Children's Home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Unique reference number SC470797 Inspector Paul Scott Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Birtenshaw Registered person address Birtenshaw, Darwen Road Bromley Cross BOLTON BL7 9AB Responsible individual David Gerald Reid Registered manager Yvonne Georgina Nelson Date of last inspection 08/07/2014 2 of 7 Inspection date 15/01/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

Four new staff have been recruited to permanent posts since the last inspection. These staff were initially employed as agency workers before being offered permanent positions within the home. It is a basic expectation that the agency provide evidence that their workers have been appropriately checked and vetted prior to them starting work in any of the organisation's homes. However, the police check on file for one member of agency staff was not in the name of the agency from which the staff member had been deployed, and was only relevant to working with adults. This clearly evidences a lack of rigour in the application of this process and could have compromised young people's welfare.

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This inspection

Full recruitment processes are followed if agency staff are considered suitable for permanent employment. This includes requesting a new police check in the organisation's name. However, a number of staff had ceased their employment with the agency and had started their permanent contract, working full time in the home prior to these checks being returned. While these shortfalls have not had a direct impact on the welfare of young people, these inadequacies do not sufficiently protect young people from the potential exposure to persons who may pose a risk to them.

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This inspection

Suitable action has been taken to address the two requirements from the last inspection. All incidents requiring physical intervention are now fully recorded in a log designed for that purpose. The manager can demonstrate a clear understanding of what serious incidents should be reported to Ofsted, although there have been no incidents that have met this threshold since the last inspection.

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This inspection

Changes to the conditions of registration mean that the home can now accommodate four young people. Communal space is limited but additional space 3 of 7 has been created in the form of two small conservatories that are used for the purpose of recreational activities and quiet time. There is a homely feel to the house which has been subtly adapted to accommodate the needs of young people with disabilities. Overall the environment is appropriately decorated and well maintained. However, there is an excessive amount of mould in the utility room, which young people infrequently access. Also, the stair carpet is worn in a number of places that present potential trip hazards to young people, staff and visitors. A date for replacement of this carpet has now been identified.

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This inspection

There has been one new admission to the home. Good consideration has been given to matching young people's needs. This has resulted in a well matched group of young people whose individual needs can be met without detriment to each other. Admissions are well planned and facilitated at a pace that is suitable for the young person and their parent. One parent said, 'It was a very difficult decision to let (name) live away from home. I visited and liked it straight away, which made easier to make the decision. Staff have been brilliant with him and I notice a lot of changes. He is always smiling and doing lots of fun things. It was the right decision for (name) to come here.'

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This inspection

Strong, supportive links are maintained with parents to ensure young people can keep in touch and maintain positive links with their families. For example, a number of young people are encouraged to use IPAD's to have regular video contact with their parents and families. This has proven to be particularly effective for young people who may not be able to communicate verbally on the telephone as it allows them to see their parents and their parents to see them. Also, parents are kept informed of their child's progress in the form of monthly reports. These reports include photographs of the things their child has done and achieved during the reporting period. As well as reflecting young people's progress it also offers parents reassurance that their child is being well cared for when living away from home. One parent wrote in the Ofsted survey, 'The home is very person centred and I can relax knowing (name) is well cared for.'

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This inspection

Staff work exceptionally hard to meet young people's needs. They demonstrate a strong, caring commitment to helping young people overcome the challenges they face, including those associated with their disabilities. This work is underpinned by warm and affectionate relationships that are used to help young people feel safe and comfortable in their home. Staff provide young people with good support to help them manage their anxieties and frustrations and challenging behaviour is sensitively managed through good use of reassurance and positive touch. Staff work hard to keep young people safe and offer them protection in relation to their risks and vulnerabilities. However, the regulation 33 visitor has raised concerns about young people who suffer seizures falling onto exposed radiators. The manager has made attempts to address this using foam protection, but this has proven ineffective. As a result, This means there is the potential for young people young

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This inspection

people are potentially exposed to unnecessary hazards in their home. 4 of 7 The manager is clearly committed to ensuring young people receive the best possible care. She has an excellent knowledge of the young people living in the home and is proactive in ensuring they receive the services and support they need. This includes providing staff with good leadership and opportunities to develop their child care skills and knowledge. One social worker said, 'the manager is brilliant. She is proactive in meeting (name) needs and always keeps me informed. (Name) is really happy here, he has settled and it is like he has been here forever.'

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This inspection

Shortfalls were found in the way the home shares accident information with a third party organisation. This organisation has a service level agreement to monitor health and safety matters and have no specific responsibility for young people. Young people's personal details are not redacted. The information shared includes young people's names, dates of birth and basic information about the nature of the accident, some relating to restraint. Written information is sent out to all parents and professionals making them aware of how accident information is shared. The letter invites stakeholders to opt out if they wish but does not require any form of written or verbal consent. As a result, there is no tangible evidence that parents and social workers approve of this practice. 5 of 7

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Information about this children’s home

This is one of a number of children's homes operated by a charitable organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people with physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure any offer of employment is subject to paragraph (3)(d) being complied with in relation to that person (Regulation 26 (5)(a-b)) 15/01/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure agency staff do not start work in the home until it has been verified that all checks required in the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 have been completed by the agency (NMS 16.6)  ensure children’s safety and welfare is promoted, specifically that the risk of injury from falling onto radiators is thoroughly assessed and suitable action is taken to remove this hazard (NMS 4.1)  Ensure the home is well maintained and avoidable hazards are removed, specifically that the damaged stair carpet is replaced and the utility room is cured of damp and mould (NMS 10.3) 6 of 7  improve the system for sharing information with external agencies about accidents, specifically that written consent to share information with third parties is acquired from persons who have parental responsibility and that personal information is suitably redacted. (NMS 22.3) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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