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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 1 Registered provider: Bradford Children and Families Trust Full inspection 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 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered at the home with Ofsted since January 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of this inspection, and both children were spoken to.

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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: 2 December 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/12/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 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: 2728982 3

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Summary of findings

The home has made huge improvements since the last inspection due to the new management. Visually, the home is more aesthetically pleasing, which the children were encouraged to get involved in.

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Summary of findings

The manager has implemented a transparent and robust monitoring system. Lots of support and training has been given to staff to improve areas such as report writing. This is ongoing and requires further work.

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Summary of findings

There has been a big improvement in how staff respond to children's risks to actively reduce them. Furthermore, relationships among staff have improved due to the manager working hard to improve staff practice. Laughter from children and staff can now be heard echoing around the home.

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Summary of findings

All of these improvements have changed the home to a home that is warm and welcoming for children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the children with structure, boundaries and consistent, nurturing care. This helps the children to form positive relationships with staff. Children are heard laughing with staff and enjoy being in each other's company.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress with their education and are sitting their GCSE exams. Staff support children to consider their next education options to choose from for the start of the new academic year.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are promoted by staff, who have a good understanding of their individual needs. Staff respond well to any immediate health concerns that arise. Those who have good relationships with the children and who children feel most comfortable dealing with sensitive health topics deal with such topics.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When consequences have been used, these have been proportionate and natural. For example, if any damage was caused to the home, the children are supported by staff to clean it up. This allows for learning opportunities for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a range of activities that they have an interest in, such as baking or sporting activities and attending the gym. When children have different interests, these are managed well by staff so that children get the opportunity to do the activities of their choice. Children have enjoyed holidays to Poland and climbing a mountain in Wales. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 4 Children’s voices are heard and captured well, with children receiving written feedback from the manager and deputy manager when they have participated in monthly chats with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote and support children to have time with people that are important to them. The manager has advocated for additional family time when it is felt this is beneficial for the children. Staff encourage children to spend time with their friends when safe and appropriate to do so. However, staff do not always do enough to try and build positive relationships with the children's families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has put in tremendous effort to enhance the home. They have created a bright, welcoming and homely atmosphere, with the children being involved in choosing the colour scheme, soft furnishings and pictures for the walls.

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

Children said that they feel safe and supported. Children speak positively about staff, and positive relationships help children seek support when needed. Children are comfortable to approach staff for help and reassurance and to have conversations.

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

Staff understand children’s risks and take appropriate action to safeguard them. These include risks linked to substance misuse, possible exploitation, debt problems, unsafe associations and children being in places where they may be at risk. Staff respond promptly when concerns increase. Staff contact police and liaise with social workers, and they increase their vigilance, such as completing room searches when needed. Staff complete direct work with children about safety, healthy relationships and online risks. This helps children to understand risk and make safer choices.

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

Staff respond appropriately when children are missing from the home or away without agreement. Incident records show that staff search local areas, call and text children, contact professionals and family members and check places where children may be. This helps to return the children quickly to the home. When children return, they are given the opportunity to speak to someone independent to the home.

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

Staff take a proportionate approach to support children’s independence. They understand each child’s level of need and tailor support accordingly. Staff are attuned to the children’s routines, interests, education and independence needs. This helps children experience stability, safety and a sense of belonging.

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

The quality of the children’s written plans and management oversight requires improvement. Some plans do not clearly set out what staff should do in specific circumstances. The shortfall relates to the quality of the plans and oversight rather than staff’s day-to-day safeguarding practice. Leaders recognise that improvement is needed and have begun to strengthen written records. However, these improvements are not yet consistently embedded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced. The manager provides support to a stable staff team that has worked at the home for a long time. Staff report that the home has greatly improved since the last inspection, with the staff team being more cohesive. This has improved things for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children have good relationships with leaders and managers and are comfortable seeking them out. Senior managers are highly visible in the home and have positive relationships with the children. The atmosphere and relationships in the home replicate a family environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a good advocate for children and challenges other professionals, when necessary, while also maintaining those important relationships to a good standard. Professionals report how working with the manager and staff is a positive experience and how the staff team knows the children well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision records show that the staff have different experiences. This is dependent on who the supervisor is. Some sessions are reflective, informative and supportive, with the manager offering advice and guidance. In comparison, records show that other staff do not appear to have the support or guidance they require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are reflective and child focused. These meetings allow the staff an opportunity to engage in collaborative discussions about how they can further promote positive care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides consistent oversight of the home, promoting the use of therapeutic language in all written records. While this has led to notable improvements, some staff continue to intermittently use language and tones that do not align with good practice for supporting children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 6

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(x)) 8 August 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2728982 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

Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Saira Rafiq, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2728982 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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