Children's Home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed 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:

 Young people live in a supportive and nurturing home. They have highly positive relationships with staff who put their safety and welfare at the core of their practice.  Staff support young people to contribute to their care planning. Staff are creative in utilising picture story books to assist young people to share their views and opinions. Picture story books reflect young people’s progress and let them convey their preferences.  Staff have high ambitions for young people and value their education. Staff work collaboratively with education staff to ensure that care is consistent. Young people’s attendance in education is 100%.  The home requires a new kitchen. This improvement to the environment will enable young people to develop independence skills in a supportive environment.  Staff support and assist young people to lead full lives and provide them with a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

Young people have notably developed self-confidence and self-esteem.  High levels of supervision mean that young people do not go missing. Staff are vigilant and display an excellent understanding of the procedures to follow.  This manager works collaboratively with relevant safeguarding agencies to ensure that young people are effectively safeguarded.  The manager has high expectations of her staff. She consistently monitors the quality of care provided in the home, seeking feedback from young people to improve their care and experiences.  In the manager’s absence the inspector and covering manager were unable to view the minutes of a young person’s review meeting because it was stored electronically. Arrangements need to be made so that these are accessible to staff to ensure that they are up to date on care decisions for young people.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 The design of the home, particularly the upkeep of the kitchen, should, where appropriate, enable children to develop independence skills within the supportive environment of the home, including through encouraging independent use of the kitchen area. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.25)  Some records may be kept electronically (Regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it. This is in relation to the records of young people’s children looked after reviews. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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Information about this children's home

The home is part of a charitable organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with learning disabilities and sensory impairment.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

07/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people benefit from living in a supportive and nurturing home. They have developed highly positive relationships with staff who place young people’s safety and well-being at the heart of their practice. Staff provide young people with highly individualised care. Staff support young people to contribute to their care planning. The use of picture story books helps young people to share their views and opinions. This method is also utilised to reflect young people’s goals and achievements and to gradually build up to an event. For example, to prepare young people for a caravan holiday. This visual support successfully helps young people to understand what to expect and also reflects the progress that young people make. Picture stories reflect young people’s progress and development and allow them to communicate their preferences. Staff encourage young people to enjoy healthy lifestyles. All young people are

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Outstanding

registered with routine health services and receive the support that they require from specialised services. The home has solid links with a variety of healthcare services such as child and adolescent mental health services. This ensures that young people receive support to address emotional and physical health needs, which may develop in the future. Young people’s education attendance is 100%. Staff have high aspirations for young people and value their education. They work on AQA units to support young people’s interests in school, working collaboratively with education staff. The communication between the two disciplines is effective. They regularly discuss approaches and strategies to help develop consistent responses to meeting young people’s educational needs and managing their behaviour. A parent commented, ‘(name) is more settled in school and is now accessing sixth form college.’ Staff actively promote carefully assessed contact between young people and their

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Outstanding

families in line with their care plans. They maintain close links with young people’s families and facilitate regular, safe contact. A member of staff said, ‘(name) has a great time doing activities with his family.’ The home’s kitchen is worn and needs replacing. The registered manager is keen to improve this and has made a request to the organisation. This improvement will give young people a better environment in which to develop their independence skills. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

Young people’s safety is afforded top priority. Staff have a full understanding of each young person’s known and emerging risks and vulnerabilities. Comprehensive risk assessments identify young people’s individual risks and are regularly updated to reflect change. Young people are encouraged to lead full lives and are provided with a range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests within their home and community. This has resulted in young people developing self- confidence and widening their experiences. For example, choosing to eat a meal in a restaurant with family members. Staff have an excellent knowledge of young people and promote positive behaviour. The use of picture symbols assists staff to effectively communicate with young people, helping them to manage their emotions and provide them with a calm, supportive environment. Young people know that sometimes staff need to use physical restraint to keep them safe because this is explained to them. Records

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Outstanding

confirm that when a restraint has been used it has been used appropriately, for the least amount of time possible and to keep young people and others safe. Staff ensure that young people have ample opportunity to think about and understand their experiences and present any concerns that they may have. All recorded incidents are evaluated by the manager to ensure that the actions taken by staff are appropriate and in young people’s best interests. High staffing levels ensure effective levels of support and supervision. Staff provide effective levels of support to young people. They know that young people need an appropriate space in which to rest and relax. They provide young people with an appropriate safe space to enable them to unwind, while making sure that young people are safe while allowing them to unwind. There have been no incidents of young people going missing from care. Staff are attentive and display an excellent understanding of procedures to follow. Young

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Outstanding

people living at the home are not at risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff are aware of the signs and have a firm knowledge of procedures, which ensures that safeguarding is strong and comprehensive. The recruitment of staff follows rigorous procedures to minimise the risk of unsuitable people being employed at the home, who may present a risk of harm to children. Consultation and sharing of protocols means that the home works in line with the requirements to maintain safety. The manager consults with the police and local authority safeguarding children board in relation to the home’s locality assessment. This collaborative approach enhances multi-agency working to promote safety. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered in January 2015. She is suitably experienced and qualified and has gained the level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare. She is extremely child-focused. She effectively monitors progress and outcomes for young people and uses research to inform practice. The home delivers the services and support which are outlined in the statement of purpose. This is regularly reviewed to ensure that the needs of young people are consistently and safely met. The home is well resourced with sufficient staff on duty to ensure that young people’s individual needs are consistently met. Young people are cared for by a stable staff team that is constant in its delivery of care. This significantly benefits young people living in the home who rely on a precise daily routine. Care planning is comprehensive and reflects the individual needs of the young

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Outstanding

people. The registered manager inspires her staff and is successful in creating an assortment of experiences for young people, ranging from foods to days out at the seaside. She has high expectations of her staff and motivates them to be imaginative and to appraise the work that they do. She regularly monitors the quality of care provided in the home, learning from practice and seeking feedback from young people to improve their care and experiences. She has excellent oversight of young people’s specific plans. She ensures that they are significant and reachable and is able to evidence the significant progress that they have made from their starting points. A social worker said, ‘Care plans and risk assessments are clear and very thorough. One of the best I’ve seen.’ The home is located in a quiet cul-de-sac. There have been some incidents with young people throwing items into neighbouring gardens. The registered manager

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Outstanding

and staff are sensitive to the need for support from the community and are working to develop positive relationships with their neighbours. The manager has fostered positive links with family members and professionals to promote multi-agency working. Family members and professionals speak highly of the manager and staff. A parent said, ‘We are kept fully up to date with anything happening with our son. We also receive monthly emails detailing what he has been doing.’ Staff speak highly of the support that they receive from their manager. All staff complete mandatory training, which is complemented by needs specific training such as understanding autism. They receive regular supervision to discuss, reflect and develop their practice. This ensures that staff are well equipped to meet the diverse range of needs which young people currently have. A member of staff said, ‘The manager is supportive. I have supervision which identifies any training we

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Outstanding

need, which will benefit the young people and improve our practice.’ Systems need to be in place in the manager’s absence for electronic records to be accessed by . The registered manager was absent at the time of this inspection. The covering manager was unable to access minutes of a meeting to show the inspector, which were being kept electronically. This shortfall has not had a direct impact on young people. However, there do need to be clear systems in place to enable staff and other people with a genuine reason to access this information to be able to do so. In the manager’s absence the inspector and covering manager were unable to view a young person’s children looked after minutes, which were being stored electronically. Systems need to be in place to ensure that these records are accessible to staff and other people who have a genuine need to see them. Staff need to be fully up to date on all care decisions for young people to ensure that

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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 that 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

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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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