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 receive consistently high levels of care and support to meet their individual needs. Robust assessment and care planning underpin this.  Staff work in partnership with a range of professionals, including health and education services, to promote young people’s holistic needs.  Staff have high aspirations for young people and place them at the forefront of their practice. They ensure that they have every opportunity to contribute their wishes and views to their care and future plans.  Young people’s leisure and recreation are extremely well supported. They take part in a number of activities in the home and the local community. This provides them with the opportunity to develop their interests.  The manager and staff have high aspirations for the young people. They reflect on and analyse the progress that the young people have made, while using research and additional planning to continue to enhance their life

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

opportunities.  Robust risk assessments and comprehensive behaviour management plans make sure that safeguarding measures are clearly followed. All staff have regular safeguarding training and demonstrate excellent understanding and practice in promoting the safety and well-being of all the young people. The area risk assessment takes into account any potential risk within the locality and documents measures to minimise that risk.  Young people are supported throughout the night by a waking and sleeping- in staff. However, the area used for the sleep-in staff is in the main lounge of the home, which could potentially restrict young people using this area at night if they require to do so. The manager is currently reviewing this.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The design of the home should provide staff who sleep in the home overnight with appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)

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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 three children and young people who have physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

06/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people living at the home are making exceptional progress, benefiting from care and support from a consistent, experienced and dedicated staff team. Robust assessment and care planning support staff to have an excellent understanding of individual needs and underpin the care and support that staff deliver. Staff work in partnership with parents, placing authorities and other professionals to ensure that the holistic needs of young people are promoted and met. One parent said, ‘I have been fully involved in discussions about my child’s care. The planning prior to placement made sure information was shared, introductory visits enabled him to get to know the staff and the home, and this made sure he settled in really well. Staff always ensure I am kept informed of all aspects of his care, and he is really happy here.’ The range of communication methods used enables all young people to contribute their wishes and views to their care and future plans and involves them in the day-

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Outstanding

to-day activities in the home. These include pictorial symbols, story books, signing and verbal communication. All young people attend full-time education. Staff have exceptionally good levels of communication with the school on a daily basis. They work in partnership with teaching staff to support educational outcomes and understand educational targets and attainments. Learning is not just considered to be school based, with staff enabling ongoing education achievements in the home through AQA qualifications and daily living achievements. Photographs of the range of educational activities are displayed throughout the home, and staff are evidently proud of the achievements and progress that the young people make. Healthcare is effectively supported. Young people are registered with healthcare professionals and access specialist services, including children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and learning disability nursing staff. There have

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Outstanding

been significant improvements in young people’s overall health due to joint working and staff ensuring that comprehensive healthcare plans are promoted and followed. One parent said, ‘My child’s healthcare is fully supported. The home has supported her to gain access to additional medical tests and [staff] clearly understand her very complex healthcare requirements.’ The home gives great consideration to the planning of any admission to the home. As a result of this, placement stability is strong. The young people currently in the home have been in placement together for over a year. They are settled and appear to be happy and relaxed with one another. When young people are approaching the time to move on from the home, rigorous planning supports this transition to be a natural and positive progression for the young people. The home provides comfortable and homely living accommodation for the young people. Each has their own bedroom, which they are enabled to personalise.

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Outstanding

Communal areas are spacious and allow the young people to spend time together or quietly. However, the main lounge is used at night for staff sleeping-in accommodation and could restrict access if young people wish to stay up later.

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Outstanding

Staff know and understand the young people well, including potential risks and triggers to behaviours. Detailed and effective behaviour management plans in place provide detailed strategies to minimise behaviours which may place young people at risk from harm. Staff offer encouragement and reassurance to reduce young people’s anxieties, helping them to calm and settle. Distraction techniques help to engage young people to be involved in something which takes them away from potential negative behaviours. When there is a need to physically intervene to prevent the young person from harming themselves or others, staff ensure that guidance is followed and maintain documentation reflecting the action taken. Some young people have specialist equipment provided to prevent them from harming themselves, for example a protective helmet, ear defenders or harnesses. When these are used, the home maintains detailed records reflecting the reason for the

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Outstanding

use. They are used only if they have been assessed for use by an occupational therapist or other qualified professional. Young people are enabled to lead fulfilling lives. Their complex needs to do inhibit their opportunities to enjoy a wide range of activities and events. Comprehensive risk management plans identify potential risks and action to take to minimise these. One member of staff said, ‘Every young person here has the right to experience and enjoy everyday things that young people like doing. We just have to plan this more, taking into account their individual needs.’ All staff have a strong understanding of safeguarding practice. They complete training which is updated on a regular basis to ensure that their practice remains current. The home has good links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and operates in accordance with agreed protocols to maintain the safety and well-being of the

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Outstanding

young people. Staff adhere to procedures and report safeguarding concerns to the appropriate people. There have been no incidents of young people missing from home. However, staff are not complacent about the risk of this occurring. Detailed missing-from-home risk assessments are in place for each young person and staff know the procedures to follow in the event of this occurring. Regular health and safety checks are completed and the home is maintained to a high standard. It is situated within a residential area and has good transport links. The manager has developed a locality assessment, obtaining information from the local authority, police and health services. This is reviewed on a regular basis to reflect any changes within the local community that might impact on the home or the young people.

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Outstanding

The manager has been in post since October 2014 and has completed her registration with Ofsted. She is suitably qualified, holding a BA in Social Work and a Level 5 in Leadership and Management. Her practice is child-focused with an emphasis on ensuring that the outcomes for young people are consistently high. She provides inspirational leadership to the staff, who feel exceptionally well supported. One staff member said, ‘The team works well together. However, the manager encourages and supports us to expand our knowledge and practice to make sure [that] we are not just delivering support to young people to meet their needs, but [are] encouraging them to grow and develop through innovative practice.’ This is underpinned by access to good training and development courses, regular supervision, which enables staff to reflect on their practice, comprehensive daily handovers and staff meetings. The manager shares and discusses updated

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Outstanding

research and development. She recently attended a national training programme and shared this with the staff to help them to understand some complex needs of a young person living at the home. This has supported them to further develop their practice, using recent research information, resulting in positive responses from the young person to additional measures to support her. Care and placement plans are highly individualised. They identify needs and how these will be met. They are created to take into account information from parents, placing social workers and other professionals involved in the young people’s care. The views of the young people are also gathered. This is through the use of electronic tablets, communication aids, verbal and pictorial communication and observation. Child-friendly plans enable the young people to understand the care and support that they will receive. All plans are reviewed and, when required,

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Outstanding

amended to reflect changing needs. This is supported through weekly progress reports shared with parents and social workers. These provide an accurate reflection of the young people’s weeks. Achievements are recognised and celebrated, with areas for ongoing support identified. One parent said, ‘The weekly updates are informative and show what my child has been doing. This, along with regular telephone contact and seeing how (name) has progressed since living here, means so much to me and the family.’ The statement of purpose reflects the services provided. This is given to parents and professionals to provide an overview of the service. Young people have individualised guides to help them to understand what they can expect from living at the home. Independent visits to the home, combined with robust monitoring by the manager, ensure that any shortfalls in practice are addressed appropriately. The manager

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Outstanding

uses the monitoring to inform future developments of the home and the services that it provides to the young people living there.

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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 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’. An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, 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 ensure that their welfare is 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 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 that 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 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 whom 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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