Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 1 Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited 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 a private company that runs several children’s homes across the country. It provides care for up to 3 children who have been affected by adverse childhood experiences that have resulted in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

An experienced and suitably qualified interim manager commenced her role in June 2026. She had her suitable person interview with Ofsted in August 2026 and is awaiting the outcome.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home. All the children spent time with the inspector, and one child chose to share their views.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2025 Full Good 04/02/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/09/2023 Full Good 07/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 3

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Summary of findings

Children are settled at the home. One child has lived there for 5 years and another for 2 years. Children moving in have settled in well. Children have continued to make progress, particularly with their education, independence skills and confidence.

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Summary of findings

Children have developed positive relationships with staff. However, high staff turnover and a change of manager have, at times, led to children feeling uncertain because they have not always known who would be caring for them. The manager has been proactive in recruiting staff and, where possible, has sought to use the same agency staff to promote consistency and continuity of care for children.

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Summary of findings

Staff have a thorough understanding of children’s needs and risks. They feel well supported by managers, enjoy their roles, and are committed to providing a good standard of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home in line with their care plan, and another child has moved in. The children are making good progress in different areas of their lives. Feedback from those who know the children well reflect the positive difference that living at the home has made. One family member said, ‘[Name of child] has been able to thrive with a consistent level of support and engagement. As difficult as it was, we feel like we have won the lottery.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress with their education. The manager is actively appealing a recent placement decision to enable one child to remain at their school. The child is fully involved in this process, and an independent advocate has been arranged to support them. As a result, children know their education is a priority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with the people who are important to them. Family members have also spoken positively about how staff have helped them rebuild their relationships with the children. One parent said that their child is happier and calmer, which has made their time together more enjoyable. This helps children maintain important relationships and enjoy their time with their loved ones.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence skills. Individualised daily tasks, such as cleaning bedrooms and cooking simple meals, are encouraged. One child has also been supported to prepare for and attend a job interview. These skills build independence, self-esteem and prepare children for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a wide range of activities inside and outside the home. Two children enjoyed holidays abroad to their chosen destination, while another child chose day trips. The children also ran a hook-a-duck stand for a local charity in the community. These Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 4 experiences develop confidence, create memorable moments and encourage community engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children live in a well-decorated and comfortably furnished home where they are able to personalise their bedrooms, helping them to feel settled and develop a sense of belonging. However, a few maintenance issues detract from this homely environment, including a large stain on a child’s carpet, graffiti on a bedroom door, numerous marked walls and dirty windowsills. The manager addressed several of these issues during the inspection. Those that were unable to be addressed were scheduled to be fixed.

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

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s individual needs and risks. They are supported by clear, detailed plans that are regularly updated. Input from therapeutic professionals is also clearly reflected in these plans. This helps staff to respond proactively by recognising triggers, applying effective de-escalation strategies and maintaining a safe environment for children.

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

Staff have lots of conversations with children to help them understand how to stay safe. These conversations take place in different ways, when deemed children are more likely to engage, such as during car journeys. Different tools are also used to aid these discussions, such as video clips and worksheets. This approach helps children to make safer choices and has contributed to a noticeable reduction in incidents, including self- harm and vaping.

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

As children are settled in the home, and staff are skilled in de-escalation strategies. Restraint has only been used on 3 occasions. In each instance, it was used as a last resort and for the shortest possible duration. Following one incident, the child was spoken to by a member of staff involved in the incident. This may have compromised the child’s ability to speak freely about their experience.

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

Staff respond effectively when children go missing. They are proactive in searching for them, contacting them and following the home’s policy effectively. Staff listen to the children to understand the reasons why they leave the home and collaborate with external agencies to manage risks. As a result, children rarely go missing from the home.

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

When children make complaints, leaders and managers take them seriously. They speak to children promptly and ensure that they are safe. Investigations are thorough, and children are informed of the outcome. Action taken following allegations against staff is not sufficiently robust. On 2 occasions, there was a delay in terms of the members of staff being asked to leave the premises and a delay in making a referral to the appropriate agency. As a result, children may be left feeling unsupported and that their concerns have not been listened to. The new leadership team provided assurances that robust steps are being taken to prevent this from occurring again in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has had a new manager since the last inspection. The new manager has been in post since June 2026 and has begun to build positive relationships with the children and staff. The manager is still getting to know the home and has begun to make some positive changes to the monitoring systems and the home’s decor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is supported by a dedicated staff team and a responsible individual who is awaiting their suitable person interview with Ofsted. Staff say they enjoy working in the home and feel well supported by their manager, who they describe as ‘lovely’, ‘hands on’ and having ‘good relationships’ with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are several support systems available to staff. All staff members have received mandatory training. Additional training tailored to children’s individual needs is also identified when required. Training supports staff’s self-confidence and provides them with the knowledge they need to support them in their roles. Staff benefit from regular practice-related supervision. This gives them the opportunity to reflect on their practice, receive guidance and discuss children’s progress and any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings also provide opportunities for staff to learn from any incidents that have occurred over the previous month, using reflective discussions. This strengthens staff’s practice and helps them understand children’s changing needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One staff member is currently outside the required timescale for completing their qualification. A completion date has been set, and the manager has implemented an action plan to monitor progress and ensure that appropriate oversight is maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff turnover has been high, and there has also been a high use of agency staff. Children have voiced they do not like the use of agency staff, as they do not like having different people caring for them. To maintain as much consistency as possible for the children, the same agency workers who the children have built positive relationships with are deployed whenever possible. Several new staff have also been recruited, reducing the need for agency staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 6

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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 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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any allegations of harm or abuse are addressed in line with the home’s child protection policy. 20 November 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any child who is restrained is given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint. In particular, the registered person should ensure that children have an opportunity to discuss incidents with an individual who was not involved in the intervention. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60) Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 7  The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role have achieved the qualification in Regulation 32 (4) within the relevant timescale listed in Regulation 32 (5). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all areas of the home are clean, tidy and well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1276010 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bryn Melyn Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Group, Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Emma Hutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1276010 9 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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