Children's home run by Bristol City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 1 Registered provider: Bristol City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to two children. The home is owned by a local authority, which has several other homes in the local area.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home, having moved there in February 2023 and May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the previous inspection, three other children have lived in this home. One child lived here between January 2022 and July 2022. Two other children moved here in August 2022 and moved out in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted, although he has submitted his application for registration.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2022 Full Good 11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 3

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improvement to be good

The two children who live at this home have positive relationships with most staff. These relationships contribute to them making progress in some areas.

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improvement to be good

Children attend school regularly and are making some progress socially and academically. One school identified that communication with the home and support for the child with their learning at home has not been consistent. This has recently improved, and staff are now speaking with teachers on a regular basis.

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improvement to be good

When children move into the home the ability of staff to meet their needs is fully considered. However, the move to the home for one child took place too quickly, which unsettled the child already living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff are enthusiastic and proactive in supporting children to take part in a range of activities outside of the home. Both children also recently went on individual holidays, which were positive experiences for them both.

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improvement to be good

Children can personalise their rooms, and the home contains age-appropriate toys, games and books. However, some areas of the home need repair and redecoration. The manager advised that plans are being developed to redecorate areas of the home, including both children’s bedrooms. At the time of the inspection, no date had been finalised for this work.

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improvement to be good

Three other children have moved on from the home since the previous inspection. During their time at the home all three children made progress and were supported to move from the home in a planned way. For example, the duration and frequency of incidents for two children decreased and they were supported to move to a foster placement.

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improvement to be good

The two children living in the home have significant competing needs. At times this had led to incidents between them including verbally abusive behaviour towards each other, damaging belongings, and some physical incidents. There are also concerns about one child being exposed to incidents where the other child has behaved aggressively towards staff and has damaged property in the home.

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improvement to be good

The home has introduced strategies to manage and reduce these incidents for example, by ensuring the children have individual time with staff both in and out of the home. Managers have recognised the current difficulties in the relationship between the children and are actively exploring how to meet both children’s best interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 4 The recording of incidents between the children is inconsistent and incomplete making it difficult to get a full or accurate picture of events. The inspector was able to gather information about some incidents involving both children through reading one child’s physical intervention records. These incidents were not recorded clearly or separately on the other child’s file, making oversight of this child’s experiences difficult. For example, staff told the inspector about an incident where one child hit the other in the face. A record of this incident could not be found on the affected

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improvement to be good

One child had lived alone at the home from February 2023 until a second child moved into the home in May 2023. Since this point, there has been a significant increase in incidents and the use of physical intervention for the first child. Prior to May 2023, one incident of physical intervention took place. When physical intervention is used at this home, it is appropriate and in line with children’s care and support plans. However, some records do not contain sufficient information, including about the circumstances leading up to the use of intervention.

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good

Staff enjoy working in this home and were positive about the support from both the current and previous managers. Supervision is reflective and of good quality, and debriefs with staff take place routinely following incidents.

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good

Some records have good management oversight, with relevant detail and reflections recorded, but this is not consistent. For example, on some records, appropriate follow-up actions are identified but it is not always clear if these have been addressed.

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good

Team meetings are regularly attended by the home’s clinical practitioner. Staff use these meetings effectively to reflect on incidents and children’s progress. Clear actions and strategies on how best to support children are developed as a result.

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good

However, care and support plans for children do not contain sufficient historical information about the children and their experiences. As a result, these documents do not provide context for children’s behaviour.

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good

One child’s child in care review was overdue and no child in care review minutes were on file. The manager had requested these but now accepts that his challenge to the local authority on these matters should have been more robust and escalation procedures followed if appropriate.

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good

Allegations against staff and concerns regarding staff practice are responded to appropriately and relevant procedures followed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 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— that staff—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) 1 November 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

promotes their welfare. 1 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 1 November 2023

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and 1 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 7 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the welfare of the children living in the home is considered on an ongoing basis. In particular, that consideration is given to the relationship between children living in the home and whether the home is able to meet children’s specific needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are given the opportunity to share their views about living in the home and that age-appropriate methods are used when seeking these views. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)

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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: 2567722 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City Hall, College Green, Bristol, Bristol BS1 5TR

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Inspector

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2567722 9 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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