Children's home run by Bright Futures Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 1 Registered provider: Bright Futures Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties, learning disabilities and sensory impairments.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home. The children communicated with the inspector about their experiences living in the home.

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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: 2691624 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress when living in the home. This progress is underpinned by the positive relationships they are supported to develop with staff who know them well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff moved to this purpose-built home from another home owned by the provider. Before children moved into the home, they were involved in choosing the decor and their bedrooms. One child chose a bedroom with a view of a local stable as they have an interest in horses. All bedrooms are en suite, which gives children additional privacy. The home is personalised with children’s photos, toys and artwork.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have differing needs, and staff help them to communicate in a variety of ways. All children are helped to communicate in ways that are specific to them. Their individual communication methods are used to ascertain their views, wishes and feelings. The manager has redesigned the ‘my voice’ document, which has helped children to make their views known.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly. Relationships with education staff are positive. Effective communication between school and home staff ensures that any issues are quickly addressed and that children’s needs are well understood. When required, staff stay with children to provide additional support to facilitate their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to safely spend time with their families and friends. People who are important to children regularly visit the home. One parent said, ‘The staff are doing amazingly well, and communication is excellent’. Children’s birthdays and special occasions are celebrated. One child was celebrating a birthday during the inspection. The staff had hired a bouncy castle for the child to enjoy with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to participate in different activities inside and outside of the home. Staff ensure that children’s interests are encouraged and nurtured. One parent was complimentary about the time and care the staff had taken to support their child to develop the confidence to access a swimming pool.

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

Through their individual communication methods, all children express that they feel safe and happy living in the home.

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

Children are cared for by skilled staff who understand their vulnerabilities well. Children’s plans are comprehensive and identify strategies for staff to follow to keep them safe. When restriction of liberty is required, this is clearly outlined and reviewed when necessary. For example, one child requires higher surveillance due to Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 4 a particular health condition that may require an emergency response. This is done with dignity and in a manner that is not intrusive.

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

Staff use a variety of techniques to communicate clear and consistent boundaries and routines to children. These include clear verbal and body language, signs and symbols and communication books. This helps children to feel safe and cared for.

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

Staff have developed positive relationships with other professionals. They advocate effectively for children to ensure that their needs are being met. A health professional was positive about the way staff support children and how they deliver compassionate care that enables children to access the same healthcare as their peers.

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed when new staff join the home. This helps to ensure that only people who are suitable to work with children are employed to work in the home.

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

Interventions when staff have had to guide or hold a child to keep them safe are rare. However, when incidents do occur, children are not always given the opportunity to discuss or communicate how they feel. One record was signed off as ‘not applicable’, which prevents opportunities for children to share their views.

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good

The manager is child centred. She is committed to improving outcomes for children and leads a passionate and committed team that has high aspirations for children.

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good

The manager has overseen the move by the children and staff from the previous home to this home. She ensured that children’s needs were considered to enable a successful and safe transition.

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good

Internal and external monitoring systems have not been used effectively to oversee practice in the home. Consequently, the home’s strengths and areas for development are not clearly identified by managers. Some records lack detail, have not been updated and refer to the previous home.

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good

Staff supervision is not always regular, reflective or practice related. This reduces opportunities for staff to feel supported and for them to reflect on their performance. Opportunities to provide additional support to new staff to further develop their understanding of their role have been missed.

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good

Staff do not meet as a team. This is a missed opportunity to share ideas and good practice, to reflect on children’s progress and to support staff to develop and learn.

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good

The team is stable. Any shortfalls are addressed by managers and staff. However, staff rosters do not include the hours when the manager works in the building. Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 5 Managers have failed to consider how locking the kitchen door at night impacts on all children living in the home. This was a previous concern for one child but has not been reviewed in line with the child’s current behaviours. This practice affects all children and prevents them from moving freely around their home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 6 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff rosters, the register of children and paperwork pertaining to the home are kept up to date. 6 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that all children can share their views about the measure, including children who are non-verbal. 6 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 7 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

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

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the practice of locking the kitchen door overnight to limit access for one child is reviewed to consider the impact of this arrangement on all children. 6 October 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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)(b)(h)) 6 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 8 This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that monitoring systems are used effectively to ensure that staff can come together as a team and that there is clear oversight of all incidents and records.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all hours that all staff work are clearly recorded on rosters. 6 October 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: 2691624 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bright Futures Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o Bright Futures Care Limited, Asher House, Barsbank Lane, Lymm WA13 0ED

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rachelle Russell

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2691624 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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