Children's Home run by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 1 SC040437 Registered provider: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

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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 is a local authority run home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home has experienced a period of instability in recent months. This has Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 2 been caused by a number of factors, which has resulted in some serious incidents in the home.  Impact risk assessments are not effective in practice. As a result, some young people have experienced short placements because staff are unable to meet their needs.  The behaviour management strategies used within the home are often ineffective in modifying young people’s high risk-taking behaviours. Consequently, young people continue to display behaviours that compromise the safety and well-being of themselves and others.  Episodes of going missing from home have been a worrying feature in this home, with three young people going missing on a regular basis, and on occasions going missing together.  Targeted work undertaken with young people around risk and personal safety is infrequent and ineffective. This does not help young people to understand risk

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Key findings from this inspection

and make safer choices.  Monitoring and review systems are not effective in highlighting errors in written documents and do not demonstrate continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have shown resilience and strength during this difficult time. Members of the staff team remain dedicated and committed to their work.  The core staff team has worked together for a number of years. This means that the staff team is in position and provides stability and predictability.  Staff support young people to have planned and safe contact with their family and friends.  Staff support young people to engage in education. This has helped some young people progress and achieve in school.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/09/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/06/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 3

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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

In order to meet the positive relationship standard, the registered person must ensure that staff —

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands these expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (vii) help each child to develop an understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotional development of children, and to help children to do the same.

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Requirement Due date

In particular to ensuring that young people benefit from proactive and meaningful individual sessions around risk, relationships and personal safety. In addition, this also relates to the implementation of effective behaviour management strategies. 15/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure —

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to only providing admission to children whose needs have been carefully considered. 15/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 4 In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that staff —

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Requirement Due date

2(c) have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to providing staff with updated behaviour management training and ensure that staff have the necessary skills, confidence and knowledge to provide safe and effective care. 15/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that the registered person —

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to the monitoring and evaluation of records. This includes serious incidents, episodes of going missing from home and additional measures records. 15/09/2017

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improvement to be good

This home requires improvement to be good. The period since the last inspection has been characterised by increased risk-taking behaviours, which has resulted in some young people’s disengagement from staff. Records demonstrate a significant increase in serious incidents and this has had a detrimental effect on young people’s welfare and safety. Examples include young people barricading themselves in each other’s bedrooms, causing damage around the home and an increase in missing from home episodes. Some young people have now moved on from the home and this has helped settle the group dynamics. That said, for a period of time young people’s day-to-day experiences of living in the home were significantly affected.

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improvement to be good

Outside of this challenging period, some young people are noted to have made some progress since being at the home and for the most part they enjoy living in the home and have developed some good relationships. As one young person said, ’I like some of the staff, they are really nice. I know that if I’m not happy they do something about it.’ The staff team have aspirations and talk enthusiastically about caring for young people. Despite recent challenges, the team remain proud of the contribution that they have made to young people’s successes and achievements.

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improvement to be good

Staff support young people to engage in education and to make progress. Managers develop positive relationships with the virtual headteacher and education providers to Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 5 ensure that young people can access education that meets their needs quickly. The manager and staff acknowledge the challenges they face in supporting young people to engage with their individual educational placement and escalate concerns or barriers to learning appropriately. That said, some young people, who no longer live in the home, did not fully commit to their education placement. Consequently, this has the potential to hinder their ability to gain the knowledge, skills and qualifications they need in adulthood.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that young people’s health needs are met. The young people receive universal services and specialist services, as required. Staff are persistent in their efforts to ensure that appointments for routine healthcare are followed up and that there is good communication with healthcare specialists to ensure that health conditions are appropriately understood, monitored and supported.

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improvement to be good

Staff support young people to stay in touch with their families and have a good understanding of their history and relationships. Practical arrangements are in place to ensure that contact arrangements remain a positive experience for young people. Parents spoken with during the inspection confirm that staff work proactively with family members and friends to make sure these significant relationships continue to be nurtured.

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improvement to be good

The home has been recently redecorated and staff try hard to provide young people with a welcoming and homely environment. The manager ensures that any damage and repairs are addressed in good time. Home improvements continue to take place and staff continue to encourage and support young people to take pride in their home.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager undertakes a written impact risk assessment prior to admitting young people to the home. However, this process has not been effective in practice. For example, where new residents have a history of instability, going missing from home, exploitation and antisocial behaviour, managers do not suitably consider the presenting needs, whether the staff team has the skills to manage these, and the likely impact of new placements on the young people already resident in the home. The absence of a robust matching practice has resulted in poor-quality placement. This does not promote young people’s safety and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Some young people have difficulties in managing their own behaviour, which results in aggression, disruption and damage around the home. Evidence gathered during this inspection highlights that staff demonstrate positive regard for young people who display harmful behaviour. They approach situations with tenacity and determination, but have become frustrated when interventions are ineffective. Staff said, ‘We need more skills in our toolbox to manage this level of behaviour,’ and ‘We do our best to manage, but it’s been a tough few months.’ A number of professionals spoken with during the inspection also raised their concerns that relationships in the home have come under strain and behaviour management has not helped young people to modify their harmful and Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 6 destructive behaviour. This is something that leaders and managers acknowledge and are committed to driving forward improvements.

