Children's Home run by BFG Together Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children's home: 2591033 1 Registered provider: Bfg Together Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run and provides care for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who is suitably qualified and experienced. Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2591033 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2591033 3

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improvement to be good

Children living at this home have mixed experiences of care that have an impact on their progress and outcomes.

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improvement to be good

A child living in this home has a history of mixed education attendance and is currently not participating in education. He has a very poor record of attendance since January 2023. Staff have not been able to engage this child in informal education arrangements at home and he spends most of his time in his room. The staff at the home are liaising regularly with school staff to try to resolve this.

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improvement to be good

There has been a significant delay in identifying an appropriate education provision for another child. This is at an important time for this child’s education. The managers have liaised with the placing local authority and escalated concerns when there was not a timely resolution. This means there has been a missed opportunity for a child who is motivated to participate in education. The home education arrangements with a tutor have recently been improved.

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improvement to be good

One child has a poor daily routine which is having an impact on his sleep and diet. It is a concern that poor routines and non-school attendance may affect his confidence, self-esteem and social skills.

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improvement to be good

Leading up to this inspection, there have been mixed outcomes for children. One child moved into the home but did not settle. She spent time missing from care and absent, staying with a family. This disrupted her education, and the manager agreed with the placing local authority to end the placement in a planned way.

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improvement to be good

Another child, vulnerable to the risks of going missing from care and of exploitation, left in an unplanned way, following a serious incident. This was not a good outcome for this child. Additionally, these changes and disruptions were unsettling for the other child living in the home during this time.

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improvement to be good

Children are consulted with about their daily plans and their care plans. They know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy. One child has recently been allocated an advocate after delays in education. Managers supported this child to complain to his placing local authority about these delays.

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improvement to be good

Children can identify staff who they get on with and staff who they will speak to if they have any concerns. Staff respond to children’s views and wishes. However, staff write daily records in the child’s voice. This practice requires review because this can become staff’s interpretation of a child’s views and feelings, and children are not routinely reading their records to correct content, if necessary. Inspection report children's home: 2591033 4 Staff support children to maintain relationships that are important to them, such as with family and friends. Staff also ensure children’s cultural and religious needs are known and met. This helps children to develop and maintain their identity.

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improvement to be good

Children living at the home have a range of needs, risks and vulnerabilities that are known and understood by staff. There is a thorough risk assessment and a safety plan in place for one child, where there are significant risks associated with the use of digital technology. As a result of staff’s effective implementation of this plan, there has been a reduction in the number of incidents.

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improvement to be good

One child is not responding to daily plans or cooperating with routines or school attendance. As a result, this is likely to have an impact on his emotional and physical health and well-being. Staff have not been able to influence his decisions, choices or behaviours. Strategies are in place, but these are not working consistently. Managers have not analysed or evaluated incidents of aggressive behaviour from this child. Neither has there been a review of behaviour management strategies to improve the management and responses to more concerning behaviours.

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improvement to be good

There have been a relatively small number of occasions when physical restraint has been required to manage children’s behaviour. On these occasions, the use of physical restraint was proportionate and was to prevent harm to the children or others. However, on one occasion the records were not sufficiently detailed.

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improvement to be good

On another occasion, the records regarding a child who went missing from care, where there was risk of exploitation, were conflicting and unhelpful to an evaluation of how concerns were responded to. This is being reviewed by the manager.

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improvement to be good

Staff have received the relevant training in de-escalation and diversion techniques as well as use of physical restraint.

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improvement to be good

Managers have adhered to the appropriate procedures when there have been allegations of harm against staff and professionals. Referrals to the local authority designated officer have been investigated and concluded. The manager has taken appropriate action where there has been learning and development identified for staff.

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improvement to be good

Managers adhere to safer recruitment policies and procedures when new staff join the home. They undertake a full range of checks to ensure that the individuals are safe to work with vulnerable children.

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good

Inspection report children's home: 2591033 5 There is an experienced management team at the home. The manager has identified and addressed performance management concerns with staff to improve their care practice.

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good

There has been a relatively high turnover of staff since the previous inspection. However, in the past six months there has been a settled team. Staff are qualified, are undertaking relevant qualification courses or are subject to probation procedures. Staff reported that team morale is good and that they receive support and supervision that are helpful.

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good

The staff have not received refresher training in positive parenting approaches and behaviour management. Their current practice is not making a difference for one child. Staff require training to enhance their skills in building positive relationships and influencing children’s decisions and behaviours.

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good

Staff benefit from regular, planned and well-organised team meetings. However, records demonstrate missed opportunities to reflect on and develop practice in response to children’s needs.

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good

There are mechanisms for managers to monitor the care practice of staff, records, and health and safety at the home. However, at times, records of safeguarding incidents have not been sufficiently detailed. In addition, daily records do not accurately reflect children’s views. Staff are not routinely sharing records with children to ensure children’s views are correctly recorded and accurately reflect their opinions.

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good

The independent visitor’s reports are generally thorough. They are shared with staff, and managers respond to any recommendations made.

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good

Senior managers have escalated concerns, with a placing local authority, in respect of delays in one child’s plans and services. There is a difference of view between the home’s managers and the placing local authority about the level of risk for the child and whether there is a need for specialist services to further assess and address identified risks. Managers understand that there needs to be agreement in place about plans and services, to support consistent and effective work with the child. Inspection report children's home: 2591033 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment and

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8(1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to one child who is not attending school and is not engaging with staff to participate in any form of informal education activities in the home. 26 April 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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 26 April 2023 Inspection report children's home: 2591033 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring staff receive training, guidance and oversight to provide effective interventions so that children develop positive behaviours, positive relationships and are supported to reach their potential.

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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— 26 April 2023 Inspection report children's home: 2591033 8 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that managers monitor and develop the quality of practice and recording in the home effectively.

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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 children's home: 2591033 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bfg Together Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Castle Cavendish Enterprise Centre, 63-67 St Peters Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 3EN

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2591033 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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