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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 1 SC397092 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited

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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, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since December 2021.

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This monitoring visit

An interim inspection was completed on 29 March 2022. The home was judged to have declined in effectiveness. This is because there were serious and widespread concerns about the safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. On 31 March 2022, Ofsted served a notice of restriction to prevent any further admissions to the home. In addition, compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged requires improvement to be good at the full inspection in May 2022. However, shortfalls remained in the leadership and management of the home and this was judged inadequate. The compliance notice under regulation 12 was considered met. The compliance notice issued under regulation 13 was not met and was reissued. In addition, a further notice was issued in relation to the sufficiency of staffing at the home. The notice of restriction remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, there were no children living at the home. The staff team have been redeployed to work in other homes. The provider has identified three support workers to work in this home. However, they are currently working in other homes within the organisation. One of these members of staff is new to the role and is on probation. There was not a clear plan in place of when these staff Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 2 would return to the home. This means that there are currently insufficient staff in post to care for children safely.

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This monitoring visit

There is currently no manager or deputy manager in post. This means that there is no one to lead and manage the home at present.

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This monitoring visit

Minimal staff training has taken place and there are gaps in the training of the staff who are planned to work in this home. For example, these staff have not completed training in the home’s therapeutic model of care. Therefore, staff have not received all the necessary training to equip them to meet the needs of children.

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This monitoring visit

The home does not yet have effective monitoring systems in place that would allow managers to have oversight of all aspects of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders are in the process of carrying out a review into the shortfalls in children’s care identified at the previous inspection. The review is ongoing. Therefore, any learning from previous practice or actions for improvement are yet to be identified.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s physical environment requires further work. Some areas of the home require further redecoration. The children’s bedrooms lack furniture, carpets and beds. As a result, the home is not yet ready to admit children.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the limited progress made, a further notice restricting the accommodation has been issued. In addition, the two compliance notices were not met and have been reissued. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 14/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 4

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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—

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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

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated. 14 September Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 5 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.

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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

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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff are able to manage risks effectively and support children to understand the impact their behaviour may have on each other.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, staff and the manager should ensure that they follow children’s risk assessments. 14 September

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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 31 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 6 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that effective monitoring and reviewing systems of the quality of care provided to children are in place.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the manager should ensure that there are sufficient staff who have received training to meet the needs of children.

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated, as shortfalls were still evident during this inspection. 14 September Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 7 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 children continue to make good progress.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must ensure that they evidence that sufficient steps have been taken to ensure that children have a positive experience of moving on from the home. 14 September

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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 14 September Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 8 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 staff record debriefs and the effectiveness of the measure when consequences are issued to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff maintain an accurate record of children’s day-to-day experiences. 14 September

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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. 14 September Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 9 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must ensure that they complete a detailed review of the quality of care provided to children and that the action are linked to their findings.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 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

Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC397092 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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Inspector

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