Children's home run by Keys Child Care Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for children's home: SC449245 1 SC449245 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn 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 registered to provide care for up to three children who have a variety of complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2019 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 21 February 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC449245 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2023 Full Good 17/11/2021 Full Good 24/09/2019 Full Good 13/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC449245 3

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outstanding

The same three children are living at the home as at the time of the last inspection.

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outstanding

Children benefit significantly from the warm relationships they develop with a stable staff team. A parent said, ‘We wouldn’t be where we are without the home. Staff are really attentive to [our child’s] needs and good at helping her to develop.’ They recognise that the care given to their child in the home has contributed to the plan now for them to return home later this year.

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outstanding

External professionals commented on the strength of the relationships between the staff and the children and the positive impact this has on children, for example, in their ability to manage change or uncertainty they would previously have found overwhelming.

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outstanding

Children have grown in confidence and expanded their horizons since living in the home, and their anxieties have reduced. All the children now have friends, interests and activities that they enjoy outside the home. One child who started skateboarding on the driveway in lockdown entered their first skateboarding competition this year. Another child went camping for the first time, and another enjoys baking and is developing their independence skills.

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outstanding

The home is warm, homely and comfortably furnished. It is spacious and there is plenty of room for the children to spend time together or chill out separately. A member of staff and one of the children are painting a mural on the wall of the smaller sitting room. Each of the children and staff are going to be represented by an animal in the mural, which fosters a sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Staff understand the importance of family time and have supported children to spend time with the people who are important to them, in line with their care plans. One parent commented on how accommodating the staff have been in supporting family time.

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outstanding

All the children are in education and the staff work closely with the school to support the children’s progress. Consequently, children receive education tailored to their needs and this is helping them to make measurable progress from their starting points.

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outstanding

The registered manager has introduced individual monthly informal consultations with children, held over a meal out. This has replaced house meetings, which children had become bored with and disengaged from. The consultations give children the opportunity to share their views about the home or discuss things like plans for the summer holiday. Children know how to make a complaint and Inspection report for children's home: SC449245 4 understand they do not have to go through a formal process to have their complaint reviewed.

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outstanding

Staff support children to meet their routine health needs. They understand, for example, the anxiety a trip to the dentist can cause and they support children through this with care and sensitivity.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home since the last inspection. However, protocols are in place and staff could describe what they would do if a child should go missing from the home.

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

There have been very few consequences used since the last inspection. Those that have been imposed have been reviewed by the registered manager. In one instance, she thought the consequence could have been better tailored to the behaviour. This was discussed with the staff and used as a learning opportunity to consider possible alternatives.

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

Staff use key-worker sessions to explore children’s feelings, behaviours and relationships. They take opportunities as they arise to explore issues with children, for example, looking at healthy relationships after one child fell out with a friend at school. The registered manager keeps these sessions under review to ensure that all aspects of the child’s care plan are covered, and additional sessions are planned when needed.

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

Physical restraint is used extremely rarely. Records of any incidents that do occur are detailed and are scrutinised by the registered manager. Children and staff are spoken to following any incident so they can reflect on what happened.

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

Risk assessments are helpful tools that staff use to prepare for activities and manage issues should they arise. Staff are skilled at balancing the risks with the benefits of children being able to enjoy activities such as skateboarding, boxing classes or going to their first music gig.

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

Suitable recruitment processes are in place to reduce the risk of an unsuitable person being employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager knows the children well and is proud of the progress they have made while living in the home. She describes clearly the emotional and social progress children have made. She values the friendships they have made, as well as their educational progress and ability to take on greater responsibility for themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

External professionals described the communication between them and the registered manager and staff team as excellent. A child’s social worker described the Inspection report for children's home: SC449245 5 home as brilliant. They value the quality of care given to the children. One social worker said that the staff really care about the children and do an ‘amazing job’. Professionals attribute the progress the children have made to the quality of care they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak positively of the support they receive from the registered manager. Regular supervision gives them opportunities to discuss any professional and personal issues they may have, as well as reviewing their training and development needs and discussing children’s behaviour. Between formal supervision sessions, the registered manager is visible and available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff complete training in line with the children’s needs. In addition, the registered manager is proactive in using research and other reports to inform learning and reflection with the staff team. Upskilling sessions promote reflection and discussion, for example on the vulnerability of children in care, the use of language and considering specific resources relevant to the children in the home. Records show the staff team’s participation and learning from these sessions. Regular team meetings include the home’s therapist, who offers insight into children’s behaviours and strategies to support children to manage them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The recommendation raised at the last inspection has been met. The registered manager has a range of systems to oversee the quality of care provided in the home. Oversight of records is clear, and it is evident that this leads to challenge, discussion and shared learning. She has instigated an additional level of scrutiny, reviewing incidents a few days after the event to ensure that any learning is captured and shared.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, the home has received two internal company awards, a silver award on their understanding and use of trauma-informed care and a prize for the varied activities completed with the children last summer. This is a reflection of the high-quality care that children receive and benefit from.

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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: SC449245 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Inspector

Janet Fraser, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC449245 7 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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