Children's home run by Bradford Children and Families Trust

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730003 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

The home is operated and managed by Bradford Children and Families Trust. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home. The inspectors spoke with all the children.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since September 2023.

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Inspection date: 30 September 2025

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: 2730003 2

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Findings from the inspection

This visit was carried out to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

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

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff failing to apply policies and procedures regarding record-keeping, which affects the transparency and accountability of the children’s care.  Ineffective intervention from leaders to enable opportunities for staff to recover, reflect and learn from significant incidents involving children.  Reoccurring significant incidents that, in some instances, have resulted in the need for police intervention.  Unsafe practices associated with how agency staff are supported in carrying out their duty of care.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection took place due to an escalation in safeguarding notifications, which indicated that there were reoccurring significant incidents involving children. Additionally, Ofsted received information from a person alleging that there had been several instances of poor practice in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home. Although leaders acknowledge that staff are struggling to manage current group dynamics, interventions have so far failed to provide better outcomes for children. Furthermore, staff are described as being ‘close to burnout’ and ‘fatigued’. Consequently, staff's capacity to recover, reflect, learn, and revise strategies to better support children is significantly depleted.

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Findings from the inspection

The organisation has used agency staff to better support the team in meeting the children’s needs. However, in one instance, staff allowed an agency worker to enter the home without verifying their identity. Furthermore, staff did not implement the necessary processes to ensure that this agency worker could safely and effectively perform their duties. The agency worker was not visible on the rota or in other important written records during their time working at the home. Again, these practices raise serious concerns around transparency surrounding the children’s care.

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Findings from the inspection

Written records in the home cannot be entirely relied on to give clarity around how significant incidents have been managed. Staff are not following the correct recording practices, which raises concerns about the credibility of written records. Consequently, managers and external professionals are unable to properly evaluate concerning incidents that involve children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730003 3 Furthermore, the staff’s practice of using the recording system does not provide a true picture of the children’s experiences in the home and what the quality of care is like. However, children say they feel safe in the home. Importantly, children say they have access to medical care when they need it.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are playful with the children and talk about them with love. Children who have lived at the home for several years have developed strong relationships with staff. Notably, children’s daily written records are written sensitively and with love.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders acknowledge that the long-term absence of a registered manager has had a significant effect on the staff team, particularly when staff have felt challenged. Encouragingly, leaders are appointing an interim manager who is committed to applying for registration with Ofsted. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730003 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/04/2025 Full Good 20/08/2024 Full Inadequate 14/05/2024 Full Inadequate 11/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730003 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 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

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 16 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730003 6 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 16 November

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 16 November

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive supervision that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children in their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730003 7

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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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Inspectors

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Louise Walker, His Majesty’s Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730003 8 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

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

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