Bradford Council-run children's homes to undergo shake-up

The plans will be discussed at a meeting of the Council’s decision-making Executive next month.

It follows damning Ofsted inspections and the authority’s own admission earlier this year that much “much more” needed to be done.

There is a recommendation to close the Valley View and Meadowlea sites, which will be replaced by two three-bed specialist residential homes for children aged eight to 11.

Valley View has been “effectively inoperative for nearly 12 months and does not provide a physical environment that is consistent with the care of children,” says a report to the meeting.

Valley View

It says the plans will enable the Council “to run our current homes with lower bed numbers, making them homelier; improving matching considerations, increasing placement stability”.

It adds it will reduce the risk of poor Ofsted grades or closure, create additional small home capacity for those with high-level complex needs and emergency admissions, plus dispose of sites that are no longer fit for purpose as children’s homes.

It will also see Staying Close provision - a model which provides an enhanced support package for young people leaving care from children’s homes – be linked to homes.

The report says this will improve capacity and “speed up” move-on plans.

Short-term break capacity for disabled children will be further developed, but residential provision for five to seven-year-olds will end. Specialist fostering place arrangements will be looked at for these children instead.

The report says: “It is essential that as a corporate parent Bradford Council is able to provide high-quality residential care to a broad range of children and young people with specific and often complex needs,” says the report.

“The Council has experienced some difficulties in this respect over recent years with a series of challenging Ofsted inspection outcomes over the course of 2021.

“Improvement work is ongoing across the service to strengthen the management of the homes and the quality of care provided. This strategic plan for the development of the homes aligns with this improvement work.”

The report points out that changes to regulation for children’s homes mean provision can be increased, without the need to increase the number of Registered Manager posts as one manager can now register for up to four homes – as long as the registered number of beds does not exceed six young people.

Councillor Sue Duffy, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, said: “We want all our children in care to live in a modern and comfortable environment where they are supported to reach their full potential.

Councillor Sue Duffy

“This development plan will allow us to put in place better care for children in care, including children with complex needs by developing our short-term break capacity for disabled children.

“We are working hard to achieve these improvements, working closely with Ofsted to implement their suggestions to provide high quality provision across the district to all our children in care.”

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Bradford Council, said the plan to address the shortcomings was welcome but raised concern about the Council’s ability to deliver it.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Image: T&A)

She said: “The plan requires a significant recruitment process in both social care and health however the Council is failing spectacularly to recruit people and is currently paying millions to agency staff. 

"There is no evaluation of risk to the plan or indeed a Plan B if they fail to recruit.”

Cllr Sunderland added: “I am concerned the plan relies on a change of rules to cut down the number of Registered Managers rather than a decision this is the right thing to do for the safety and security of children. I would want to see an external opinion that this is the right, rather than the cheapest, course of action.”

She added: “I am pleased to see the creation of a new-build residential home for children with complex needs, but the report is unclear about how the plan will be delivered and where would younger children be cared for whilst this takes place.

"By reducing the size of the homes, the Council is avoiding have to get planning permission, relying instead on a 'certificate of lawfulness'. I do hope this is not a wheeze to avoid involving neighbours in the plans, letting them have their views heard."

The Conservative and Green group were also approached for comment.