Children's home run by Bradford Children and Families Trust

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 1 Registered provider: Bradford Children’s 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

The home re-registered with Ofsted on 1 April 2023, when the local authority arrangements were taken over by Bradford Children and Families Trust. The home provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. There is an interim manager in post who is still to make an application to Ofsted to register. There has been no registered manager since September 2023.

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This monitoring visit

On 16 May 2024, the provider was restricted from moving children into the home due to concerns about staff’s safeguarding practice and the leadership and management arrangements of the home. This visit was to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the steps within the compliance notices that were issued relating to Regulations 12 and 13.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has worked hard to build relationships with children and staff to enable positive changes within the home. She has developed systems to monitor the quality of care provided by staff. This has enabled the interim manager to understand and address some of the staff practice issues and individual staff needs. Furthermore, the audits of children’s files have highlighted themes around shortfalls in staff practice and understanding. This knowledge has been used to support and empower staff to address the issues.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments now contain all relevant risks. They detail strategies staff should use to support children. The way the documents are written support a clear understanding about whether risks are reducing, increasing or remaining the same. This helps staff to understand where more support is needed but also when children Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 2 are making progress. However, the actions that staff are required to take to keep children safer are not always clear within the documents.

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This monitoring visit

Most staff are up to date with their mandatory training. Effective systems are now in place so managers are aware when staff need to renew, or undertake, training. Processes are also in place to address this with staff. Specific bespoke training is still in the process of being rolled out.

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This monitoring visit

Children and staff have received additional training sessions around the effects of bullying. Leaders and managers recognise this work should be revisited regularly to ensure it is embedded into practice. Staff feel more empowered to understand and address bullying and other behavioural issues with children.

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This monitoring visit

As there are only two children now living in the home, staffing is sufficient to meet their needs. Additional senior roles have been created. Leaders and managers have committed to maintaining stability for the two children and agreed that no children should move into the home for at least another three months.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose has been updated to reflect the type of care offered to children. The statement of purpose also details the current staff working within the home. The updated statement of purpose was appropriately shared with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Children are now able to access all areas of the home. The interim manager has started a full redecoration and refurbishment of the home in line with the recommendations made by the occupational therapy assessment. Children have been involved in choosing colours and furnishings, including for their own bedrooms.

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This monitoring visit

The independent person is visiting the home regularly and provides an extensive report. However, the length of the report is not always helpful as it does not highlight the key shortfalls. This does not support the leaders and managers in making the necessary changes to ensure that children are safeguarded and that their welfare is promoted.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the last full inspection have not been reviewed at this visit and have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2024 Full Inadequate 14/05/2024 Full Inadequate 11/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 4

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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 with 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

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;

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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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 5 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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. 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 6 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 7 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b)) This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(c) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 November 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— 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 8 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

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) (5))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s documents provide an accurate reflection of their day-to-day life in the home. Staff should capture this with appropriate language. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.9)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person who visits the home is able to make clear judgements about whether children are appropriately safeguarded and share any concerns in a proactive way. The independent person should act as a critical friend and have the skills to support improvement in the quality of care provided to and safety of children within the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under The Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bradford Children’s 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: Pamela Stanyon-Carr

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Inspector

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 10 and inspects 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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