Children's Home run by Midas Manors Ltd in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 1 Registered provider: Midas Manors Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. There are currently two children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager have been registered with Ofsted since 23 July 2020.

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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: 29 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2021 Full Good 10/08/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed secure and trusting relationships with staff. This has supported children to live at the home for a long time, which shows significant progress. Children accept support from staff which helps them to overcome difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of social and recreational activities. Staff support children to spend time in the home together, but also support their individual interests and hobbies. This includes attending music festivals, car shows, day trips and holidays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and mental health needs are met well. In addition to children accessing specialist support, the staff also access this to help develop their own understanding of the impact of trauma. This has helped staff to respond better to children and help them to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff dedication and commitment has helped improve educational outcomes for children. One child has recently moved school. The manager contributed to this through advocating for better educational outcomes. Well-planned transitions have helped the child have a more positive experience in education. Staff have supported one child to improve attendance. As a result, the child recently completed their GCSE exams, and they are now undertaking the apprenticeship of their choice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their family and those who are important to them. Children’s friends are often invited to spend time at the home, which helps to maintain friendships. Staff communicate well with family and friends to encourage open communication. This helps children build their natural support networks and experience positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise children’s achievements and celebrate these. Staff praise both children for their individual progress and achievements. This includes improved school attendance and starting a Duke of Edinburgh award. For one child, it also included praise for working within the boundaries of their safety plan and staff acknowledged when risks were reduced. This helps children to feel valued and builds their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained and children like their bedrooms, which they have helped to decorate. The staff and children prepare the home for celebrations such as Halloween, Christmas and birthdays. The photos of staff and children displayed provide a warm atmosphere in the home. This, alongside being actively involved in making decisions about the home, has helped children to develop a sense of belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 4

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

Children feel safe living at the home. They have experienced stability at the home and have made much progress from their starting points. This includes children having free time in line with their age and reduction of risks. Professionals share this view that children are well cared for and safeguarded. One social worker told the inspector, ‘[child’s name] has made great progress since moving to the home. She has progressed to full-time training and there have been no recent missing episodes, which is a massive improvement in safeguarding her.’

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

The manager and staff have improved partnership working with one child’s social worker and the police. Communication is effective and professionals work together to review risks. This has resulted in a significant reduction of risk from child sexual exploitation for one child.

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

Missing from home episodes are low. On the rare occasions when children do go missing, the staff respond quickly. On one occasion, when a child left the home in the night, staff followed the child’s risk assessment and remained in contact with them. This led to the child returning home quickly and no further incidents have occurred. Although staff know the child well, their risk assessment was not updated to include the incident. While the child refused to engage in a return home interview, the manager missed an opportunity to request this. The manager’s full and detailed reflection of the incident addressed the aspects that needed improving.

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

Staff use their good relationships, and de-escalation and distraction techniques, as well as praise to support children from developing heightened behaviours. As a result, staff rarely need to hold children to keep them safe. When this has been needed, staff make detailed records to reflect the incidents. However, on one occation,some details including the date of the child’s debrief have been recorded incorrectly. This results in inaccurate records and does not provide a true account of the incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced manager. The manager is supported by the deputy manager and the responsible individual. Managers know the children and staff well. They are committed to improving the outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to regular, practice-based supervisions and a range of training. They are further supported in practice through regular team meetings. These are well attended and include contributions from a family therapist and psychotherapist. This helps staff to think collectively and individually about meeting children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s views are captured regularly, and children feel listened to. The manager advocates for children and has supported one child with a complaint that she made about her education provision. Action was taken, however the child did not receive a response to her complaint in writing. This can reduce the child’s understanding of what action has been taken and the outcome. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 5 The manager has processes to monitor the operation of the home. Health and safety checks ensure that the children’s physical environment is appropriate. Staff training and development is also monitored. This helps to ensure that any gaps in practice are quickly actioned by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One requirement and two recommendations from the last inspection relating to children participating in fire drills and improved recordings on the children’s files have been met. However, a recommendation relating to the quality of risk assessments has not been met and has been escalated to a requirement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any new risks are clearly recorded in children’s risk assessments, including any action that needs to be taken by staff to effectively safeguard children. 2 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c)) 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 7

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure children’s records are clear and accurate. When staff record the action taken following a physical intervention, attention should be taken to ensure all the details are recorded accurately, including dates. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered provider should ensure that the outcome of children’s complaints are provided in writing. This will support children to understand that their views have been listened to and how they have been acted on. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 2573447 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 10 Joseph Street, Holme Lane, Bradford BD4 0PT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alison Serefoglou

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Inspector

Sadie Mulkeen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 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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