Appendix 1 - Brediland
Renfrewshire Council · 19 January 2023
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 19 January 2023 and its agenda
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35 Br35 Brediland Rediland Rooadad Care Home Service 35 Brediland Road Linwood Paisley PA3 3RA Telephone: 01416 185 960 Type of inspection: Announced (short notice) Completed on: 16 February 2021 Service provided by: Service provider number: Renfrewshire Council SP2003003388 Service no: CS2018371531
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About the service 35 Brediland Road is a newly registered service for up to four children and young people aged between eight and 20 years old. The service is provided by Renfrewshire Council and situated in the Linwood area. The house is a new-build modern bungalow, purpose designed to support the needs of children and young people referred to in the service. Accommodation provides a lounge with an open plan dining area, large kitchen, utility room, games room and relaxation/quiet room. There are two communal WC's, one with a bath. There are four bedrooms for children and young people, each with en suite bathrooms. 35 Brediland Road also has its own large garden area. Some of the stated aims and objectives of 35 Brediland Road are: - To provide young people with an environment where young people will feel safe, cared for and where staff will promote their skills and strengths. - To engage with families of the young people acknowledging and adapting to individual circumstance. - To work in partnership with social workers and other professional in a collaborative way to ensure that young people feel in both involved in their care plans. - To identify community opportunities and activities for young people in order to promote community involvement and improve confidence. At the time of our inspection, there were four young people residing at the service. Due to the ongoing safety restrictions in place due to COVID-19, our inspection was completed remotely. What people told us We spoke with two young people as part of our inspection. Feedback was positive about their experiences at Brediland Road. One young person told us they liked their room and that they were able to personalise this to their tastes. They told us they liked the staff, and we could see they were comfortable in their environment. We received brief, but positive, feedback from another young person about their experiences at Brediland Road. They liked the house, the staff and reported no issues with the support they received. We spoke with one parent, who provided very positive feedback about 35 Brediland Road. She spoke of the progress their child had made and the support she had received from the team. She was particularly happy with the structure and routines which had been implemented at the house. How well do we support children and young people's wellbeing? 5 - Very Good For this key question, we made an evaluation of very good. We concluded Brediland Road offered major strengths which were impacting positively on people's experiences and outcomes. As a newly registered service, there had been difficulties in terms of getting the right match and mix of young people and Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for 35 Brediland Road page 2 of 8
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developing a newly formed staff team. We were confident the team had learned from this process and were currently supporting children and young people towards very good outcomes. We saw that children and young people at Brediland Road benefitted from meaningful relationships with staff who provided consistent and compassionate care. We received strong feedback from external professionals and we reviewed solid evidence of one-to-one work through 'our chats' and 'time spent together' recording templates for staff. Although the inspection was completed virtually, we were fortunate to have one young person show us around the house whilst they interacted with staff. We thought young people's views were central to planning and decision making. This was evidenced through a children's rights approach at the service, where the team advocated strongly for young people's views. This was particularly the case where family contact was being considered during lockdown restrictions. A range of systems supported the gathering of young people's views around activities, mealtimes and their goals through care planning. Young people benefitted from a high degree of choice and, where appropriate, autonomy to make decisions at 35 Brediland Road. A diverse group of young people resided at the service and we liked how plans were highly personal to young people's needs and interests. A key strength was how young people were supported to connect with family and friends and to the local community. Although restricted due the pandemic, we concluded that young people were able to make the most of their time through planned activities and spontaneous free time. We reviewed lots of photos of holidays and activities where young people were clearly out having fun. We were particularly impressed by the young person who caught, prepared and cooked a fish for his dinner. It was clear the staff group supported young people to engage in a wide range of activities. We saw education plans which reflected young people's unique needs and it was pleasing to see all young people were involved in learning which was right for their development. We heard the staff team were on hand to offer support to ensure that attendance and attainment for young people were supported. Young people presented with a range of complex needs and required detailed risk plans which were in place to keep them safe. Following national guidance and best practice, we saw the team were proactive responding to child protection concerns and working with lead professionals to ensure young people were protected. We concluded young people received nurturing support from a knowledgeable staff team, informed about the impact of trauma. It was pleasing to see a number of interventions were employed to support young people develop positive coping strategies and regulate their emotions. During the first year following registration, the service experienced a high number of incidents and safe holds. The frequency and duration of safe holds during this period was of concern. However, this has significantly reduced throughout 2020 and the service, at present, provides a stable environment for young people. It was pleasing to see debriefs taking place to allow staff to reflect on practice and consider lessons learned following incidents. Risk assessments were updated and consultation with psychological services enabled the team to develop a deeper understanding of young people's needs. Young people's health needs were met through a range of proactive approaches and, where necessary, referrals to specialist services. We received some feedback that the availability of external mental health resources could be more accessible. The registered manager advised a vacancy in LAAC nursing was being Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for 35 Brediland Road page 3 of 8
