Children's Home run by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 1 SC033628 Registered provider: City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by the local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to six children with physical or learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. The home currently supports 22 children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Following the last full inspection, four compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard), regulation 32 (fitness of workers) and regulation 35 (behaviour management policies and records). A monitoring visit in November 2022 found that the compliance notices have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2022 Full Inadequate 21/09/2021 Full Good 06/01/2020 Full Good 02/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 3

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improvement to be good

Staffing shortfalls in the service have affected the number of children who are able to access the short-breaks service. Leaders and managers have reduced the number of children accessing short breaks from six to four.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between the staff and children are positive. Staff speak fondly of the children they care for. Staff know the children’s likes and understand the importance of having a daily routine. Improved consultations with children show that staff help them to make choices about their food and activities. This gives children confidence that their voices are listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff are now supported to take children on activities away from the home. For example, they go for walks to the park and to the local shops. Staff were unable to do this at the time of the last inspection due to staffing difficulties.

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improvement to be good

The children enjoy the extensive gardens. They use the outdoor play equipment, including the obstacle courses. They enjoy riding bicycles and have access to many sensory activities. Inside the home, children use the dedicated sensory rooms and soft-play areas. Some children bring their own electronic devices and spend time playing on them.

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improvement to be good

Not all children have unrestricted access to their bedroom. One child’s room was locked during their stay, and staff held the key and were needed to allow the child access. This does not promote children’s ability to move around the home freely.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual records have improved. Meaningful conversations and observations with children are documented. Children have photos of their time at the home, which serve as memories of their stay.

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improvement to be good

Staff have positive relationships with children’s education providers. They attend health and education review meetings and work with parents towards implementing the actions and goals arising from these. This minimises gaps in children’s learning, and children make progress from their starting points.

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improvement to be good

The communal areas of the home are well decorated and furnished and provide a warm and welcoming environment. However, the children’s bedrooms are bare and not personalised to reflect their interests. This does not ensure that children receive a personalised welcome on arrival. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 4

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improvement to be good

Children’s complex needs leave them vulnerable to frequent changes of medication and dosages. In the absence of any formal notification from the prescribing doctor, staff do not always administer medication in line with any changes to children’s prescriptions. This means that antibiotics or correct dosages of children’s prescribed medication are not administered. This does not support children’s health needs and does not enable parents to exercise their parental responsibility fully. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is therefore repeated.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment checks for one member of staff, who moved from another local authority service, are incomplete. This does not provide assurance that staff remain safe to work with children.

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improvement to be good

All the children have current and up-to-date risk assessments. High supervision levels based on children’s needs mean that they do not go missing. Children’s missing-from-home plans are kept up to date, and staff have clear strategies to follow if children do go missing.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the needs of the children well. When children show changes in behaviours, staff recognise this and are quick to respond to support the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour management documents provide staff with guidance on how to respond to each child’s behaviour appropriately. As a result, there have been fewer incidents and there have been no incidents where physical intervention has been used since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are considered when planning their short breaks. Children are matched well, which provides them with a friendly environment where they can feel safe and happy.

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improvement to be good

Staff have received additional training in safeguarding children with disabilities and have increased knowledge around children’s additional vulnerabilities. Staff have a good knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures.

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good

The registered manager is experienced in working with children with disabilities. Staff describe him as being supportive and having an open-door policy to discuss any concerns.

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good

The registered manager has not yet completed the required qualification in leadership and management. The proposed completion date identified after the monitoring visit has been pushed back again. Therefore, this requirement has been repeated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 5 Regular supervision provides opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and review previous actions. However, staff appraisals are inconsistent as some staff have not had their performance appraised following previous investigations. The appraisal records do not identify practice issues or any learning.

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good

There are inconsistencies in the induction and probation plans for some staff. Not all induction plans, and probation records have been completed even when staff have worked in the home for over a year. This does not demonstrate effective management oversight of staff’s performance. Professionals and family members speak positively about the care the children receive. They say that communication with staff is good and that they are kept informed about their children’s experiences and the progress they make. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 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 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

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

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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)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should revise the statement of purpose to reflect the number of children accessing care and update staffing information and recruitment checks. The registered manager should review children’s plans to clarify when doors are locked for their safety. 20 February 2023

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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. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that there is a clear process for recording medication for each child and have a process for administering medication when children’s medication changes. 20 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— 20 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 7 the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i) (2)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is repeated.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b) (4)(c)) 20 February 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In most cases, children’s homes should be homely, domestic environments. The home must comply with relevant health and safety legislations and seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. In particular, ensure that children’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 8 bedrooms are personalised in line with their wishes when they come to stay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC033628 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford BD1 1HY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Picklu Roychoudhury

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Inspector

Aasia Hussain, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC033628 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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