Children's home run by Bradford Children and Families Trust

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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

This home is operated by Bradford Children and Families Trust on behalf of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

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Information about this children’s home

It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. Since the last inspection, four children have lived at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since September 2023. An interim manager has been in post since October 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, three children were living at this home. The inspector spoke with two of them.

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This monitoring visit

On 30 September 2025, an assurance inspection was completed due to specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted. At this inspection, serious concerns were identified in relation to the care and protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was completed to monitor the action taken to meet the requirements issued at the assurance inspection. It also considered any further progress made.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, further serious concerns were identified in relation to the care and protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff failed to respond to signs that a child was at risk of harm on more than one occasion. This resulted in potential adverse effects from the misuse of alcohol going untreated. It also resulted in staff not acting promptly to protect a child when missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

There is still a lack of consistency in the leadership and management of the home with further changes made. These include a new interim manager who has now Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 2 been in post for a few weeks. The appointment of the interim manager is temporary. They have not applied to register with Ofsted. There is still instability and uncertainty for children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

However, children are benefiting from improvements brought about by the new interim manager. As it is early into their appointment, the interim manager has not had enough time to bring about systemic changes and to embed these.

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This monitoring visit

Children continue to enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff show children warmth and affection. Some children have continued to live at the home for a significant period.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement issued at the assurance inspection relating to the leadership and management standard has not been met in full. Further time is needed to fully embed the changes. Some of the requirements from the assurance inspection were not reviewed during this visit. Therefore, they are restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 3

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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 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 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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)) 1 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and 1 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 5 the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27(1) (2))

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

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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)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

These parts of the requirement have been restated as it is too soon to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the new manager. 1 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 1 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2730003 6 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated. 1 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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 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 BD5 0QL

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Inspector

Sam Saxby-Brown, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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 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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