Children's Home run by Bradford Children and Families Trust in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 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 by Bradford Children and Families Trust on behalf of a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager at the home since 23 May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection in August 2025. Shortfalls were identified which had an impact on the quality of care provided to the children living there.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and the actions taken to improve the care and experiences for the children. Three children were seen, and two children were spoken to as part of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. Staff continue to support the child through ongoing phone calls and visits. There was also a goodbye lunch arranged, which was a positive experience for the child, with fond memories shared about their time living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and deputy have left their positions, and there is now an interim manager and deputy manager. They have been supporting with the recruitment process to recruit new staff, as well as implementing changes to make improvements at the home. This includes a commitment to making sure that children are safe and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 2 well cared for by a cohesive team of staff who know the children well, understand their risks and how to respond to them.

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This monitoring visit

Children spoken to had different views about their experience. One said that they had seen some changes and felt that things had improved. Another child felt that things had become worse, and that they had not noticed any improvements being made.

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This monitoring visit

Children are now taken to and from activities and have visits with family and friends, with a second car in the process of being purchased to aid further with transporting children.

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This monitoring visit

Children continue to go missing from the home. On one occasion, staff failed to take action to contact the child until prompts were made by the police for them to do so. However, since the interim manager has been in post, staff correctly followed a child’s risk assessment when they went missing from the home. The child received a positive multi-agency approach to provision of care with regard to this incident, recordings were clear, and the child had the opportunity to speak to an independent person about their missing experience.

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This monitoring visit

One of the food cupboards was still being locked. However, on the day of the visit, the lock was removed completely from the door. Children have been able to cook food later into the night, and one child said that they can now access food such as toast and sandwiches after 9.30pm.

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This monitoring visit

Some improvements have been made with staff’s recording in the children’s files. There are still further improvements needed, with some staff still referring to children as numbers instead of names or initials. Some staff also refer to children as ‘fellow residents’.

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This monitoring visit

Staff said that staff relationships have improved, and that they have seen a difference since the last inspection. Staff said that they are being given ownership of tasks, and this has helped to rebuild their confidence.

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This monitoring visit

The external home conditions have improved and some areas of the home feel warm and homely. Progress has been made with alterations to the fire alarm system, which now includes strobe lighting if the alarms are needed. A portable vibrating alarm system is also available. This is to support any child who may have a hearing impairment. Risk assessments are yet to be updated but will be completed in conjunction with the fire safety department once all the adaptations are complete.

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This monitoring visit

Those requirements that have not been met have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/08/2025 Full Inadequate 12/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 24 November 2025

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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

promotes their welfare. 24 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 5 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’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

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)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 24 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 24 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 6 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the assessment to look at the compatibility of the child who is new to the home with the child or children already living in the home should be detailed enough for staff to understand the risks to the child, and how risks will be mitigated and managed by staff. These assessments should also contain details of the impact on other children living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation; and

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Requirement Due date

any measure involving punishing a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f)(j))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 24 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 24 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 7 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(c)(i))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that notifications to the regulator under Regulation 40 are clear and informative. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 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: 2728982 9

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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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Inspector

Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2728982 10 regulates 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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