Children's Home run by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council in Bolton

OUTSTANDING

Include if outstanding: The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The consistency, experience and knowledge of the staff team, together with the positive relationships with young people, are the bedrock of the success achieved.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Leaders and managers are confident and ambitious. They create a positive culture of high aspiration for young people living in the home, which is highly effective. Care practice is researched informed.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people who have challenging behaviours make excellent progress, from their starting points, in all aspects of their development and safety.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people experience an exceptionally homely environment where they are settled into the neighbourhood and their friend’s visits regularly.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff and managers are excellent at advocating and championing young people's rights with partner agencies to ensure these are foremost.

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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:

In order to improve the quality of recording; ensure that written risk assessments clearly detail risks and a reduction in these risks. (The Guide 9.5)

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Information about this children's home

The children's home is one of a number of homes operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

20/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Young people living here are cared for by staff who are passionate and dedicated to working with them. Consequently, young people have excellent relationships with staff and feel safe and secure with them. One young person commented: ‘I know the staff keep me safe, I feel safe here, it is the best for me.’ Another young person commented: ‘I would give this home the top, outstanding.’ The staff go above and beyond and see their work as much more than a job.

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people living in the home are

The progress and experience of young people living here is excellent taking into consideration their starting point and history. The very high standards set by the leaders and managers runs through all aspects of care practice. This provides a firm foundation for young people to grow and develop. For example, aggressive and destructive behaviours have significantly reduced and young people are now enjoying life and having fun. Underpinning this work is researched informed methods in post-traumatic stress disorder, which is highly successful with young people.

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people living in the home are

Another example of creative and caring practice is the use of a ‘knitted blanket’ to calm and sooth young people in crisis. A staff member worked in her own time to knit these blankets and brought this idea from her own experience of parenting. Again, this has been successful in reducing and managing self harming behaviours Young people are very proud of their blankets.

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people living in the home are

Some young people have experienced severe trauma in their lives and have been out of education for significant periods of time. The staff have been instrumental in re-engaging them back into full-time education and their progress is excellent. A teacher commented: ‘I cannot fault staff they are on the ball.’ Young people are learning skills for adulthood, such as driving lessons. A young person who has recently left the home has settled very well into independent living, drives a car and has a career of her choice.

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people living in the home are

Each young person's day-to-day health and well-being needs are fully met. Trained therapists are routinely engaged to work holistically with young people. They are also registered with general medical practitioners, opticians and dentists and appointments are kept to ensure their optimum health outcomes.

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people living in the home are

Young people's talents interests and culture are championed by staff. They participate in horse riding, dance, sailing, gymnasium, theatre outings, holidays abroad and city breaks. Their identity is central to care practice and plans are in place to take young people to visit their place of birth to provide them with meaning about their identity.

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people living in the home are

Furthermore, staff work with them individually and spend meaningful time with them away from the group to build up their resilience and self-worth. Pamper days, and key worker sessions built on research have all contributed to young people’s increasing confidence and self-worth.

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people living in the home are

There are excellent examples of staff representing young people's views wishes and feelings. Such as, advocating for young person to attend their school prom and securing young people's passports, overcoming the barriers presented. Independent advocacy is also gained for them to champion their rights, which are seen as foremost by staff.

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people are helped and protected

Young people say that they are safe in the home and feel that the staff protect them. A great deal of work is undertaken with young people by staff and other professionals to educate them in keeping themselves safe. The staff support them to be aware of risks both inside and outside the home. Excellent partnership working with the relevant agencies ensures that risk management strategies and plans are in place protect them.

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people are helped and protected

Each young person has a range of risk assessments in place, identifying their specific needs and how they will be met. These require improving to make sure risks are clearly identified and updated to reflect reductions in risk. Despite this, the staff are in no doubt as to their role in protecting young people.

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people are helped and protected

There have been incidents of young people going missing in the past 12 months. Staff took all necessary steps to ensure the return of young people and worked closely with all relevant agencies. Return interviews are undertaken promptly. The police praised the staff team for how well they work to support young people. The community police support officer PCSO has also visits the home informally, to discuss any specific concerns with young people. This further promotes their safety and awareness of the risks.

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people are helped and protected

The staff have consistent, positive and warm relationships with young people; this is the foundation for managing any negative behaviour successfully. Also they use positive reinforcement and negotiation to encourage positive behaviour. Negotiating is a skill young people have learned whilst living here. Hence, physical interventions and restraints are very rarely used. The staff support young people with particularly complex and risky behaviours very well. Good staffing levels enable young people to receive the support and attention they require. They closely monitor the use of internet and social media usage by young people. Notably, young people share their worries and concerns with staff, which demonstrates the trusting relationships they have forged. Such proactive approaches have led to reductions in concerning behaviours for young people and increased safety whilst living ta the home.

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leaders and managers

The Registered Manager has been in post since January 2014, has degree level qualifications and she is due to complete a relevant management qualification in the next two months. She is supported by a deputy manager and service manager. They have a wealth of experience, qualifications and skills in working with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. They are confident and ambitious for young people and a culture of high quality care is prevalent within the home.

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leaders and managers

Furthermore, the quality of relationships between staff, managers and partner agencies is excellent. Feedback from professionals is complimentary about the staff and working practices. Social workers commented: ‘staff go above and beyond there is a feeling of a loving home’ and ‘staff are very supportive of young people and genuinely want the best for them and are not afraid to think outside the box to achieve this.’

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leaders and managers

Improved quality audit systems are in place and provide a thorough overview of care practice. Any weaknesses and strengths are picked up and addressed promptly. Independent monitoring is also robust and actions set are welcomed by the managers to learn and improve. A development plan is in place and sets the direction for the home. The two recommendations set at the previous inspection in March 2015 have been addressed. Namely, restrictions on locking the front door routinely have been removed and staff training is now completed and refreshed.

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leaders and managers

The staff team as a whole have excellent local knowledge and strong multi-agency links. They have worked together over many years, enjoy their work and are highly complimentary of the management team and the local authority. The ethos of high quality care is firmly embedded in their practice. They are proud of the home and work they do. Moreover, they are all qualified, well trained, supervised and appraised. This ensures their care practice meets the standards expected.

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leaders and managers

Records are exceptionally child friendly and provide a thorough account of their daily lives from a young person’s perspective. Young people comment on their records and care plans and understand these. Moreover, young people have been fully involved in designing the children’s guide and given their account of life here. These practices have been shared with a neighbouring authority, to help them improve.

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leaders and managers

The staff provide an exceptionally nurturing, calm, supportive and homely environment. The home is very well maintained, bright and cheerful. All young people have their own bedrooms that reflect their tastes. A professional commented: ‘It actually feels like a home.’

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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