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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 1 Registered provider: Bradford Children and Families Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home transferred from local authority ownership to Bradford Children and Families Trust on 1 April 2023. It is a short break setting and provides care for up to six children with physical or learning disabilities and/or a sensory impairment.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has not worked in the home since the last inspection. Interim management arrangements are in place.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 3 and 4 May 2023. The inspectors found shortfalls and regulatory breaches. As a result, three compliance notices were issued under regulations 12, 13 and 20. These were found to be met at the monitoring visit on 22 June 2023. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03 and 04/05/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 3

p.2

improvement to be good

There are significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. Consequently, despite some progress for children, their overall experiences require improvement.

p.3

improvement to be good

There has been a lot of progress in terms of children’s experiences since the last full inspection. Children now enjoy the time they spend at this home. They receive individualised care from staff who know them well. One parent described how their child was always excited to visit the home because they have lots of fun.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are making progress. For example, one child has developed increased mobility because staff were creative in how they provided activities that would encourage the child to use their hands. Another child has learned to wear their glasses and keep their shoes on. However, children’s outcomes are not always recorded and reviewed. One child’s targets have not been reviewed for over a year. The opportunity to fully understand children’s progress and be ambitious for them is lost.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are children first. Staff work hard to ensure that children are not defined by their disability. Staff ensure that the children’s rights to participate and be a part of the local community are upheld. Children are supported to attend local events and celebrations alongside their non-disabled peers.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff genuinely care about the children. Inspectors observed high levels of warmth and nurture from staff towards the children, and children responded well to this. Children are confident and relaxed because their needs are met.

p.3

improvement to be good

Parents say communication to and from home is effective and they have trust in the staff. This means parents can relax and truly benefit from their child having a short break at the home. One parent described how staff make time for them and nothing is too much trouble.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risks are assessed, and their needs known. However, some children’s risk assessments are not personalised. Not all risk assessments evaluate the level of risk to children effectively or tell staff what they must do to mitigate the risk. Lack of information surrounding triggers for children and likely behaviour as a result are not always clearly recorded. For example, for one child their assessment said they needed two staff with them if away from the home but had no further information to tell staff what this should look like, how closely this child should be supervised or the level of oversight and response required from staff while out in the community. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 4 All children have a missing-from-home plan. The plans do not contain sufficient detail about children’s specific needs, including their communication needs. This does not help the police or others understand what the specific risks to children are

p.3

improvement to be good

or how to communicate with children or respond to them if they are found.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff know children well and have developed an in-depth knowledge of children’s communication needs. This helps them to manage situations before they escalate. The use of physical intervention is rare. Staff use their relationships with children to help them calm quickly. Staff make good use of observation to understand children’s feelings about being held. The manager’s evaluation of physical intervention is helping staff to learn and is improving practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

When low-level risks are identified, children are not prevented or limited in their experiences as a result. For example, children who eat sand are not wholly prevented from playing in a sand pit but are provided with sufficient supervision and guidance. Children are encouraged to be adventurous and supported to take appropriate risks.

p.4

improvement to be good

Adaptations in the home ensure children are cared for safely and staff are trained to use any specialist equipment. Staff are trained to administer children’s medication safely in line with their complex health and medical needs. Medication errors are infrequent and well managed when they occur.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager has been in post prior to the monitoring visit and has developed a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. Management oversight and monitoring of the home has improved and there are early indications that progress is starting to be made. For example, there has been progress in the way complaints from parents are managed. However, the current management arrangements are short term. They have not been in place long enough to make lasting changes to the culture. The senior leaders are in temporary roles following recent changes. Not all of the staff have confidence in the senior leaders.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been a failure to ensure a consistent approach when managing staff practice. While some staff receive support and guidance through reflective discussions and action plans which address concerns, other staff do not. This inconsistency means that not all staff are supported to make changes. One staff development plan indicated that a review had taken place and work had been completed when it had not. This is not helping to improve practice and raise standards.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff receive quality supervision that supports them to develop their skills and improve their practice. Some records of staff supervision show that the managers within the home are thorough and curious in their approach. However, some supervisions conducted by senior leaders lack focus and do not address practice Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 5 issues effectively. Records of discussions are not always recorded or shared with staff in a timely manner.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When serious incidents occur, the leaders and managers make notifications to the regulator. The notifications do not always contain sufficient detail and are confusing to read. This does not help the regulator to understand how the leaders and managers are keeping children safe.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children’s plans remain child focused and clear. However, some records are not signed or dated, which minimises the manager’s ability to hold staff to account should concerns arise. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 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, The 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s progress is monitored and evaluated regularly. 31 October 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, that the registered person must ensure that risk assessments and missing-from- home plans identify risk specific to each individual child. 31 October 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 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 7 promotes their welfare.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

staff working in the home are safe to do so; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

where risks are well known that there is clear rationale for allowing the staff to work in the home, and that there are action plans to mitigate the risk; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

leaders use supervision to ensure that staff are aware of their responsibilities and how their care impacts on the quality-of-care children receive; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

supervision records are accurate, and staff receive copies of supervision records in a timely manner; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

where plans are in place to address individual staff practice concerns, the registered person must ensure that these records are factually accurate.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

p.7

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)) 31 October 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the matter; 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 8 the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

p.8

Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, that the registered person must ensure that safeguarding notifications must be clearly recorded, contain sufficient detail and set out the actions taken by the provider.

p.8

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: 2729412 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bradford Children and Families Trust

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tereasa Denby-Wallis

p.9

Inspectors

Rachel Walker, Social Care Inspector Rachel Fairhurst, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2729412 10 regulates and inspects 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.

p.9

Inspectors

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

Inspectors

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

p.10

Inspectors

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

p.10