Children's Home run by Bramley Care Limited in Surrey

Inspection report for young people's home: SC028505 1 SC028505 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 children’s home caters for children and young people who require specialist support. Every child/young person must agree to engage with the home’s therapeutic services in order to come here. At the time of the inspection, there were four young people in the home, two of whom were young adults.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home registered with Ofsted in August 2012.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for young people’s home: SC028505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/07/2021 Full Good 28/01/2020 Full Good 20/06/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for young people’s home: SC028505 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are making good progress in the home. They are supported to succeed in education and are gaining qualifications, for example diplomas in motor vehicle maintenance, furniture making and public services. One young person has gone on to have a part-time job, which is a significant milestone for them in developing their confidence, self-esteem and sense of responsibility. Young people describe the home as a caring and safe environment where they can safely explore their emotions openly. Young people also receive therapeutic support in relation to risks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the young people well. They actively seek their views, which adds to the young people’s confidence, and they feel listened to. Key-work sessions take place frequently, and one young person said, ‘My key worker knows me inside out.’ Young people and staff have sincere and trusting relationships. Young people are happy to live at the home, and one young person said, ‘It is the best home, so much calmer, and we all get on with one another.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who move on from the home are supported by staff, and they develop the skills to enable them to successfully move into supported and independent accommodation. Joint working with professionals involved with the young person ensures that young people move on in a carefully planned way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the young people have only been at the home for a short period of time. Young people have bespoke plans. Staff use ‘identifying current and ongoing needs plans’, which incorporate care and placement plans. These plans identify the needs of each young person and the strategies needed to support them to acquire independence skills over time to support them in their onward journey. This approach ensures that young people gain self-confidence and become skilled in managing their own money, shopping and communicating with people effectively. One young person’s social worker said, ‘He has done phenomenally; staff have worked tirelessly, and therapy has helped him recognise his mistakes. He is in the best place he can be, that he is able to move onto independence in the community.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the young people’s individual vulnerabilities. They have effective strategies in place to help keep young people safe, and these are clearly set out in individual behaviour risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These plans are reviewed frequently. However, it is not always clear who has taken the responsibility for the review or how information is shared with all staff to enable them to know the most up-to-date plans for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people have made enough progress to be able to meet friends without supervision, and they are able to stay in the home without staff. Young people are Inspection report for young people’s home: SC028505 4 proud of their achievements. One young person shared that he has recently passed his Compulsory Basic Training course and would be getting a motorbike soon.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a home that is comfortable and homely. However, improvements to the home are required, in particular in the shared bathroom. The condition of this room undermines the otherwise good standards in the home.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Young people say that they feel safe. Staff implement clear and consistent boundaries that young people know and respect. Physical intervention has not been used in this home, and there is seldom a need for staff to consider the use of consequences. This is because the staff are well informed about each young person’s needs, and they use their skills and experience to provide a calming atmosphere and approach. Through the nurturing environment and therapy, young people are empowered to take ownership of their behaviour, which builds their resilience and coping mechanisms. This contributes to young people having a feeling of well-being and security.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

The home is safe, and health and safety checks are carried out frequently. The registered manager has written a detailed improvement plan following the enforcement notice issued by the Surrey Fire & Rescue Service, and all actions have been completed.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no safeguarding allegations since the last inspection, and there have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home. Staff know the safeguarding action they should take if a young person were to go missing from the home. However, managers do not use team meetings and supervisory meetings as an opportunity to enhance the staff’s knowledge and skills regarding safeguarding practice.

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

Safe recruitment practices are understood and implemented by staff responsible for this area of practice. All necessary checks are in place to ensure that young people are protected from unsuitable people working at the home. However, staff recruitment files do not clearly demonstrate that these checks have taken place. For example, in one file, there is a lack of clear evidence that documents which had expired had been seen before re-employment or of suitability through Disclosure and Barring Service. This was rectified on day one of the inspection and was a recording issue. Reasonable steps are not always taken to verify references. For example, there is no record of what the member of staff asks when they verify a reference or the referee’s responses. Consequently, the safety of the recruitment process is undermined by some incomplete records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a skilled practitioner. He is visible in the home and is motivated to meet the needs of the young people. He is a good role model who motivates the staff team to maintain standards and to focus on what matters for Inspection report for young people’s home: SC028505 5 young people. Staff made very positive comments about the registered manager, stating, ‘He is amazing, knowledgeable and knows so much about the boys.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home and speak with pride about the significant progress the young people have made. They have a good understanding of the individual vulnerabilities for each young person, and they have effective strategies in place to help keep them safe. These strategies are clearly set out in young people’s plans. The registered manager has supported a member of staff following a significant incident, offering further support that demonstrates the importance of the well-being of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers are positive about their working relationships with the registered manager and staff and say that they are kept well informed. One social worker said, ‘I have witnessed good relationships with the young person and staff. They are so involved with his life that I feel he’s safe.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager takes on other responsibilities in the home, for example key working and frequently working on shift. This is reflected in his appraisal. There is no one appointed to deputise in his absence and no senior staff employed in the home. This impacts on the manager’s duty to effectively monitor all aspects of the home and create ideas to sustain the high quality of care. This has left some gaps in record-keeping. For example, the development plan does not reflect areas of the home that need improvement or how the training received by staff can be used to underpin evidence-based continuous improvement in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the registered manager, and supervision sessions for staff are regular and reflective. The registered manager and staff have continued to develop professionally through a wide range of training areas specifically designed to meet the needs of the young people at the home. They reflect on their learning and seek to use their knowledge to care for and advise the young people. However, this is not yet demonstrated through key-work sessions with young people. Inspection report for young people’s home: SC028505 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that recruitment records demonstrate that managers have taken all reasonable and practicable measures to obtain up-to-date documents and verify references from previous employers. 17 March 2023

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, demonstrate how the training received could provide further research and discussion with the staff team to further improve outcomes for children in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(g)(i)(h)) 17 March 2023 Inspection report for young people’s home: SC028505 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should provide a home that is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their young people. The home must comply with relevant health and safety legislations; however, in doing so, the home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic impression. This is in relation to the shared bathroom. (‘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 young people 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 young people’s home: SC028505 8

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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

Hannah Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for young people’s home: SC028505 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 young people’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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