Birch Cottage

Birch Cottage Inspection report for children's home

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Unique reference number SC421197 Inspector Gillian Walters Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Setting address Moss Lane, off Eight Acre Lane, Yealand, Redmayne, Carnforth, Lancs, LA5 9TG Telephone number 01524 784924 Email enquiries@abccare.co.uk Registered person ABC Care and Education Ltd Registered person address Alston House Whitecross Industrial Estate, South Road Lancaster LA1 4XF Responsible individual Christopher Gerard Kennedy Registered manager Christopher Gerard Kennedy / POST VACANT Date of last inspection 01/10/2014 2 of 6 Birch Cottage

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Previous inspection adequate Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged adequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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This inspection

At the last inspection on 01 October 2014 the home was judged as adequate despite the home having operated for a considerable period of time without a permanent Registered Manager. Four requirements and one recommendation were made to promote improvement of the service. At that time the Registered Individual was in post as the home’s interim manager. He has since successfully registered with Ofsted as the home’s Registered Manager having the appropriate qualifications, skill and extensive experience of working with young people in residential care settings to fulfil the role.

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This inspection

Young people’s individual records have significantly improved since the last inspection ensuring that staff have clear guidance to enable them to appropriately support young people and manage risks. Young people’s individual risk assessments and residential care plans have been thoroughly reviewed and updated and take good account of young people’s views ensuring that their choices and wishes are appropriately reflected and influence the care they receive. The Registered Manager has been proactive in ensuring that decisions from statutory review meetings are adequately reflected in young people’s records prior to receiving formal confirmation from placing authorities. This prevents delay in staff understanding any actions that may be required of the home.

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This inspection

Young people remain settled in the home and share trusting relationships within the staff team that enables them to feel safe and well supported. As such, young people are continuing to make positive progress in relation to their starting points, significantly reducing risk-taking behaviour and avoiding situations that are likely to increase their vulnerability. For example, young people have not been absent or missing from the home and there have been no recent occasions when restraint has been deemed necessary. 3 of 6 Young people have progressed to include such as work placements and college attendance within their home education programme. This has provided young people with greater opportunity to responsibly access their community and develop appropriate peer relationships. Young people’s learning is consistently encouraged; achievements are recognised and rewarded to ensure motivation is maintained. As a

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This inspection

result young people are learning to have confidence in their abilities and developing positive self-esteem.

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This inspection

The home provides a wide range of activities that provide fun, exercise and learning. For example, recent trips out have included go-karting, dry slope skiing, boating and visits to museums. Young people value these opportunities that they may not ordinarily have experienced before coming to the home.

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This inspection

Young people’s contact with family is well supported with young people enabled to make regular calls to family members and staff facilitating home visits and also welcoming family members to the home. This enables young people to maintain those relationships that are most important to them while promoting their own personal sense of culture and identity. The home is successful in communicating regularly with young people’s placing authorities, ensuring that progress is shared and there is consistency in approach in working together with young people, their families and others that play significant roles in their lives. One social worker noted, ‘I feel the staff and the manager have been supportive towards this young person and have kept me update with all matters. I feel that we have a positive professional relationship and I am kept informed.’

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This inspection

The home has revisited its arrangements for managing medication ensuring that there are clearer protocols in place to deal safely with medication that is not in current use or no longer required. Additionally, the home has taken account of young people’s wishes and arranged for over the counter medication to be purchased when required in a form that most suits the individual young person. For example, young people now have their preferred choice of pain relief medication in capsule, liquid or tablet form. Young people know that their views are important to staff and that their contribution is valued.

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This inspection

The home’s quality assurance arrangements have remained robust with regular external monitoring conducted by the home’s independent visitor and regular checks and audits undertaken by the Registered Manager. Both are challenging of staff practice and performance and show value in contributing to the continuing improvement of the home. Reports have been regularly received by Ofsted within the prescribed timescale. This has resulted in greater transparency with Ofsted, enabling more effective oversight of the home’s performance between inspections.

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This inspection

The home has benefited from further decoration and new soft furnishings that have been inspired by young people’s ideas. This includes some adaptations to the home’s games room and murals for bedroom doors that help to individualise young people’s personal space. Young people are encouraged to reflect their own personality in 4 of 6 their bedrooms, having choice in their wall colourings, bedding and their furniture as well as their own personal belongings that are important to them. As such, young people’s bedrooms are highly personalised, private and promote their sense of belonging in this home. One young person commented, ‘My room is exactly how I wanted it. I really like it and it’s very comfortable. I like my things in order so I would know if staff had been in and moved anything.’ 5 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of four owned by a private company. It is registered to accommodate four young people with emotional and behavioural problems. It offers emergency, medium- and long-term placements for young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2014 Full adequate 17/07/2014 Full inadequate 05/11/2013 Interim inadequate progress 16/05/2013 Full good Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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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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