Children's home run by Bristol City Council

Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 1 Registered provider: Bristol City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned by a local authority and is registered to provide care for up to 3 children. At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 4 September 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/09/2024 Full Good 28/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff at the home provide children with high-quality, individualised care and support. Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection and said they are happy and that the staff are caring and supportive. One child said, 'They have really helped me, they are kind.' Children have positive day-to-day experiences. They have structured daily routines, and staff encourage them to participate in activities such as go-karting, days out and attending the gym. In the summer, staff took 3 children abroad on holiday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Decisions about children coming to live at the home are inclusive. Staff balance the needs of the children already living there with the needs of the child moving in. Staff support children to move into the home in a planned and positive way, and children's views are central to this. Staff prepare children living at the home for a new child moving in, helping to promote positive relationships and stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved from the home and are doing well. The staff are committed to supporting children after they have moved and regularly see them. Two children visited the home on Christmas Day and were part of the celebrations. This continued support is a real strength of the home and helps to maintain relationships and promote a sense of belonging for all children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet the cultural needs of children in a way that is sensitive and responsive to their identity and family history. One child attends a local youth club to build a sense of community, and staff take them shopping to buy foods that support their cultural preferences. For another child, staff understand the importance of family and have worked hard to foster and nurture trusting relationships with the wider family network.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. This time is appropriate and carefully assessed to ensure that it is a positive experience. Staff encourage time with friends in line with children's wishes while ensuring that their safety is paramount.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education and are making progress in their learning. Staff have consulted with key professionals when children have experienced barriers to attendance. They implemented targeted support to address one child's past experiences and current needs. As a result, the child is now engaging more positively in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that children receive specialist support for their physical health and emotional wellbeing, and staff support children to attend appointments. Health professionals are complimentary about how staff support children to engage with their services. Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 4

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

Children say they are happy and feel safe living at the home and that they can talk to staff if they are worried or upset about anything.

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

Staff understand the individual risks to children and plans offer clear guidance on how to support them. The manager regularly assesses and reviews the risks to ensure that care provided is least restrictive. He consults with children so they understand the action staff will take to support them to be safe.

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

Staff are attuned to children. They provide children with support and opportunities to explore their thoughts and feelings safely. The quality of relationships between carers and children is positive and nurturing. Staff have meaningful conversations with children and support them to reflect on their feelings and behaviours. Because of this, children are confident to share their views, wishes and feelings.

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

There have been occasions when children have gone missing. Staff respond appropriately, and attempts to locate children are robust. Staff use curiosity to determine the child's whereabouts and welcome children back to the home sensitively. As a result, the frequency of these incidents has reduced.

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

When there have been concerns about substance misuse, staff have followed agreed protocols. One child's engagement with external services has meant the risk has significantly reduced. The excellent collaborative working between the home and multi- agency professionals has helped the child to develop a sense of safety.

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

The home has external door alarms and window restrictors in use. One child attributed these to staff keeping them safe. The manager has not regularly reviewed these in consultation with children to determine the necessity of their continued use.

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

When concerns have been raised about staff, the manager has responded effectively. Managers took immediate action to safeguard the child who raised concerns, and shared information with relevant external agencies. Investigations were robust, and key learning taken from these incidences informs practice improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers of the home are committed to the care of children. They have been instrumental in defining a culture and ethos characterised by warmth, nurture and care. They know the children and are responsive to their needs. The manager is a strong advocate for children and ensures that they have the support they need to make progress and achieve positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide a supportive environment for staff. Staff talk with pride about working in the home and feel supported by leaders and managers. They receive regular and effective supervision that places a strong focus on the care and support of children. Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 5 Team meetings provide clear, up-to-date information about children. The frequency of these meetings helps to strengthen communication among the staff, which ensures consistent care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust systems in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of care. This provides him good oversight of the home. He understands the home's strengths and areas of development and is working in collaboration with the leadership team to support staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that training opportunities are available to support children's individual needs. However, completion of this training is not yet consistent across the staff team. This impacts staff members' ability to fully support children with the challenges they are currently facing. The manager acknowledged there have been barriers to this and plans to swiftly address these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The environment is warm and homely. It is nicely decorated, with photos of children and staff on display. Children's bedrooms are personalised in line with their individual interests. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The feedback from all professionals is incredibly positive. One professional complimented the 'exceptional communication from staff' and said, 'I think the home is genuinely incredible, we need more homes like this for children.' Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the reasons for any restrictions in the home environment are recorded clearly, that timescales and mechanisms for review are specified and that children's individual views on these measures are recorded. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.10).  The registered person should support staff to gain the skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child. This includes ensuring that relevant training to meet children's needs is completed in a timely manner. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.10).

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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: 2656731 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Bristol City Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR

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Responsible individual:

Registered manager: Juan Gomez-Lama Romero

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Inspector

Carly Parry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2656731 8 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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