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improvement to be good

Sanctions and consequences are not consistent and ineffective in helping young people to reflect and modify their behaviour. For example, there has been an overreliance on the reparation of costs or the removal of items. There is little evidence to suggest that these strategies are effective. Furthermore, not all sanctions are recorded or monitored by the management team. This means that the manager is not able to ensure that sanctions are proportionate and relevant to the situation.

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improvement to be good

Staff conduct direct work with young people, although this is infrequent and often reactionary following significant incidents. Records demonstrate that some of these sessions are simply a record of a conversation rather than meaningful time together away from the group to build resilience and confidence. This represents a missed opportunity to rebuild and strengthen the relationships that staff have with young people.

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improvement to be good

Missing from home episodes have increased in recent months. On occasions, two young people have regularly gone missing together. The increase in going missing from home has exposed young people to significant risk; risks that include exploitation, criminality and antisocial behaviour. When young people do go missing, staff respond promptly and are resourceful in seeking them out. They make a concerted effort to keep in contact and locate young people as quickly as possible. Good links are forged with other professionals to address missing from home concerns. Staff work in partnership with placing social workers, the police and specialist services to ensure that young people’s plans are implemented effectively. Furthermore, sufficient arrangements are in place for missing from home return interviews, although at times, young people have refused to engage. This is a missed opportunity to gather information and to help them make safer

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to record incidents of concern appropriately. For example, not all serious incidents are recorded. Furthermore, some missing from home records offer a limited overview of the incident and do not sufficiently detail the action taken and subsequent outcome. Records made in this way do not stand up to scrutiny in the event of an investigation and greatly hinder the manager’s ability to robustly monitor safeguarding practice within the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks that the internet may pose, and support young people to take age-appropriate risks. They have appropriate e-safety controls over internet use, and work with other specialist professionals to help improve young people’s knowledge and understanding of online safety.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff team understand how to manage allegations and child protection concerns. They work closely with placing social workers and the local authority designated officer to ensure that allegations are responded to appropriately in line with policy and procedures. Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 7 Leaders and managers acknowledge the shortfalls highlighted in this inspection. They have already begun to implement measures to improve young people’s safety within the home. For example, due to the fragility of the home the responsible individual has not admitted any new young people. She has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that the next young person to be considered for admission will not be admitted until the home has had a period of stability.

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

The registered manager has been in post since December 2014. She is child-focused and demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that young people’s needs are integral to all aspects of service delivery. She is well supported by an experienced deputy manager who demonstrates the same level of commitment. Leaders and managers demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the home’s strengths and fully understand the shortfalls identified in this report. Managers and the staff team alike are committed to driving forward improvements for the benefit of young people.

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

The staff team is made up of a good mix of different gender, age and ethnicity. All staff have a relevant childcare qualification. Staff confirm that they are well supported and regularly receive purposeful supervision from either the manager or deputy manager. All staff have their performance appraised annually and have personal development plans in place. Leaders and managers are keen to provide the staff team with sufficient opportunities to reflect on their practice and identify new strategies for supporting young people. Staff benefit from regular handovers and team meetings, which offer an opportunity for discussion and reflection.

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

There is a positive approach to training, and staff are encouraged and supported to undertake a range of learning relevant to their roles. However, it is recommended that the training programme be reviewed with careful consideration being given to behaviour management frameworks. This will ensure that staff have the necessary skills, confidence and knowledge to provide safe and effective care.

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

Quality assurance systems are in place but these have not been effective in highlighting errors in records, such as significant incidents, episodes of going missing from home and sanction records. That said, independent monitoring is robust and provides constructive challenge to the operation of the home. This is welcomed by the leaders and managers to learn and improve care practice.

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

Following the ending of two young people’s placements, managers and staff are confident that they can move forward. The staff team acknowledges that this has been a very difficult time for themselves and for young people. Staff spoken with during the inspection expressed dedication to their role and acknowledged the challenges of recent months. Staff have shown resilience and strength and remain committed to their work supporting young people. This is a key strength in this home. In discussions with the responsible individual and staff, it was apparent that staff understood the complexities of the young people and are committed to learning and moving on positively from these recent events. Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 8

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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 whom 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 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: SC040437 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blackburn With Darwen Borough Council, Town Hall, King William Street, Blackburn BB1 7DY

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Inspector

Ceri Evans, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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