Birch Cottage

Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 1 SC421197 Registered provider: ABC Care and Education Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to accommodate four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural problems. It offers emergency, medium- and long-term placements for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 2 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good progress from their starting points in areas such as engagement in education, experience in employment and developing independence skills.  Risks relating to child sexual exploitation show a significant reduction from young people’s starting points. For some young people, missing from home episodes also reduce.  When young people are not making progress, staff and managers are aware of this and are persistent in making efforts to re-engage them. They are also sensitive to the reasons a young person may become withdrawn and disengaged.  Staff spend time with young people to educate them about the risks of the internet and social media. This work is repeated at regular intervals to ensure young people understand the messages conveyed to them. Staff are highly vigilant to any concerns arising from the misuse of social media.  When young people make persistent false allegations against staff, the home

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Key findings from this inspection

works proactively with the young person to improve their understanding of the impact of allegations. This has resulted in a reduction in allegations made. All allegations are thoroughly investigated.  Staff recognise the young people as individuals and the care provided to them is specifically developed around their needs.  Young people report positively about living at the home. They have good relationships with staff and feel there is someone they could speak to should they feel anxious or upset.  The home has developed strong links with partner agencies and works closely alongside them to ensure young people receive joined-up care.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers at the home do not always notify the regulator of significant events involving the police when young people are missing from home. Although this is a professional judgement issue, the age and risk level of the young people going missing would necessitate a notification.  The home’s statement of purpose is not up to date with information such as staffing, information about the limited company and the company’s most recent school inspection.  The registered manager has not completed a review of the quality of care within the required timescale.  The home’s independent visitor is not providing the regulator with a copy of their monthly report in a timely manner, which impedes effective monitoring of the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/04/2016 Full Good 09/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

16. Statement of purpose The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. 16 (3)(a) and (b) 09/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

40. Notification of a serious event The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 40 (4)(b) 09/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

44. Independent person: visits and reports The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. 44 (7)(a) 09/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

45. Review of quality of care The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months. 45(1) The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. 45 (4)(a) 09/06/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive care that is individualised to their needs. Staff are well attuned to young people’s emotional responses. When young people are not engaging well with aspects of their care, such as education, staff try a variety of approaches until they find the best ways of working with them. In all areas of care, staff continually reset strategies for working with young people to ensure they stay engaged and make continuous progress. Staff involve young people in planning their care and in setting targets so that they feel some ownership and responsibility for the progress they make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people report that they have positive relationships with staff. In particular, they Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 5 report that they have sufficiently close and trusting relationships that enable them to speak to staff should something be worrying or upsetting them. Key-worker sessions are frequent and of a high quality, with clear evidence of discussions with young people in areas which affect them. They show how staff work with young people to moderate their behaviour and reduce their risks. Key-worker sessions clearly evidence the young people’s participation, which shows they are meaningful rather than tokenistic.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are well met. From their starting points, young people who have drug, alcohol and smoking issues make very good progress, and none of these issues are affecting young people at present. Young people are registered with all health agencies and receive appropriate care. The home is proactive in engaging with external agencies, such as the NSPCC and Barnardo’s, to ensure that young people are supported by the relevant agencies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is an area of strength at the home. Staff work closely with education providers, attending regular meetings and communicating with school to maintain a young person’s mainstream placement. When young people have elected not to attend college, there is a clear, structured plan in place to ensure they are educated and given opportunities to progress in independence and social skills. Some young people are educated at the onsite school. When young people disengage from this type of education, teachers and care staff are both sensitive and tenacious in their efforts to re- engage them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When young people are not making good progress or not engaging well with the placement, the staff take a very sensitive approach, and identify reasons why the young person may have withdrawn. When young people refuse to get up and come out of their bedrooms, staff conduct welfare checks throughout the day at regular intervals to check on the young person’s well-being and to show that they care. They continuously encourage young people to talk to them and to engage with activities and education. Managers are aware that should a young person disengage for a lengthy period then the suitability of the placement would need to be reviewed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home promotes contact with young people’s families, and staff are responsive to young people’s needs. For example, they invited one young person’s family for lunch at the home, which was something the young person was particularly missing about her family life. Another young person is supported by staff on weekend contact a very long distance away from the home. Her family reports very positively of the staff support she receives to maintain her family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who are preparing to move on from the home receive care that is tailored to their need to develop independence skills, such as independent travel and work experience. Young people have clear plans in place to help them acquire these skills, which are linked with their education plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to complain, and have used the complaints system. Complaints are responded to, and when they cannot have the outcome they desire work is done with young people to explain why. For example, one young person complained that she Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 6 wanted more one-to-one time with a specific staff member, but this was not appropriate at the time due to the high number of allegations she was making.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people’s risks are known to staff, and their risk assessments evidence that the home considers triggers for risk-taking behaviours, warning signs, intervention and prevention strategies, and success indicators. Specific risks are also identified for staff to be aware of each month when the risk assessment is updated. This evidences a thorough and proactive approach to managing young people’s risks.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

