Children's home run by Bramley Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068272 1 SC068272 Registered provider: Bramley Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home can accommodate up to 14 children who require specialist support. Every child who is admitted must agree to engage with the home’s therapeutic services. There were seven children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The children attend the organisation’s school on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home was registered with Ofsted in 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 outstanding

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good

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

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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: SC068272 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/05/2021 Full Good 21/08/2019 Full Outstanding 19/12/2018 Full Outstanding 29/11/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC068272 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are being looked after by staff who demonstrate a genuine commitment to helping them to recover from traumatic events in their lives. This enables children to make good progress, particularly in relation to their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build relationships with each other and with staff which are based on trust and respect. The result is an atmosphere which is lively but relaxed. The recent addition of a fish tank is giving children the opportunity to learn how to work together and share caring responsibilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s school attendance and achievements improve when they come to live at the home, and their achievements are celebrated. One child attends college with support from staff but has been struggling to attend full time. Education managers have arranged for him to have a timetable which allows for some time in college and some time in school. This flexible approach has given the child the greatest chance of success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been involved in a review of the incentive scheme. They speak positively about the way it encourages them to behave in more responsible and considerate ways. Children also value the free-time programme and understand how it is helping them to take manageable steps towards increasing independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children appreciate the support that they receive from staff and recognise that this is helping them to make progress. One child told the inspector that his therapy sessions have been especially beneficial. He also described how independence work has helped him to feel ready to live more independently in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff proactively advocate for children to ensure that they are accessing the resources and support that they need to meet their physical and mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Work has been carried out to improve the environment. This has created a bright and homely environment for the children. Managers have recognised that some other areas still need refurbishment and have improvement plans in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recruitment is an ongoing challenge, which managers are proactively seeking to address. In the meantime, there is a reliance on agency staff to ensure that staffing ratios are sufficient to safely care for children. Children say that this is the only thing they would like to change about the home. Managers have listened to children’s views on the quality of care provided by agency staff and have improved the agency worker induction process with the intention of improving their performance. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068272 4

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

Safeguarding children is a priority. Managers recognise the importance of learning from safeguarding incidents. They carry out thorough investigations, involving external safeguarding agencies when necessary. They ensure that learning is shared with the wider staff team. This responsive approach reduces the risk of harm.

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

The care, therapy and education teams work collaboratively, which leads to a shared understanding of children’s progress in relation to addressing their risks and vulnerabilities. There is a sharp focus on direct work with children to help them understand why they need this specialist service.

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

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of an electronic tablet was introduced to allow children to maintain contact with their families. This was the first time that children had been able to access the internet in the home. Managers have built on that success, and children are now routinely able to use the tablet to pursue their interests. Careful support is given to children to make sure they understand how to stay safe online before their access to the tablet is agreed.

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

The process for making sure that new children’s needs are compatible with the needs of children already living at the home has been improved. When children are moving from other residential settings, managers ask staff in their current home, who have detailed knowledge of the child, to comment on the risk assessment document. This enables managers to undertake a well-informed assessment of the likely impact of the child moving into the home. This results in careful planning and matching.

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

When agency staff are employed, checks are carried out to ensure that the agency has fulfilled its responsibility to make sure that staff are safe to work with children. However, some agency staff recruitment records do not demonstrate that managers have reviewed the information on an up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service certificate. This shortfall in recording undermines the otherwise safe recruitment practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager’s oversight and scrutiny of the home are extremely thorough. As a result, he has an exceptionally well-rounded view of the experiences of the children and the impact the care is having on their outcomes. He is creative and persistent in his approach, and ensures that any deficits or shortfalls in the quality of care are immediately addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager speaks with pride when he describes the progress children are making and has high aspirations for what they can achieve. He works closely with other professionals, which promotes children’s safety and well-being, and supports them to make positive changes in all aspects of their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068272 5 The registered manager has high expectations for the quality of care which staff provide to children. He makes sure that working therapeutically with children is fully embedded in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is committed to ensuring that children’s views are integral to all decisions. As a result, children feel empowered to have a say in the way they are looked after and are confident that their voices will be heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is an embedded culture of welcoming feedback from external sources. Criticisms and comments about the service are seen as an opportunity to learn, reflect and improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, the organisation has been acquired by a different company. Managers speak positively about the effect this has had on their access to wider support services. There are development plans in place for changes to practice, including the introduction of an electronic record-keeping system. Managers speak positively about the likely impact of further changes and recognise that while they are adapting to them, they need to maintain their high standard of management monitoring and oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068272 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC068272 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bramley Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malvern View, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AD

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Inspector

Helen Simmons, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068272 8 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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