Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC372613 1 SC372613 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a large private company. It provides care for up to three children with complex needs because of their childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager holds a level 5 qualification and registered with Ofsted in April 2016.

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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: 2 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: SC372613 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/11/2021 Full Good 20/11/2019 Full Good 14/05/2018 Full Good 30/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC372613 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are two children currently living in the home. One of these children has lived in the home for nearly two years. The other child has recently moved in. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that staff are skilled to meet all children’s needs. This enables the staff to prepare and support children well so that their moves into and out of the home are smooth and successful. Although one child’s notice was served, this was after four and a half years living in the home, and all other options had been exhausted. The manager supported the child throughout their move and challenged the local authority to ensure the child has suitable accommodation to move on to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented, with appropriate furnishing and decor and some personalisation of rooms. The home offers the opportunity for communal meals and interactions as well as space to be alone. There are memorabilia on display around the home of the children’s time at the home and of their families. This enables children to feel a sense of belonging and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have built strong relationships with the staff who care for them. Staff were observed supporting one child prepare for a day out. Staff ensured they had warm clothing and cleaned their shoes. Despite the child feeling anxious, staff remained calm and used humour to distract them. This helps children to build trust and to feel safer and relaxed in their surroundings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff make every effort and dedicate an immeasurable amount of time to attain the opinions of the children. Staff listen to the children’s views and act on the choices they make. Children are heavily involved in sharing their voice in their plans. Children’s views are promoted, and children say they are ‘listened to’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a positive ethos about the importance of education. As a result, children do well in education and have full-time attendance. They have help and support with their homework and engage in extra-curricular activities. The home advocates for children’s education and works closely with educational establishments to ensure the best possible outcomes are achieved academically for children. This support helps children to grow in confidence and self-esteem. It also provides them with a better opportunity to reach their full potential and increases their life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in activities with staff that they enjoy. This provides children with the opportunity to gain new experiences and have fun. For example, one child visited the Liverpool Football Club Stadium Tour, and another child visited the local prison for a guided tour. Inspection report for children's home: SC372613 4 Children are supported to spend family time with people who are important to them, and staff work with families to ensure that this is a positive experience for children. Family members told the inspectors that staff keep them informed about their children. This practice means that children are able to maintain a sense of belonging within their families, and it promotes their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living at the home and feel safe. One child told the inspector, ‘The best thing about living here are the adults who look after me and [name of child], who I live with.’

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

Children have complex needs and require constant care and supervision. Consequently, there are no incidents of children going missing and no concerns regarding exploitation. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and discuss their learning and understanding of safeguarding practices in their supervision sessions. This ensures that safeguarding practice is strong and remains a priority in the home.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children, including what to do if a child makes an allegation. The manager acts promptly in referring safeguarding incidents or allegations. They carry out investigations as advised and act when needed to ensure that the child is safe. Children are regularly consulted about what is going on after they share their worries, and they are given clear feedback on the actions taken. This enables children to feel listened to.

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

Incidents of restraint are minimal. Where restraints have taken place, these have been managed well. Restraint is used as a last resort, and it is necessary and proportionate. Children have individual positive behaviour support plans. Staff use de-escalation techniques to support children. The staff work well with children so that children understand behaviours that may present a risk to them. This work has supported children to become increasingly safe.

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

Staff and children have positive and caring relationships with each other. Managers and staff listen to children’s views. Children know how to make a complaint, and any complaints are taken seriously. As a result, children feel listened to and valued.

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

Managers and staff place a high priority on keeping children safe. They work in partnership with placing authorities to protect children and promote their safety. The effectiveness of these relationships helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities, and they have a good knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures.

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

The manager and staff demonstrate a great understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and the potential risks posed to them. Clear guidance and strategies to follow are recorded in written risk assessments. This helps ensure that children are protected from harm. Inspection report for children's home: SC372613 5 Staff ensure that the home environment is safe for children to live in. A range of health and safety checks are carried out to assess whether there are any hazards that could pose a risk to children. Children take part in regular fire drills and have personal emergency evacuation plans in place to ensure they know how to safely evacuate the home in case of an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably qualified and experienced manager leads the team. She is passionate and ambitious for the children and ensures that this ethos spreads through the staff team. The manager creates an open and inclusive culture that places children at the centre of practice. She values and promotes good teamwork well. As a result, children build positive relationships with the staff, whose skilled and caring practice increases the bonds between them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good knowledge of children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home. She is fully involved in children’s lives. She is clear about the progress children are making and has high aspirations for what they can achieve. She is enthusiastic in her efforts to be a trusted person for children. This makes her a good role model for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home and feel supported by management. One staff member told the inspector, ‘The manager is just brilliant. She is so supportive. She goes above and beyond for the children. It is more than just a job for her.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager successfully manages a motivated staff team. The enthusiasm and passion of the staff are key to the significant progress that children make and to the ongoing improvements in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the running of the home. Strong monitoring systems support the home’s development. This enables the manager to have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and to be able to take effective action when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of the staff hold the required level 3 diploma. Two staff members are currently working to achieve this, and plans are in place to ensure that they complete it within the required timescales. Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training in therapeutic approaches and an understanding of attachment theory underpin staff practice. Regular consultations with a clinical psychologist are used well and are effective in improving staff practice. This enables staff to better understand the reasons behind some of the children’s behaviours and provide a nurturing environment in which children thrive. Inspection report for children's home: SC372613 6 The manager has established strong connections with partner agencies. Professionals are unanimously positive about the communication with the staff team and about the care provided for children.

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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: SC372613 7

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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: Bryn Melyn Care Limited, Atria, Spa Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester BL1 4AG

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Margaret Anne Bester

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC372613 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 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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