From the point of placement, young people’s child sexual exploitation risks reduce. For some, the reduction is highly significant. Work is undertaken regularly and repeatedly around social media and internet use. Young people have viewed ‘Take This Lollipop’, an interactive film which personalises and highlights the dangers of posting too much personal information on social media sites. Although they have devices which allow them to access the internet, these are restricted and monitored to ensure they are used appropriately.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been a high number of allegations since the last full inspection. All allegations have been fully investigated. Where it has been inappropriate for the registered manager to conduct the investigation, they have been completed either by the independent visitor or the head of care to ensure impartiality. One young person has made several allegations, all of which have proved to be unfounded, and work has been undertaken with her around this issue and the impact it has on people she makes allegations against. This seems to have been successful, with no allegations made recently. The home involves the designated officer and notifies the regulator of all allegations against staff, which ensures transparency.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people do go missing from home on occasions. There is a well-coordinated response to missing episodes, and the home is proactive in following young people when they go missing and looking for them when they are missing. Independent return interviews are always requested and usually take place following missing incidents. For some young people, the number of times they go missing has reduced since the point of placement, which shows progress in this area. Young people who are new to the home can go missing and can negatively influence those more settled to go with them. On some occasions when young people have been missing, the home has not notified the regulator. While the decision to notify rests on professional judgement, when a young person is particularly young and vulnerable, and has been missing overnight, this is sufficiently significant to warrant a notification to ensure that the regulator’s monitoring

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Since the last full inspection there have been a relatively high number of safeguarding notifications to the regulator. This is in part due to the allegations and in part due to some unsettled periods in the home when young people have been involved in significant incidents and/or have broken down their placements either by going missing Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 7 for extended periods or making allegations. The home’s response to safeguarding incidents is robust.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from consistently enforced boundaries. They receive rewards for positive behaviour and some sanctions for negative behaviours. This, alongside target setting, seems to be effective in steadily improving young people’s behaviour over time. There have been no occasions since the interim inspection when staff have felt it necessary to use physical intervention in order to manage behaviour, which is positive for the young people and evidences that staff have effective de-escalation skills.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people live in a physically safe environment. They participate in practice fire drills and are asked about fire procedures in young people’s meetings to ensure they would know what to do in the event of a fire. The home uses motion sensor alarms which would alert staff should young people try to go missing during the night.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers are aware of the risks relating to radicalisation and extremism. All staff and some young people have completed the Prevent training course online, and the manager plans to roll this out to the other young people placed to ensure they are alert to the risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home’s manager has sufficient experience and the appropriate qualifications to manage the home effectively. The home has lost a number of staff since the last full inspection and this has had some impact on the management of the home, with the manager spending more time working directly with young people. The high number of allegations has also had an impact on the management of the home, with a significant amount of time being spent on investigating the allegations made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

In respect of staffing, levels of staff are sufficient and the home is not reliant on agency staff. The home utilises staff from the company’s other home, which ensures staff are familiar with young people. However, recruitment of new permanent staff will go some way to easing the pressure on staff and managers alike, and it will benefit the young people to have a stable and consistent staff team linked specifically to their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has a good understanding of the home and has high expectations for both young people and staff. Managers work hard to ensure young people are provided with a high standard of individualised care. They understand the extent to which young people are progressing, and are also aware of the reasons young people’s progress may falter. Managers have a good grasp of the home’s strengths and weaknesses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home’s manager is keen to develop the transition process for young people, having had two placements break down very close to planned transition dates. The manager is aware that young people need their placing authority to involve them in developing clear plans at an early stage in order for transitions to be successful, and is proactive in challenging placing authorities who do not put timely plans in place. Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 8 Although monitoring activity takes place regularly, the manager has not yet completed his six-monthly review of the quality of care provided for children. Additionally, the independent visitor’s monthly reports are not always forwarded to the regulator in good time. Both of these factors impede the regulator’s ability to monitor the setting effectively and have resulted in requirements being made. Similarly, a further requirement has been made in respect of the home’s statement of purpose, which is not

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

up to date with information about the company, the home’s staffing and the most recent inspection of the company’s school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A previous requirement made at the last interim inspection under regulation 12 has been met. Additional training and supervision have been provided to staff concerning the home’s visitor policy and their responsibilities for supervising and monitoring young people’s activities in the home when visitors are present.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive effective support in order to carry out their duties. They report positively of the supervision they receive and development opportunities available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has developed positive relationships with partner agencies to ensure young people receive all-round support. Social workers spoken to reported good communication and multi-agency working by the managers and staff at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people have ample opportunities to express their views, and they report feeling listened to. Often their wishes are acted upon when this is appropriate. The home actively involves young people in their own care planning and encourages their participation in key meetings, such as looked after child reviews and personal education plan meetings. They encourage young people to voice their concerns with their social workers and stress the importance of this when they are asking for changes that cannot be agreed by the staff at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Tolerance, equality and diversity are actively promoted through treating all young people equally, giving each young person opportunities to express their views, and encouraging young people to listen to other people’s point of view and be respectful.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 9 under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: ABC Care and Education Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alston House, Whitecross Industrial Estate, South Road, Lancaster LA1 4XF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Kennedy

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Inspector(s)

Charlie Bamber, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC421197 11 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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