Children's Home run by Midas Manors Ltd in Bradford

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 1 Registered provider: Midas Manors Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 12 September 2022 and is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since July 2023. An acting manager has been in post since May 2024. They have not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 28 August 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 28 August 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. 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: 2693113 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 The provider has not ensured that there are appropriate management arrangements in the home.  The provider has not equipped staff with the skills and knowledge required to meet the needs of a child who recently moved into the home.  The provider has not ensured that staff follow a child’s risk assessment to mitigate the known risks.  The acting manager did not respond promptly to serious safeguarding concerns raised with them. This left children at risk of harm and exploitation.  The provider has not ensured that staff follow safeguarding policies and understand their responsibilities in line with the provider’s whistle-blowing procedure.

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Findings from the inspection

A fragmented staff team has resulted in inconsistent care practices and a lack of stability for children. Although a core group of staff provides some continuity to support children’s daily activities, a lack of team cohesiveness leaves children with a sense of uncertainty.

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Findings from the inspection

One child’s first experiences of living at this home were poor. In the first few days, they were frightened by the behaviour and practices of a member of staff. Other staff did not report their observations of the staff member’s concerning behaviours, which allowed the staff member to continue working in the home with the child throughout the weekend.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have not followed a child’s risk assessment and mitigate the known risks. This resulted in a child having access to social media platforms and communicating with an unsafe person. Poor staff safeguarding practice leaves children at risk.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers do not always ensure that at least one first-aid trained person is always working in the home. Staff have not consistently performed the required health and safety checks to ensure that a child who is at risk of self-injurious behaviours is kept safe. This increases the risk of harm to children.

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Findings from the inspection

The children’s risk assessments guide staff about how to keep the children safe. However, managers have not ensured that all staff members are familiar with the details of the children’s care plans and what actions they must take to keep children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not ensured safe recruitment checks are completed in full. For example, full information about staff’s employment history is not always provided before they start to work in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 3 The home continues to operate without permanent management arrangements in place. At the time of the inspection, the acting manager and deputy manager were not working in the home. The oversight arrangements of the responsible individual are not sufficient to ensure that the home is running properly. This has resulted in staff being left without effective oversight of their practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have been ineffective in developing a cohesive and functional team. There are divisions among the staff, who hold different views about the leadership team and the way the home is run. Staff understand the impact that disjointed leadership is having on the team’s progress, leaving them disillusioned about their roles. Staff feel fatigued and demotivated.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage a child’s known risks before the child moved into the home. Staff do not receive regular practice-related supervision. This limits their ability to reflect on their practice and develop in their roles.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers do not complete a quality-of-care review, as required by regulations. This does not help the managers or the regulator to understand the quality of care provided, or any areas for development, at this home.

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Findings from the inspection

Changes to the independent visitor process have improved the quality of external monitoring at this home. Reports are more thorough and provide a clearer insight into the children’s care. However, on one occasion, the responsible individual allowed a report that contained inaccurate information to be submitted to the regulator. This demonstrates poor oversight.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff work with local authorities to facilitate the children’s transition in and out of the home. Staff speak with children’s social workers and other professionals to reduce the upheaval children may face when relocating to a new home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff help children maintain contact with their families. This helps preserve the children’s identities and reduce feelings of isolation when they are living away from their loved ones.

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Findings from the inspection

Freshly decorated rooms and soft furnishings offer children a comfortable and homely environment. Personalising their bedrooms gives children a sense of ownership of their environment. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/04/2023 Full Inadequate 03/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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)(v)(vi)(vii)) 29 September

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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

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; 29 September Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 6 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (1) (2)(a)) 27 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 27 October 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 7 undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must provide accurate information to the independent person to support their visits to the home. 27 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 27 October 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 8 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Poplars Park Road, Bradford BD2 1DU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Phillip Marshall

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Inspectors

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2693113 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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