Children's Home run by Midas Manors Ltd in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 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 is registered to care for up to two children with social and/or 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 12 September 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/11/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 3

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inadequate

There are failures in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management oversight at the home that compromise the children’s safety and welfare. The significant shortfalls identified at this inspection have led to an inadequate judgement.

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inadequate

The provider gave notice on the child who was living at the home at the time of the last inspection. The staff team was unable to meet the child’s complex needs and keep them safe following a series of significant incidents. Two children have been moved into the home in recent weeks. They have experienced a well-planned transition, and they are adjusting to their new surroundings at a gradual pace.

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inadequate

The staff listen to the children’s wishes and feelings and act on them accordingly. Children’s meetings enable the children to have their say about a range of topics. However, staff have raised sensitive matters with children in the presence of others, which does not respect their privacy. The registered manager was able to identify this issue from reviewing the minutes, but the delay in doing this does not promote robust and timely management oversight of the care provided to children.

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inadequate

Staff promote children’s education. One child is attending school regularly, which is facilitated by the staff transporting them to and from school. Another child is not accessing their education provision. Staff are working with professionals to engage the child in their learning.

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inadequate

Staff support children to eat healthy, balanced meals. Staff also help the children to attend routine health appointments. Key-work sessions are devoted to specific topics, such as emotional well-being and attending health appointments. None of the children are prescribed medication currently. Staff have completed further medication training to ensure that they follow the correct medication management procedures consistently.

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inadequate

The staff support children to spend time with family and friends at home and in the community. This helps children to remain in touch with people who are important to them. The children’s rooms have recently been redecorated and furnished in accordance with the children’s individual preferences.

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

Children are not effectively safeguarded. Leaders and managers have failed to implement up-to-date risk management strategies that are monitored and reviewed when children have been exposed to harm. A child who had seriously self-harmed was not suitably monitored by the staff, as determined necessary by the registered manager. The registered manager failed to monitor that the checks had taken place. Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 4 Ofsted had been assured by the registered manager about the safeguards that had been put in place. The discrepancies in practice have placed a child at risk of harm.

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

Children have been exposed to harm during family time. They have not been protected by a suitable risk management strategy that supports safe family time in line with their agreed plans. This does not provide children with sufficient protection, and it exposes them to the risk of harm. Furthermore, children’s written risk assessments have not been reviewed to determine if the children’s risks have increased or reduced.

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

Although staff have received refresher safeguarding training, leaders and managers have failed to assure themselves that all the staff have a strong and coherent knowledge of safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures. This includes ensuring that the staff understand who they can contact if their concerns relate to the responsible individual and the registered manager.

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

Staff help children to develop a clear understanding of what is acceptable behaviour by implementing routines and boundaries. Physical intervention is rarely used. However, consequences that are imposed on children following concerns about their safety have not been reviewed in a timely manner to ensure that they are still proportionate and effective. This includes a consequence that is interfering with a child’s ability to spend their money independently.

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

Staff recruitment at the home is suitable. Allegations are escalated to the local authority designated officer. However, the manager has not always followed up these concerns with staff about their conduct. For example, when staff have spoken about children in a derogatory way.

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

Missing-from-care incidents are low. When children have gone missing, the staff work hard to find them. They follow the individual missing-from-care protocols to ensure that children return home safely. Children are offered independent return- home interviews. This has offered them an opportunity to talk about their reasons for going missing.

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

Due to the safeguarding concerns raised, Ofsted has issued a compliance notice under regulation 12.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management oversight of the home is ineffective . It has led to gaps in risk management practices and ineffective monitoring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not addressed all of the previous requirements that were made at the last inspection. There are several unfinished tasks that have not been completed including responding to complaints. These are significantly delayed and are impacting on the manager’s capacity to provide effective oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 5 The statement of purpose has recently been reviewed and it is out of date. It includes the previous responsible individual’s details and information that does not accord with the current children’s needs. Not all of the staff are familiar with the statement of purpose and what it seeks to achieve for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager’s oversight of records is poor. This includes two physical intervention records that were incomplete at the time of the independent person’s visit in January 2023 but backdated by the manager to show an earlier completion date. This raises concerns about the manager’s integrity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The provider has failed to review the registered manager’s probation after a delay of several months to ensure that they remain fit and suitable for the role. The registered manager has not ensured that staff who hold supervisory responsibilities receive suitable training. This matter was raised with the registered manager by the previous responsible individual several months ago. This inaction does not support staff in their role, nor does it promote safe practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Complaints about staff practice are not always recorded sufficiently. For example, the record of a complaint that was made by a parent in January 2023 does not show the investigation process and audit trail. Similarly, the manager’s decision to allow a staff member to continue to work with children during an allegation investigation was not made in the child’s best interests. This quality of decision-making is not child focused, and it exposes children to risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not notified Ofsted of all notifiable incidents. Ofsted was not notified of a child who was seen at hospital with a new health concern. This has prevented independent scrutiny and oversight of the actions taken by the registered manager in response to the incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The appropriateness of having bedroom door alarms and alarms in the home has not been reviewed in relation to the needs of the current children. The monitoring systems used have not been explored in the children’s care plan or risk assessment. This blanket approach is not in keeping with Ofsted’s guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

No staff have left since the last inspection. The staff team has had a period of reflection and refresher training following an extremely challenging period of caring for a child with complex needs. Staff express feeling supported by the manager, and their supervision allows them to discuss the children and have time for reflection. However, the views of staff are not included in the management review report. This does not demonstrate how the staff team influences developments in the home. Team meetings are held, but the registered manager has not noticed the need to encourage staff to read and sign the minutes to confirm their understanding of them. This is not in line with their own instructions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The strengths within the staff team have been recognised by the children’s social worker and a parent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 6 Due to the leadership and management concerns raised, Ofsted has issued a compliance notice under regulation 13. Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 7

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(b)) 11 June 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h)) 11 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 8 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that they follow their own instructions for staff to sign the minutes of team meetings to confirm that they have read and understood them. 11 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is up to date and accurate, and that all staff have a clear understanding of the statement of purpose and the importance of this in relation to caring for children. 11 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s personal information is kept confidential and not discussed in the presence of other children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)) 11 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the review of the quality of care report includes feedback from staff. 11 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 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: 2693113 10

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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