately physically attentive to children. This gives children a sense of comfort and calmness, which aids their sensory needs and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff prepare for each child’s arrival at the home. For example, if a child likes a particular duvet cover, game or item, staff ensure that this is ready for when they arrive. As a result, children have a sense of belonging and positive experiences when staying at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The interior of the home requires some attention. For example, minor maintenance work, decoration, and the presentation of the kitchen in some areas. The removal of unused electrical equipment and items from a bedroom would make the home more aesthetically pleasing and child friendly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are realistic in their aspirations for the children. The children have set targets that are achievable, enjoyable and help to improve daily living skills. The inspector spent time with a child who was working happily towards one of his targets. Another child has completed his targets and, as a result, benefits from a more positive sleep routine. This improves the quality of children’s lives and gives them a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a wide range of resources and ways to express their wishes and views. Children receive a range of communication methods and direct sessions with a member of staff, which provides a safe place for children to be listened to and heard. These sessions are well recorded, concise and accessible to the whole staff team. This means that all staff are kept up to date, which further promotes the emotional well-being of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to learn about different cultures and diversity. For example, a different country is chosen to celebrate and explore. Children’s artwork is displayed around the home. This gives the children insight and knowledge about the world and people around them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff and managers have effective working relationships and good communication with other agencies. For example, they attend education reviews, care planning meetings and health appointments. Children’s social workers state that the staff go above and beyond to ensure that all information is shared and that the Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 4 children they care for have the necessary resources and professionals involved in their care. This ensures that, where possible, those involved have oversight to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Health and safety, including fire risks, are managed well by staff. Recording of this is good. Nonetheless, the recording in some other areas of practice is not. For example, shift planning is not always clear. In addition, some risk assessments are not regularly updated. This means that staff may not provide consistent care and management of children’s needs and behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Committed and nurturing staff appropriately manage difficult or challenging behaviours that children present. Physical restraint is rarely used. De-escalation techniques, such as singing or play, successfully enable distraction. As a result, the environment provides a sense of calmness for the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding in the home is effective. However, there is limited reflection and discussions in practice and group meetings. This limits the potential of learning for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is new to her role and is currently in the process of registering with Ofsted. Managers and leaders continue to have high ambitions for the home, staff and children. However, this does not always transpire into practice. For example, the development and action plan for the home is out of date. As a result, there has been some drift in some expected outcomes, such as the reflective practice sessions and implementation of effective monitoring systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose does not provide up-to-date information, including staff details and training or correct details for children and parents to contact should they wish to complain externally to the provider. Nonetheless, the acting manager and staff care for the children based on the nurturing ethos of the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff have completed mandatory training, and bespoke training is considered given the individual needs of the children. However, the monitoring systems in place to quality assure and inform the home’s development plan and staff’s learning are not effective. As a result, managers and leaders lack the oversight needed to identify and address shortfalls in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The long-standing permanent staff team provides stability and consistency for the children. Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. Managers and leaders know the strengths of the staff team and have identified areas that need to improve. For example, when practice falls short of managers’ expectations, swift action is taken to address the concerns. This ensures that the children receive care from experienced and knowledgeable staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 5 The home is regularly reviewed by the independent visitor, which provides an additional layer of scrutiny. However, at times, the independent visitor has not considered the views of other professionals and parents as part of their report. The. Additional challenge by manager and leaders will ensure that the quality is thoroughly reviewed regularly. Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 6

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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 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

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)) 1 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the legislation and contact details and role of relevant persons should be correct and kept up to date. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 1 May 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that redecoration and maintenance are undertaken to provide a more welcoming, homely and brighter environment for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 7  The registered person should ensure that the workforce development plan details the necessary current management and staffing structure, the experience and qualifications of staff currently working in the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. Furthermore, the plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that wording in records is child friendly and descriptive. In addition, risk assessments should be regularly updated to ensure that staff provide consistent care and management of children’s needs and behaviour. (‘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: SC037986 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Time square, Market Street, Bracknell RG12 1JD

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Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037986 9 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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