The report of the Strategic Director of Children’s Services (Document “H”) provides an update regarding the current situation regarding the Children’s Residential homes in Bradford and related issues.

Recommended that the report be noted.

(Marium Haque – 01274 432955)

Children’s Services officers, provided members of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee with an update, regarding the current situation regarding the Children’s Residential homes in Bradford and related issues.

Officers also informed members that since June 2021, seven homes have been inspected, with three of the homes retaining their “Good” judgement.  The outcomes for the other four homes was:

§  Valley View – Inadequate, (previously Required Improvement).  This included a suspension of registration and a compliance notice.

§  Owlthorpe – Inadequate, (previously Good).  This included a suspension of registration and a compliance notice.

§  The Willows – Inadequate, (previously Good).  This included a compliance notice.

§  Wedgewood – Requires Improvement, (previously Good).

Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee Councillors were keen to understand why residential children’s homes, were not performing well.

In response, officers from Bradford Council’s Children’s Services indicated the reasons were wide and varied and that there was no specific reason. 

Furthermore, Officers   indicated that the right level of response and the timeliness of responses had not been good enough.

Councillors enquired as to whether concentration has been on other areas of Children’s Services, which has resulted in the Children’s Residential Homes area being neglected.

Officers replied by stating that this was a service that was not regularly discussed, but that there was a lot of focus on this area now, with it being regularly discussed at Directorate Management Team.

Furthermore, members highlighted that there had been issues with staffing in homes including sickness absence and what level of support had actually been provided to keep people at work.

Here, officers informed members that they were working with staff to get them back to work and helping them to meet the needs of the children, as well as having a wide range of services to support children in residential homes. 

Moreover, officers from Children’s Services stated that they were currently developing a Sufficiency Strategy and would present this to the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the near future.

Members were concerned that there was still not set of forms available for Regulation 44 visits, as well as understanding what staff were saying.

Officers indicated that they had undertaken a staff survey and that they wanted staff to feel part of Children’s Services, as being considered just Residential staff, who do not feel part of Children’s Services.

Moreover, officers highlighted that Regulation 44 visits had pro-formas and each home had an action plan, whereas previously, there was no consistency in how each Residential was undertaking action planning.

Members did express their concern over the state of Children’s Residential Homes and that they were keen to see radical changes and improvements being delivered, to better improve the lives for looked after children.

Resolved –

1.    This Committee requests that the actions being taken to improve the Children’s Residential Homes, be presented to this Committee, as soon as possible.

2.    That the findings from the external review of the quality of provision across each of the Children’s homes be presented to this Committee in January 2022.

Action – Strategic Director, Children’s Services

                                                                  (Marium Haque – 01274 432955)