Children's Home run by Midas Manors Ltd in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 1 Registered provider: Midas Manors Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. There are currently two children living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and manager have been registered with Ofsted since 23 July 2020.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2022 Full Good 29/11/2021 Full Good 10/08/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have enjoyed stability since moving to the home over two years ago. They continue to benefit from unconditional care and support from a consistent staff team. Staff act as strong advocates for the children, which promotes their rights and entitlements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the children well, which enables them to meet their diverse needs effectively. The strong and trusting relationships between the children and the staff allows children to overcome obstacles, make better choices and improve their outcomes. For one child, their progress is sustained. They have high aspirations for the future, and they are determined to succeed. While another child is experiencing the challenges of growing up, they are more reflective of their behaviour.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a diverse range of purposeful activities both individually and as a group. These include pamper days, day trips, holidays away, meals out, playing computer games and playing outside. Staff celebrate the children’s birthdays and special anniversaries. As a result, the children feel appreciated for their achievements, which contributes to their self-worth. The collection of photos provides children with a visual record of their experiences of their life at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the time that children spend with their family and friends. Children can invite their friends to the home, which helps to maintain their relationships with the important people in their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise and support the children’s education and training plans effectively. One child has excellent school attendance. The manager communicates regularly with the education provider to help the child to overcome any barriers to their learning and maintain their attendance at school. Staff continue to support one child to attend their apprenticeship. This is enabling the child to gain invaluable experiences and improve their employment prospects, which helps to set them up for the future.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to attend their health appointments. Staff talk to the children about a range of relevant topics. Despite these positive interactions, the registered manager has missed an opportunity to revisit specific health topics with an older child to reinforce specific safety messages.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s sense of belonging around the home is evident. They take pride in their bedrooms, which they have been helped to personalise. The photographs that are displayed on the walls of the children and staff together show that the children are at the centre of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals speak highly about the quality of care and the children’s progress in the care of the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 4

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. The risk management strategies are reviewed regularly. They are updated when new incidents happen. The information guides the staff to follow the agreed strategies, which help to manage and reduce the risks to children. Where concerns have arisen about a child’s risky behaviour, the manager has used the effective partnerships with other professionals to discuss the concerns and implement the safety plans.

p.4

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

Professionals speak highly about the impact of the risk management strategies in relation to reducing one child’s high exploitation risks, which have been maintained at low risk for some time.

p.4

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

The children’s comprehensive missing-from-home protocols enable the staff to respond if a child is missing, which rarely happens at this home. Staff talk to the children to help them to understand their risks and keep themselves safe while they are in the community. Protective measures, such as checking on children while they are away from home, allows them to take age-appropriate risks.

p.4

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

The good relationships between the children and staff, as well as the clear routines and boundaries enhance the children’s sense of security. A combination of staff training, children’s behaviour management plans, and specialist support help the staff to manage children’s behaviours effectively. One physical intervention has taken place since the last inspection. Children are reflecting on their behaviour and show remorse and empathy towards other people. This indicates that the children are responding to the advice and guidance provided by the staff.

p.4

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

The manager has notified Ofsted about serious incidents. This enables Ofsted to consider the safeguarding arrangements and seek assurances about the children’s safety and welfare.

p.4

good

The registered manager has recently taken on additional responsibility to oversee another children’s home that is owned by the provider.

p.4

good

A new responsible individual was appointed in January 2023. The new responsible individual has since left the organisation and only informed Ofsted that they had left on 30 May 2023. The registered manager had not been informed about the responsible individual’s immediate departure. At the time of the inspection, the provider shared a proposal about management arrangements that included the responsible individual despite them no longer working here. The provider and the responsible individual have both failed to formally notify Ofsted about these changes. This, alongside the lack of transparency, raises concerns about the provider’s integrity and ability to notify Ofsted promptly about any changes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 5 Safe recruitment checks have not been followed. One reference for the former responsible individual has not been received, and a full employment history is not

p.4

good

available. The references of the former responsible individual have not been verified, alongside some staff references. This does not help the provider to determine why their previous positions ended. Gaps in the responsible individual’s employment history mean that the years and months of employment are not consistently recorded. In one application, a reference has been written by someone who is not listed in the responsible individual’s employment history.

p.5

good

The registered manager and staff express that they feel supported. However, the quality of the registered manager’s supervision lacks sufficient depth, reflection and challenge. The registered manager has not received all of their supervision records. They have not signed one of the supervision records to confirm that they agree with the contents. Similarly, there are unexplained gaps in some staff supervision records. This indicates that the supervisions have not consistently taken place in line with the organisation’s own guidelines. Furthermore, some of the staff supervision records are not consistently reflective.

p.5

good

Not all interview panel members have been trained to interview applicants. These gaps leave children vulnerable. Not all induction booklets for new staff have been signed off fully. Due to this, it is unclear how the registered manager has considered the staff member’s suitability to care for children.

p.5

good

Regular internal and external monitoring of the home enables the registered manager to identify and improve some gaps. Although the registered manager submits monitoring review reports to Ofsted, the reports do not demonstrate the manager’s efforts to consult family members to inform improvements in the home.

p.5

good

The alarms in the home have not been reviewed to consider the changing needs of the children. This blanket approach is institutional and undermines the homely environment.

p.5

good

The manager and staff team work hard to help children to succeed. They are very proud of the children’s achievements and progress. Daily handovers, team meetings and staff training keep staff up to date with the children’s progress.

p.5

good

Action has been taken to address the two requirements and two recommendations that were made at the last inspection. These relate to ensuring that risk assessments are up to date, improving missing-from-care arrangements, and obtaining an outcome to an external complaint made by one child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the registered provider is an organisation—

p.6

Requirement Due date

any change in the identity of the responsible individual. (Regulation 49 (e)(iii)) 16 June 2023

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any identified work with children is revisited at appropriate intervals; that systems are in place to improve the frequency and quality of the registered manager’s and staff supervision and supervision records; and that effective systems are in place to monitor and sign off staff supervision and induction records. 28 July 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 7 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.7

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.7

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) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that full and satisfactory recruitment checks are completed in relation to all staff to satisfy themselves that they are safe to oversee the service and care for children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.7

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (c)(iii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must review the appropriateness of having the security alarms in the house to monitor the children’s movements around the home. 28 July 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are suitably trained to carry out specific roles, such as staff interviews. 28 July 2023

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with each child’s family/carers where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23) Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 8

p.7

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: 2573447 9

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2573447 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10