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

Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 1 SC397092 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered with Ofsted in July 2009 and is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children with complex social and emotional behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 14 December 2021

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 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

Serious and widespread concerns were found in the safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. These shortfalls were found to compromise the safe care of children and their experiences of living in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to the significant concerns found during the inspection, Ofsted raised seven requirements and issued two compliance notices, under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. A restriction notice was also issued.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and the manager take insufficient action to manage and address allegations of poor practice by staff. For example, staff continue to work with children despite serious allegations being made against them. Risk assessments completed by the manager in relation to the allegations are poor and do not evidence the rationale for their decision-making. This leaves children vulnerable to further harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and the manager do not ensure that investigations into allegations against staff are completed in a timely manner. The inspector was informed that some investigation reports were not available at the time of the inspection as the investigations had not been concluded. The inspector was also informed that the quality of one investigation was poor and therefore had to be reassigned. This is despite the investigation being started several months ago. One investigation regarding a staff member’s poor practice towards one child has not yet been started. This demonstrates that leaders and the manager lack understanding of how to keep children safe when there are concerns about adults working with them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does not have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and processes. This has resulted in insufficient action being taken when allegations have been made against children. The manager failed to identify an allegation against a child as a safeguarding concern, and she did not implement a risk management plan to ensure the safety of all children in the home. Consequently, risks potentially posed by children are not managed effectively, and this may result in children being harmed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of children’s risk assessments is poor and they do not contain relevant information about how risk is managed. In addition, staff do not consistently follow children’s risk management and behaviour support plans. As a result, staff do not manage children’s behaviour and risks effectively. Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 3 Restraint practice is poor. Staff have used unsafe restraint practice which has resulted in physical harm to children. The manager’s oversight of such incidents does not immediately identify that this is a safeguarding concern. In addition, the recording of physical restraints is not sufficiently detailed, and this results in poor monitoring and reviewing of incidents. This practice does not keep children safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have failed to develop positive relationships with all children, which has resulted in poor management of behaviour and poor responses from staff when children are distressed. Staff do not have the skills and experience to support children to achieve their full potential and lack understanding of how to meet the needs of the children in their care. As a result, children’s needs are not being met effectively.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does not ensure that staff receive consistent supervision or support. For example, there are serious concerns in the way staff speak to and talk about one child. However, prompt action has not been taken by the manager and leaders to address these concerns. This omission means that staff do not receive adequate support and guidance to develop their skills and promote children’s welfare. This has had a negative impact on one child’s experiences of living in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has failed to notify the regulator of serious incidents in the home. The manager lacks understanding of her role and responsibility to share information with the regulator. Consequently, the regulator is not able to scrutinise the actions taken by the manager to keep children safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring and reviewing systems used by leaders and the manager are ineffective. As a result, leaders and the manager are failing to identify the serious weaknesses in the care provided to children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professionals are positive about some of the progress the children have made since the last inspection. School attendance has improved, and staff are implementing better routines for children. One child continues to make progress and serious incidents continue to reduce.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager now ensures that safer recruitment practice is followed for agency staff working in the home. This ensures that adults working with children have been adequately checked and safely recruited. Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/12/2019 Full Good 05/02/2019 Full Good 31/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1) (a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff have the skills to develop positive relationships with children and to respond to their needs appropriately. 8 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. 8 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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;

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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)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and the manager should ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to respond to child protection concerns.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, they should ensure that allegations into staff’s practice are responded to effectively and in a timely manner.

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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— 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 8 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 7 (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff are able to manage risks effectively. In addition, staff and the manager should ensure that they follow children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans.

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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

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

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that there are effective monitoring and reviewing systems of the quality of care provided to children. 8 May 2022

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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

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

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. 8 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 8 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that they have a good understanding of the care provided to the children in the home, and that they have systems in place to ensure that all staff support children to continue to make good progress.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that all staff receive regular supervision. 8 May 2022

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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; and

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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; 8 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 9 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; and

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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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff provide sufficient detail when recording physical restraints of children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the manager should ensure that there are effective monitoring systems in place to ensure the safe use of restraint.

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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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)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that the regulator is informed of serious incidents that occur in the home. 8 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. 8 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 10 (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated as the report was not due to be submitted at the time of the inspection.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC397092 11

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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

Mazviita Makiyi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC397092 12 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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