Children's home run by Bristol City Council

Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 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

The home provides care for up to three children who have experienced trauma in their early years, have social and emotional difficulties and may be at risk of exploitation. The home is owned by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2021.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 3

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improvement to be good

Children have mixed experiences living in the home. One child made good progress and staff supported them to move on in a planned way. However, for another child, despite having some positive relationships with staff, and staff attempting to help the child to progress they were not effective in supporting the child to reduce risk and the child moved on more quickly than planned.

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improvement to be good

Positively, staff are ensuring one child currently living at the home has a routine and is engaged in education, this support has contributed to the child planning on starting an apprenticeship. This is not the same for the other child who lives in the home. Staff are not providing them with a good routine or providing sufficient support to engage them back into education.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s health needs, they engage with health professionals, with one professional providing positive feedback about staff attempts to meet health needs. However, support is not effective to ensure children are in good health and that any health conditions are managed well. Staff have been unsuccessful to engage children and ensure they take their medication regularly and attend medical appointments. Staff have engaged medical professionals when necessary for support and sought urgent medical advice when needed.

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improvement to be good

One child said that they liked living at the home. They particularly liked that staff helped them with their education and in planning to see people who are important to them. Staff help children maintain friendships, one child went on holiday with their friend and the other child has regular sleepovers. Staff support children to explore aspects of their identity, for example, their culture and religion.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff are not providing children with good enough care and support to ensure they always promote their safety and well-being. Some strategies are not effective to sufficiently manage and reduce risk. When this occurs, staff do not take quick enough action to review their practice and make changes to how they respond to, and manage risky situations. Therefore, some children, do not make enough progress in this area.

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improvement to be good

Indicators that children could be at risk of exploitation are not fully understood by staff. For example, when there are known risks staff have not ensured they know where children spend their free time or who they are spending it with. For one child, this meant they spent time with known risky adults for several weeks without staff being aware of this. Managers acknowledged safety strategies are not effective and Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 4 they struggle to balance promoting children’s independence while also keeping them safe.

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improvement to be good

The manager regularly reviews risks and attends risk management meetings with other professionals. Despite the ongoing monitoring of risks, staff are not always taking appropriate action in the moment. While leaders and managers encourage staff to be curious about who children are in contact with, or talking to on their mobile phone, this is not consistent from all staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not successful in supporting children to behave more positively. For example, for one child staff continued to use the same ineffective strategies to reduce risk without making sufficient progress. Some of these strategies were intrusive, yet staff continued to use them despite them not having an impact on reducing the risk.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing staff take appropriate action. They follow children, search for them, and report them missing. When children return home staff speak to them about their wellbeing. Staff engage external professionals as required when children are missing from home.

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improvement to be good

One referral has been made to the Local Authority Designated Officer relating to a staff practice issue. Relevant safeguarding procedures have been followed and appropriate action taken to safeguard children.

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good

The home is led by an experienced registered manager who has been in post since 2021. Since the previous inspection there has been a change in the responsible individual. Managers have not been effective at improving the quality of care since the previous inspection. Monitoring systems are not yet effective.

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good

Leaders and managers do not respond quickly enough to increasing risks. They do not help staff to reflect on the effectiveness of strategies and what they could do differently. Therefore, risks can remain high for too long, impacting on children’s experiences and progress.

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good

Care plans are lengthy and not easy for staff to understand or follow. Managers provide staff with other opportunities to discuss children’s care such as at team meetings or in supervision and with therapeutic input. However, their learning is not fully put into practice. For example, staff were encouraged to use specific phrases to encourage a child to take their medication but they did not consistently use this.

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good

Staff speak positively about working at the home and feel supported by the manager. Professionals were positive about the communication from the manager and care provided to children living at this home. Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 5 When children make complaints, these are responded to promptly and the outcome discussed with them. One child stated they did not know how to make a complaint. The responsible individual was made aware of this at the inspection and has agreed to revisit this with them.

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good

Managers and staff keep in contact with children when they move on and maintain those relationships. Professionals provide positive feedback about how staff and managers work with them and seek their support. Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 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, 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.

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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

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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, strengthen or revise risk mitigation strategies when they are proving ineffective. 1 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)) 1 February 2024

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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 February 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 7 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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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are who not participating in education are supported to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, children should be supported to regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that the six-monthly report on the quality of care includes a clear action plan to support the home’s development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2656731 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bristol City Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Tara Webb, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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