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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 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 provides care for up to four children who experience a range of social and/or emotional difficulties. Three children are living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home re-registered in April 2023, when the local authority arrangements were taken over by a trust. The manager is suitably qualified and is registered with Ofsted.

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected under this URN Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in this home are mixed. Since the last inspection, two children have moved on and three children have moved in. The two children who moved on from the home made good progress in most areas of their lives.

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improvement to be good

The children currently living at the home have not yet settled in, and staff have not been able to establish and sustain positive relationships with them. As a result, the home is experiencing a period of instability, with some children experiencing heightened levels of anxiety.

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improvement to be good

The inspector found that the dynamics between the children have not always been well managed by some staff. Inconsistencies in approach across the staff team have contributed to this. This means that children are not consistently helped to understand or develop more socially acceptable behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are ambiguous in terms of routines, boundaries and daily activities. Lack of clear planning and direction has at times contributed to children becoming unsettled.

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improvement to be good

Key-work sessions and daily discussions take place with children. However, these are not used effectively. These sessions are often reactive and not restorative in nature. This means that not all children are given the opportunity to learn and reflect on their emotions after difficult incidents.

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improvement to be good

Effective liaison with educational professionals has resulted in positive outcomes for some children. One child recently sat their GCSE examinations and is due to start college. For those children who struggle, tutoring is made available to aid their progress. When there are barriers to education, quick action is taken to ensure that these are addressed.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage and support children to engage in a variety of activities at the home and out in the community. Favourite pastimes include baking, playing musical instruments and going on trips to the cinema and other places of interest. These opportunities and experiences help to build children’s self-confidence and expand their social experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children in a safe and supportive manner to develop the knowledge and skills that they will require for their independence. Staff successfully encouraged children who recently moved on from the home to shop, cook and budget for themselves. This helps children to become more confident in their abilities as they take the next steps in their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 4 The communal areas of the home are well maintained. Children have ample space to play and participate in things they like to do, such as playing musical instruments in the music room. However, the inspector observed that staff do not ensure that children’s bedrooms are clean, tidy and kept to a high standard. Over time, this will be detrimental to children’s feelings of self-worth.

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improvement to be good

Practice in this home is inconsistent. Not all staff have the skills to address children’s worrying behaviours. There are examples of staff not responding proactively to disruptive behaviour. On some occasions, this has resulted in children becoming heightened and lashing out at staff.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour management strategies are promoted. However, the way in which these are applied by staff in practice is variable. At times, children receive different messages from staff about appropriate behaviours in the home. This means that children are not consistently helped to understand what is acceptable or not.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual risk assessments are not sufficiently detailed, despite being amended by the manager on the day of the inspection. The details relating to some risks are not fully explored. This means that staff do not have clear guidelines or strategies to help manage risk and de-escalate behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home episodes involving children are rare. However, staff understand what action to take should the children go missing. Additionally, the children have clear Philomena Protocol plans in place. These help to guide staff and prevent delay in locating the children should they go missing from home.

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improvement to be good

Records in relation to incidents are poorly written and offer little detail of how staff have managed the incident. In addition, systems in place to monitor, track and evaluate incidents are weak. The manager does not have robust oversight, which means that opportunities to identify where practice could be improved are missed.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are rare and are only used as a last resort. When this level of intervention is necessary, it is carried out appropriately and safely. Incidents are fully recorded and reviewed by the manager to determine the effectiveness.

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improvement to be good

Allegations are recorded and responded to in line with agreed procedures. There are effective links with the local authority designated officer, which means that there is appropriate oversight and action taken when children make allegations. However, a recent increase in children making allegations has left some staff feeling anxious as there is a lack of understanding about the support available to them and the child in the event of an allegation. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 5

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good

The manager is now registered with Ofsted. He has several years’ experience of working with children in residential care. He is well supported by a deputy manager and a newly appointed service manager. As a management team, they have started to implement an improvement plan to bring about the necessary changes.

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good

Leaders and managers have not done enough to ensure that children benefit from well-planned moves to the home. Children told the inspector that they did not know where they were going or what to expect when they arrived. Additionally, managers failed to carry out a robust impact risk assessment, which means that there was a lack of consideration around what skills staff needed to be able to care for younger children. These shortfalls have contributed to the recent levels of instability in the home.

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good

There have been some staff changes in the team. Staff from another home managed by the trust have been deployed to support the children at this home. This sudden change has unsettled the team and contributed towards inconsistent care practices. The manager is now working to address this but has yet to embed a consistent ethos and vision in the team.

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good

The registered manager and deputy manager are often on shift in the home, which prevents them from having the necessary time to lead and manage the home effectively. This leads to shortfalls in monitoring of some records and reviewing the quality of care provided.

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good

Team meetings and staff supervision sessions occur on a regular basis. There is evidence of challenge and discussion in relation to improving practice. It is recognised that staff morale has been impacted by the recent changes, and plans are in place to address this.

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good

The manager ensures that Ofsted is notified of serious incidents in a timely manner. The quality of information in these notifications has improved. This helps to ensure that Ofsted has a full understanding and oversight of the incidents and can be assured that all the necessary actions have been taken to safeguard children.

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good

Multi-agency working is a strength. The manager has good relationships with children’s social workers and other professionals. Professionals say that staff and the manager’s communication and information-sharing are effective. This helps to promote robust partnership working. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that: children receive consistent care that helps them to build trusting relationships with all staff; staff carry out key-work sessions that address all identified areas of need to help improve children’s experiences and progress; the premises, particularly children’s bedrooms, are clean, tidy and of a good standard. 8 September 2023

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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. 8 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 7 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that: staff identify and respond effectively to reduce all potential risks for children; staff understand how to safely manage children’s behaviour; children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are updated and offer clear guidance and strategies to guide staff practice.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(b)(c)(e)(h)) 8 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 8 In particular, the registered person must ensure that: staff receive support, direction and training to better equip them in their roles; staff work as a cohesive team; monitoring systems include scrutiny of incident records, plans and risk assessments.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 8 September 2023

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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: 2729358 9

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Ceri Evans, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 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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