Children's Home run by Bradford Children and Families Trust in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 1 Registered provider: Bradford Children and Families Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by Bradford Children and Families Trust. It is registered to provide full-time care for up to four children who may experience a range of social and/or emotional difficulties. There are four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager re-registered on 1 April 2023, when the local authority arrangements were taken over by a trust. The manager was registered at the home under the previous arrangements since November 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been living at the home for between two and five years. Most children are settled. They are flourishing in an environment that is supportive and nurturing. Staff have strong and trusting relationships with children. Children can talk freely to staff about what is happening in their lives and about how they are feeling. This provides children with a sense of security and stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children are making progress in their education, training or employment. While one child’s attendance at school has declined, staff understand the barriers to the child’s education. They support the child to take part in informal learning at home and talk to the child about school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported and encouraged by staff to attend appointments and to make healthy lifestyle choices. Children have access to specialist support in relation to their physical, emotional and mental health needs. Staff speak to children sensitively about their health, which helps children to have a better understanding of their own needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the children to develop the skills needed to live independently. The support children receive reflects their abilities and is in line with their individual plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy taking part in activities which reflect their hobbies and interests, such as arts and crafts, swimming and Army Cadets. Some children enjoy group activities with their peers who they live with, while other children are supported to enjoy activities with their friends in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consult with children and respond to their wishes and feelings. Children take part in group discussions about the home and the care that they receive. Some children attend the children’s council forum which influences the care that staff provide and helps them to achieve their potential.

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

Children are happy, feel safe and rarely go missing. When this does happen, staff are proactive in how they respond. They search for children first and report them as missing if they are not successfully located. Children are provided with the opportunity to talk to an independent person when they return.

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

Serious incidents are rare. When children engage in inappropriate risks or unwanted behaviours, staff take appropriate action. Staff talk to children about their behaviour. This helps children to find better coping strategies and to understand the difficult emotions that they are feeling. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 4 Staff understand their role and responsibilities in relation to children. The risks associated to children being exploited are known and understood by staff. Individual risk assessments address children’s known vulnerabilities risks and usually identify strategies to minimise these risks. However, not all risk assessments told staff how they should respond, and one child’s risk assessment had not been updated. When children are at risk of exploitation, there is a multi-agency response.

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

Holds and restraints on children have not been used. The staff rarely apply consequences in response to children’s behaviour, and when they have been used, they have been restorative. Staff talk to the children about their behaviours, which helps them reflect and learn from the incident.

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good

The home has a registered manager and stable staff team. However, not all staff have completed their core training. There are no timescales linked to when staff should complete mandatory training. This prevents the manager from having full and comprehensive oversight.

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good

Most staff hold the relevant qualification for their role. However, one staff has not completed the qualification within regulatory timescales.

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good

The blanket use of door alarms on children’s bedrooms has not been assessed as suitable for individual children. A risk assessment has not been completed to keep this arrangement under review and to keep it in line with children’s plans.

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good

Children do not have easy access to the back garden and laundry room because the door is locked. This does not provide children with free access to some parts of the home.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision that is reflective, and discussions are centred on the children. Team meetings happen regularly, and they provide staff with the opportunity to discuss changes to the children’s plans. Staff feel supported by the manager.

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good

There is evidence of strong partnership working at this home. The manager has built positive relationships with the other professionals involved with the children. He is a strong advocate for children, who ensures that children have access to the right support to meet their individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 5

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2) (a)(vi)) In particular, the manager must ensure children’s risk assessments are updated and that the strategies identified are clear so that staff know how to respond to risk. 25 September

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)and(h)) 25 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected; 25 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 6 children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the use of door alarms on children’s bedrooms and to children not having access to the laundry room and to the back garden.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)) 25 September

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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: 2728982 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sir Henry Mitchell House (5th Floor), 4 Manchester Road, Bradford BD5 0QL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Picklu Roychoudhury

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 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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