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

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people enjoy living here. They like the staff and feel safe and secure.  Young people have made progress from their starting points. For example, their attendance at school has improved and they are sitting examinations.  There are very good relationships between staff and young people which have built up over time. Young people identify staff that they feel very comfortable with and would share their thoughts with. This helps to promote their emotional well-being.  Young people are learning to manage their own behaviour to help to promote their safety. Work continues within the multi-agency setting to help them to reduce cigarette smoking and substance misuse.  The staff have a wealth of experience and the majority of them have been working here for many years. This provides stability and predictability for young people to settle and develop.  Young people participate in activities, have part time jobs and learn new

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The children’s home provision is good because:

skills and experiences to set them up for adulthood.  Partner agencies are complimentary of the care and support provided to young people. The home’s feedback questionnaires confirm this.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

34: Policies for the protection of children (4) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out: (b) the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. In particular, reporting children missing to the police at the specified time and ensuring plans are adhered to. 4 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

10: In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure that: (1)(a) the health and well-being needs of children are met (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. 4 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

36: Children’s case records (1) The registered person must maintain records for each child which: (b) are kept up to date, in relation to recording the time children return home. 4 July 2016

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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

2 February 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

20 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people living here have a positive experience and make progress from their starting points. They are all attending school for the first time in months, engaging in a range of activities and learning skills to stand them in good stead for adulthood. They benefit from consistent care, as the staff team is stable. This predictability helps young people to feel safe and secure. Moreover, warm and respectful relationships between staff and young people are evident.

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Good

Teachers are complimentary of the staff’s approach to education and the support they offer to young people. They are particularly pleased with the progress of a young person who has sat all his examinations. This is a massive achievement for him. This success is celebrated within the home and the young person has chosen a meal out with staff. Staff attend parents’ evenings and assist with homework to further support their success.

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Good

Young people’s interests and likes are very much a part of home life. They meet up with friends, go to the cinema, restaurants and go-karting, and have local part- time jobs. The summer holiday is currently being planned. All these positive experiences build their confidence and skills for the future. Young people new to the home are beginning to settle, and staff work with them to help them to take responsibility for their safety and well-being.

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Good

Young people’s health needs are generally very well met. They are all registered with appropriate health services and receive support in relation to their mental health. Staff liaise closely with healthcare professionals and ensure that young people attend all their appointments. However, on one occasion recommendations from a health professional’s report, in regard to a young person’s dietary requirements, were not carried out promptly, and this was only addressed approximately a month later.

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Good

The managers and staff work effectively to the principles and ethos of the statement of purpose. They provide a nurturing, calm, supportive and homely environment. In line with the aims of the home, all staff strive to ensure that young people’s needs are central to the operation of the home.

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Good

Young people are welcomed into the home, and careful planning with other professionals and carers supports this. Also, staff visit young people before they come to live here and complete impact risk assessments. Similarly, staff prepare those already living here to promote a smooth transition. Guides explaining the routines of the home and the friendly welcome are part of staff practice in helping them settle.

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Good

Staff support young people to stay in touch with their families, and have a good understanding of their family histories and relationships. They work proactively with parents and professionals to ensure that contact is safe, enjoyable and promotes continuity of care. Notably, staff have worked successfully with parents to increase contact in the best interests of young people.

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Good

Young people confirm that they ‘feel safe’ living here and staff have regular training to develop their understanding of their duties to ensure each young person’s safety. There is an overall reduction in incidents of them going missing from home, although very recently a young person has been going missing overnight. All the appropriate authorities are informed and information shared within multi-agency meetings to protect them. Risk assessments are in place but these are not being robustly adhered to. For example, staff are not reporting young people missing to the police at the time specified in the assessment, and they are not ensuring that young people have a bus pass as their plan states. This compromises their safety.

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Good

Staff fully understand young people’s needs and have developed strategies to manage their individual behaviours effectively. As a result, sanctions and physical intervention are not used excessively. Staff are fully trained in a recognised technique to safely hold young people if needed. The respectful and caring relationships, alongside boundaries and guidance by staff, help young people to take positive responsibility for their actions.

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Good

The staff work with young people to educate them in keeping themselves safe. For example, they have guidance from staff on using the internet and social media safely. They also have individual time to discuss issues such as emotions, substance misuse and safety. This provides for meaningful time together away from the group to build resilience and to increase their understanding of safety.

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Good

Fire safety and health and safety checks are carried out around the home to ensure that there is a safe living environment. Also, the staff are vigilant and take appropriate steps to verify visitors’ identities to protect young people. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager has been in post since January 2014, and has relevant experience pertinent to the role. However, she has not yet completed the management qualification as she had predicted, but this is now almost complete and currently awaiting moderation with the examiner. She is supported by a deputy manager and service manager and together they have a wealth of experience and skills in working with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. They have high aspirations for young people and a culture of high quality care is prevalent within the home’s ethos.

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Good

Quality audit systems are in place and provide an overview of care practice. For example, independent monitoring is detailed, and actions set are welcomed by the leaders and managers in order to learn and improve. A development plan is in place and sets the direction for the home. All significant events are notified to the appropriate bodies to ensure that there is robust information sharing to protect young people.

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Good

Liaison with other professionals is effective. Regular updates are provided to social workers and parents to keep them involved and aware of the care and progress of young people. Again, their feedback is gained and is very positive about the care and experience received by young people. This demonstrates the good working relationships forged between the staff, partner agencies and young people’s families.

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Good

The majority of the staff team have worked together for many years and enjoy their work. They are dedicated and passionate about achieving the best with young people. They are all qualified, well trained, regularly supervised and appraised. Staffing ratios are good, despite some staff sickness which is being filled by staff taking on extra work and from staff from other local authority homes. This ensures that care practice meets the standards expected.

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Good

Records are exceptionally child friendly and provide an account of their daily lives. Young people comment on their records and information is shared with them to ensure that they are involved in decision making about themselves. Staff recording is generally very good, although daily records have not always been completed fully to show the times that young people are returning home. This has not had a negative impact upon young people’s welfare to-date.

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Good

The home has a warm and welcoming feel and staff strive to ensure that there is a homely experience for each young person. There is ample space for them to have privacy to see their friends or to have personal time alone, away from the group. The home is located in a residential area and it is indistinguishable from other residential houses.

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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 children looked after 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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