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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 1 Registered provider: Bradford Children and Families Trust

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by Bradford Children and Families Trust. It provides care for up to four children who experience a range of social or emotional difficulties. Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and is registered with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 4 January 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 4 January 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

While some progress has been made since the last inspection, not enough progress has been made to ensure that children’s experiences are consistently good, and the leadership and management of the home are effective.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s relationships with staff are improving. Observations during the inspection showed that children were confident to approach staff and share their views and wishes. Children say that they have positive relationships with most staff and have an adult they can talk to if they are worried or afraid. Two children are now more willing for staff to help them with their personal care needs. All three children have received support to understand and manage their emotions.

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Findings from the inspection

Progress has been made since the last inspection in personalising the children’s bedrooms. However, the communal areas of the home are not personalised to reflect the tastes and personalities of the children living in the home. For example, the hallway walls are bare and do not provide children with a homely environment.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff help children to develop their physical and emotional health. When health issues arise, children are supported to access appropriate medical advice and support. One child is not accessing all health appointments, but staff are continuing to encourage them and help them to understand why being healthy is important.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff lock doors to restrict children’s access to the art room and the kitchen. The rationale for this is not recorded in children’s individual plans and there is no review of whether these actions are effective in responding to children’s behaviour.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s individual risk assessments do not identify all of their known risks. Parental controls help manage the risks for some children when using mobile phones. This involves staff conducting checks on the devices. However, staff are not aware of the frequency of conducting additional checks. This has led to the staff and manager having an inconsistent understanding of what action needs to be taken.

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Findings from the inspection

When children go missing, staff take appropriate action to look for them and return them home to safety. Records relating to incidents of going missing are detailed. However, children’s individual missing-from-home protocols do not always contain important information. For example, one child’s protocol does not identify their significant emotional needs. This does not help those looking for children to understand potential risk and know what action to take.

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Findings from the inspection

A medication error led to a child being given the wrong over-the-counter medication for pain relief. While there was no negative impact on the child, this was not recorded effectively and was not used as a learning opportunity for the wider staff team. There is no procedure in place that tells staff what to do if medication errors Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 3 occur and not all staff have up-to-date training on medication administration. The manager cannot be reassured that staff are competent and know what to do if mistakes are made.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager’s monitoring systems help them to have better oversight of the home. This includes a monitoring tool to review the quality of the direct work staff carry out with children. It is too soon to understand what impact this will have on practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are routinely consulted on matters such as meals, activities and how their rooms are decorated. However, children said that when new rules are introduced in the home they do not always make sense to them because they are not consulted. When children seek out the manager to share their views and wishes on things that are important to them, there is no record of these discussions This risks children’s voice not being actively heard or acted upon.

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Findings from the inspection

There are several staff and managers working in the home temporarily. Staff meetings are held monthly, which is helping staff to gel and share their knowledge and skills. This practice and open dialogue is helping the staff team to become cohesive and work well together to ensure that children experience consistency.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff say they feel confident to talk to managers or senior leaders should they have any concerns about practice in the home or the welfare of children. However, not all staff know and understand the home’s whistle-blowing procedures. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 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, 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

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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that 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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s missing-from-home protocols are personalised and contain all relevant information. 31 March 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. 31 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

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.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that workers receive support, direction and training to better equip them in their roles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that monitoring systems include scrutiny of medication administration records.

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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)) 31 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with a home- from-home living environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that when children express their views, wishes and feelings that these are actively listened to and responded to. In addition, that children’s views and any actions taken by staff or managers are recorded in their records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bradford Children and Families Trust

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tereasa Denby-Wallis

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Inspector

Rachel Walker, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729358 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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