Children's Home, Residential special school run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 1 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 is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to 12 children with special educational needs and/or learning disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

This home also has a school on the same site. The school is open to children living at the home and to day students.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been recruited and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the last inspection, the home was judged requires improvement to be good. One compliance notice was issued under regulation 13. At this inspection, the inspector found that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet all the steps of the compliance notice issued.

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 3

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Leaders have been proactive since the last inspection in ensuring that shortfalls in the care of children have been addressed. At this inspection, the inspector found that the provider had taken action to meet the compliance notice issued under regulation 13.

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The care of children

There were six children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has left the home. This move was well planned and supported by staff. The child was able to visit the new placement and enjoy a leaving party. This means that children feel supported and have a positive experience when leaving the home.

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The care of children

Children receive personalised care from a child-focused staff team. Staff regularly review and update children’s plans. However, targets set for children are not recorded together. There is limited information to help staff understand how they should support children to meet their targets, and reviews are limited. As a result, children may not be progressing as well as they could be.

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The care of children

There are ongoing improvements to the environment. These improvements now mean there is a distinction between school and home. The home is much more homely. The new kitchen dining area gives children a better experience of mealtimes, with opportunities to be more independent, such as cooking and getting their own drinks and snacks. This has helped children learn valuable independence and social skills.

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The care of children

Staff have developed communication packs which help children express their views. These include photos, symbols and social stories. Staff are encouraging much more participation from children. For example, children help devise menus and choose activities, and they understand how to make a complaint. Along with developing new skills, children feel listened to and valued.

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The care of children

Staff are helping children understand their own and other cultures. Children are helped to understand cultural difference through reading stories and doing activities, including visiting religious settings such as churches, participating in celebrations and enjoying foods from around the world. This helps children to understand and celebrate difference. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 4

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The safety of children

Leaders have introduced a new medication system in order to alleviate previous errors in administration and recording. Since its introduction, there have been no medication errors. This action shows leaders are committed to ensuring children’s safety.

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The safety of children

Staff have developed child-specific communication packs to help children understand and express their views following incidents where physical intervention has been used. This helps children understand what has happened and gives them an opportunity to express worries or concerns.

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The safety of children

Despite the ongoing building works, the disruption to children has been minimal. Leaders have made sure risk assessments are kept under review and areas in the home that might present risk are being kept safe. Staff have helped children to understand the changes, and as a result, children have remained settled.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The new manager has now submitted his application to register as manager of the home. The manager is experienced and has the relevant qualifications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders’ monitoring and oversight of the home has improved. They have identified shortfalls and areas of improvement. However, the workforce development plan does not have information regarding the timeframe for induction of new staff or timescales for core training. There are no details of the frequency of staff supervision. These omissions could mean staff are not getting the support and training they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home has sufficient staff to care for the number of children living at the home. Recruitment of new staff is ongoing. However, several staff are unqualified, and some staff have not completed the relevant qualification within timescale. This has the potential to impact on the quality of care received by children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this specifically relates to ensuring that plans for children provide sufficient detail to ensure that staff provide consistency of care and enables children to reach their full potential.

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Requirement Due date

This was a requirement at the last inspection and is restated. 11 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff administering and recording medication correctly.

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Requirement Due date

This was requirement at the last inspection and is restated. 11 September

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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— 11 September Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 7 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to 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; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff completing the relevant qualification within timescales.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should: - detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; - detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); - detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; - detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 8

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Recommendations

Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) This was a recommendation at the last inspection and is restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 9

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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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 Bond, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2501555 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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