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filled and a consulting psychologist was being made available to all the children's houses in Renfrewshire to ensure specialist input was available when required. During our inspection, we found a staff team motivated and committed to providing positive role models for young people at Brediland Road. We concluded this was a key strength in supporting young people through a difficult lockdown period. How good is our leadership? 5 - Very Good For this key question, we made an evaluation of very good. As a relatively new service, Brediland Road has experienced ongoing improvement since opening in February 2019 and we found the service was now providing a high standard of care. The manager had brought a strong children's rights ethos to the service and, based on feedback, was inspiring those around him to raise standards and practice through a culture of improvement. All staff told us they felt involved in a learning culture where they could contribute to the development of the service. We saw comprehensive evaluations of young people's experiences through a range of quality assurance methods. These included audits of care plans and outcomes, team meetings, feedback from young people and social workers, and contact from external management. When areas for improvement were identified through quality assurance, it was pleasing to see improvements were put in place. Supervision of staff ensured staff felt supported and able to reflect on practice and discuss their own development needs. We liked the dynamic improvement plan with input from staff and young people. This was produced in graphical format providing a visual focus for 35 Brediland Road's improvement journey. We were impressed to see the service had completed a self-evaluation based on best practice and national standards. It was pleasing to see children and young people were confident to offer views which were used to support improvement. Information was provided to young people on their rights from a range of sources including staff, admissions handbook and advocacy workers. We could see one young person had raised a complaint which was addressed appropriately and respectfully in accordance with the provider's policy. We could see external managers had an overview of the service providing support to the manager and staff, particularly during challenging periods. How good is our staff team? 5 - Very Good For this key question, we made an evaluation of very good. We concluded effective processes were in place to ensure staff were working well together to support children and young people. We saw that during early crises periods, the team had pulled together flexibly to support each other to work as a team to benefit children and young people. This appeared to have galvanised the team, who reported good morale and a strong commitment to their work. We were impressed by the staff team who valued their role at Brediland Road and enjoyed spending time with young people. Based on our interactions with staff, we got a sense all staff knew the detail of each young person's care plan and the goals they had for themselves. This helped to ensure consistency across shifts and we considered this a key strength of the staff team. Through high quality training in approaches, such as social pedagogy, attachment and trauma and suicide first aid, the team were well-placed to create a therapeutic environment to support young people's well- Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for 35 Brediland Road page 4 of 8
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being. Training was fully embedded across the team who offered a wide range of experience and skills to support a range of young people. Physical and mental health were supported in a number of ways through one-to-one emotional support, activities and referrals to specialist agencies where necessary. Staff turnover was low at Brediland Road, which provided consistency in relationships for young people and helped embed some of the key training undertaken by the team. How good is our setting? 5 - Very Good For this key question, we made an evaluation of very good. Based in Linwood, the setting allows the young people easy access to the wider Renfrewshire community. This allows children and young people to stay connected with family and friends, and retain links with education, health and social resources. This house is newly built and modern, with access to Wi-Fi and computers for young people. We saw that social media and phone use had been a risk factor for some young people. This had been proactively addressed through training for staff and young people, with detailed safe plans in place to help keep young people safe and promote health interactions with others. The house has ample space to allow children and young people to have visitors to the house and spend time with friends and family. We spoke with one parent who had visited the house and reported a warm welcoming atmosphere. The space around the house allows children and young people to relax and spend time in the fresh air. We had some feedback that the proximity of bedrooms impacted on young people's experiences. We concluded this had been the case for some young people during the first year of registration. At the time of our inspection, with an improved dynamic between young people and the staff team continuing to develop, this appeared less of an issue. The team is keen to develop some of the outside area and make the environment as homely and welcoming as it can be. How well is our care and support planned? 4 - Good For this key question, we made an evaluation of good where strengths clearly outweigh areas for improvement. We thought practice around personal planning was strong and had a significant positive benefit on young people's experiences and outcomes. We found that young people admitted to 35 Brediland Road without matching assessments did not consistently experience positive outcomes. However, the provider was developing a matching assessment for all young people being considered for admission. This was not yet implemented so we were unable to measure its impact. We will consider this area at the next inspection. We thought young people were benefiting from comprehensive personal plans which made use of in-house and specialist resources. 35 Brediland Road has a clear set of aims and objectives based around young people's needs and it was pleasing to see this vision being implemented through proactive and aspirational care planning. We could see young people involved in planning through a number of methods such as graphical visual plans and external advocacy when required. Records were of a high standard with young people's views Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for 35 Brediland Road page 5 of 8
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recorded in a range of ways. We saw that approaches such as social pedagogy and consultations with specialised services informing care plans which were regularly reviewed as circumstances changed. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for 35 Brediland Road page 6 of 8
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Detailed evaluations How well do we support children and young people's wellbeing? 5 - Very Good 1.1 Children and young people experience compassion, dignity and respect 5 - Very Good 1.2 Children and young people get the most out of life 5 - Very Good 1.3 Children and young people's health benefits from their care and support they experience 5 - Very Good How good is our leadership? 5 - Very Good 2.2 Quality assurance and improvement are led well 5 - Very Good How good is our staff team? 5 - Very Good 3.3 Staffing levels are right and meet children and young people's needs, with staff working well together 5 - Very Good How good is our setting? 5 - Very Good 4.3 Children and young people can be connected with and involved in the wider community 5 - Very Good How well is our care planned? 4 - Good 5.1 Assessment and care planning reflects children and young people's needs and wishes 4 - Good Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for 35 Brediland Road page 7 of 8
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To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 Find us on Facebook Twitter: @careinspect Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for 35 Brediland Road page 8 of 8