Children's Home run by Northwest Youth Services Limited in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 1 Registered provider: North West Youth Services

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties, and who may have learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Good 05/09/2023 Full Good 15/06/2023 Full Inadequate 27/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s day-to-day experiences are positive. Children respond to the structure, boundaries and routines in place at this home. They are provided with consistent and nurturing care, and they enjoy trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. Children said that they are happy living at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children receive their education through home tuition, and they are provided with lots of opportunities for informal learning. Staff understand the barriers to children’s education. They work collaboratively with education professionals, and they advocate for children to ensure that they are receiving the right support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are reported to be in good physical health, and they enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Children with additional health needs get help from specialist health services. Additionally, both children are receiving support for their emotional and mental health needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is promoted in line with the children’s plans. One child’s family member said, [Name of child] settled in soon after they moved into the home. They have made progress, in particular with their emotional well-being.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a range of activities in line with their hobbies and interests. Children enjoy going to a farm, walking, horse riding and engaging in arts and crafts. One child is accessing groups which has helped them to build peer relationships in the local area. Memory books capture children’s experiences, and these are started soon after children move into the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Records show that children are consulted with about the care that they receive. Children’s wishes and feelings are captured and listened to.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. Children are supported to personalise the home and their bedrooms. However, children do not always have full access to the home because some communal rooms are routinely locked during the night.

p.3

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

The risks for both children have reduced since they moved into the home. For one child this happened soon after they moved in. Children benefit from a high level of supervision from staff when they are at home or when they go out into the community.

p.3

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

Children’s individual risk assessments are detailed. They provide clear guidance for staff, and they are kept under review by the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 4 Children do not go missing from this home. Should this happen, there are detailed plans for each child, and staff are clear about their responsibilities to children who go missing.

p.3

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

When children show unwanted, or behaviour that could put them and others at risk, staff respond well. They use their relationships with the children, and they talk to them about how they are feeling. When children have been physically held, records show that this has been necessary to keep children safer. Children are provided with the opportunity to talk about these incidents. However, staff are not always given the opportunity to have a timely discussion if they have been involved in physically restraining a child.

p.4

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

Online risks for children are well managed. The risks for each child is recorded clearly in their plans and there are safeguards in place to manage these risks.

p.4

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

One child raised to staff that they wanted to make a complaint. There was a delay in the manager responding to this and the child later retracted wanting to raise a complaint. The lack of a timely response to children does not help children to feel listened to when they want to complain or share their wishes and feelings.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not fully followed safeguarding procedures when one child alleged that they experienced physical harm. The concerns raised were not reported to all relevant agencies, and the child did not receive a medical assessment. The child was not provided with the opportunity to talk to an independent person in a timely way. The manager then spoke to staff and the child about the allegation, which had the potential to hinder any future investigation.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Shortfalls related to staff conduct have not always been fully investigated. An allegation about a child’s medication going missing was not reported to safeguarding professionals in a timely way and the incident was not reported to the police. The allegation was investigated, however there is no outcome because leaders and managers did not follow internal procedures to determine an outcome when the member of staff left their employment.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager reports all serious incidents to Ofsted; however, this has not always happened in a timely way.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Ofsted received a whistleblowing complaint related to the leadership and management of the home including a lack of support for staff and a poor response to whistleblowing. There was no evidence found at the inspection to substantiate these allegations. There have however been shortfalls in staff following whistleblowing procedures, and these have now been addressed through supervision and additional training for all staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision, which provides them with the opportunity to reflect on practice. There is an additional layer of support for staff, provided by the organisation’s internal therapist. Staff said that they feel supported by the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 5 Staff are provided with a range of training which equips them to meet the needs of the children who live at the home. Standards set out in staff’s induction are high, and expectations are clear. Staff training is up to date and is kept under review by the manager. One staff has not completed the relevant qualification within regulatory timescales. However, there is an action plan to address this shortfall.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers confidently challenge other professionals, and they follow escalation procedures when children’s plans are not being met. Other professionals speak highly of the manager and staff, and they said that communication is good. One professional said, ‘Staff went above and beyond to support [Name of child’s] transition into the home.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(vii)) 14 September 2025

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(g)(ii)) 14 September 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

p.6

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and 14 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 7 any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.6

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.7

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))

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

p.7

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: 2677302 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: North West Youth Services

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Frazer Waite Desmier, Peine House, 1 Hind Hill Street, Heywood OL10 1JZ

p.8

Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2677302 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9