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

Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 1 SC369857 Registered provider: Bolton Metropolitan 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 children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities, sensory impairment or physical disabilities. One of the five beds is used as an emergency placement for up to a maximum of three nights (four working days).

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Information about this children’s home

There is a condition in place. This states that the provider must reduce the number of children by the number of people aged 18 and over who are provided with care and accommodation in the home.

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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 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: 16 November 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Outstanding

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good progress in relation to their starting points.  Young people confirmed that they have positive and trusting relationships with the staff and that they enjoy living in this home.  Young people receive a coordinated response so that their safety and well-being are promoted as the manager maintains positive relationships with a wide range of agencies.  Young people’s views and feelings are central to the home’s practice. They are fully involved in decisions about their day-to-day lives and their care plans.  Young people access a range of leisure pursuits to increase their social and recreational opportunities.  Effective transition planning ensures that young people receive support to move on from the home.  Professionals have confidence in the manager and staff team, and confirm that this enables young people to make progress in many areas of their lives.  The management arrangements in place ensure that the home runs effectively

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Key findings from this inspection

and in line with the commitments identified in the home’s statement of purpose.  The manager is committed and dedicated to making a positive difference to the lives of young people.

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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

 The manager does not receive supervision in line with the timescales identified in the home’s guidelines. Furthermore, not all staff have received sufficient bespoke training.  One physical intervention was not recorded. When the management have been involved in interventions, there has not been sufficient independent oversight of all the records to ensure that they are fair, appropriate and safe.  Young people’s care plans do not identify their individual needs to support them in understanding their identity, or identify their known risk-taking behaviours, such as absconding and missing from home.  Some young people’s records lack clear missing from home risk assessments, and case records do not identify the steps that staff have taken during these times.  One recommendation raised during the last inspection has not been fully met. The impact of young people accessing the emergency placement has not been

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Key findings from this inspection

fully explored with the young people who live in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2016 Full Outstanding 04/08/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/05/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 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

The registered person must ensure that all employees, including the registered manager, receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that, within 24 hours of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made; and, within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or person who is authorised by the registered person to do so, has spoken to the user about the measure, and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(b)(i)(ii)) 01/09/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that records are keep, detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home. These records should include the actions staff take to manage these incidents. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.31)  The registered person must ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11). This is with particular regard to self-harm and ligature training.  In reviewing the quality of care provided by the home, the registered manager must consider the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for children (‘Guide to the children’s

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Recommendations

homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2). This is with particular regard to ascertaining the views of young people resident in the home on how their experiences and progress are affected due to the numbers of children and young people who use their home in emergencies. Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people reported to the inspector that they are happy and settled. They have positive relationships with a stable and committed staff team. Some young people have benefited greatly from a prolonged period of stability. Young people reported that the dedicated care and support that the manager and staff provide has helped them greatly to progress in many areas of their lives, for example in gaining qualifications and in managing their emotions effectively. The support that staff provide to young people has helped them to move through their lives successfully and equips them well for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from good advice, treatment and support that improve their physical health. Young people enjoy a balanced and varied diet. Staff support young people to engage in physical activities linked to their likes and interests. Young people are encouraged to attend their general health appointments and receive a high level of care and attention during times of illness from a staff team that is kind and nurturing. Staff support young people to improve their emotional resilience. The manager is quick to identify and respond to changes in young people’s behaviour, for example, when young people experience difficulties regulating their emotional responses. The manager accesses additional specialist support services quickly. This ensures that young people receive specialist and well-thought-out individualised care to support them sufficiently during times of crisis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most young people attend an education provision suitable to their age and needs and they make good progress. Effective liaison with education professionals means that any barriers to learning are identified quickly by the professionals involved. Furthermore, solutions to address the barriers are considered, for example identifying the best education placement with the right level of support to meet the young person’s individual needs. This helps young people both to maintain and try out further education placements. This ensures that young people develop skills that enable them to reach their own individual goals and potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education in its widest sense. They enhance young people’s learning opportunities and provide a variety of activities and discussions to promote informal education and learning activities. Young people’s talents are celebrated. Staff have supported young people to audition for television shows and to get involved in activities of their choice, such as drumming and disc jockey lessons. Young people are supported well to increase their independent living skills, such as learning to cook, clean, budget and manage money, and to develop interests to continue into their adult lives, all of which provide increased opportunities for young people to progress, achieve and pursue their ambitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to preserve positive relationships with their families and Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 6 friends. When relationships with family members are fraught, staff provide young people with the time and space to work through their thoughts and feelings in a safe and appropriate way. Young people’s friends are welcomed into the home and young people enjoy overnight stays at their friends’ homes. This enables young people to maintain positive relationships with their friendship groups and experience the same opportunities as those of their peer group.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are fully involved in all discussions and decisions about their daily lives and care. They actively participate in consultations and meetings that influence their lives and the daily running of the home. Young people are involved in choosing their activities, holidays and menu plans. They have regular discussions with staff about matters that concern them. Young people know that staff respect and value their views and feelings, and confirmed that they go the extra mile to help them achieve their goals. Staff listen to young people and support them to make complaints when they are unhappy about their situations. Staff support young people to access independent advocacy to ensure that agreeable and suitable solutions are identified. Young people confirmed that they feel listened to and receive support when they raise any concerns about the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Effective transition planning and partnership working ensure that young people experience a positive transition from the home. Young people are supported extremely well to be involved in this. They are involved in identifying their potential new homes and in devising their follow-on packages of support. Staff work well with care staff from external services to ensure that the young person’s needs are recognised and understood, and are well met at the point of their transition. This, and extremely positive relationships with adult services, housing authorities and health services, ensure that young people move on in a planned, safe and smooth way, while continuing to benefit from a good level of ongoing care and support.

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

Young people benefit from a good level of consistent care and support, as staff retention is excellent. No new staff have been recruited since the last inspection. In addition, the staff team covers any staff shortages, for example due to illness and leave. This means that young people know all the staff that provide care and support.

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

The manager ensures that the home is maintained to a good standard. This provides young people with a warm, nurturing and safe environment. The manager ensures that any damage or repairs are rectified quickly. She learns from experience and makes alterations to the home which promote young people’s safety, such as fixing bedroom furniture and re-enforcing walls when re-furnishing the home. The manager and staff ensure that the home environment remains safe. A range of health and safety checks, such as regular and periodic inspections of gas, electrical and fire detection equipment, promotes this. This enhances young people’s safety and welfare.

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

Young people are kept safe, as the staff follow safeguarding protocols and procedures. Staff receive sufficient safeguarding training and can confidently verbalise the actions Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 7 that they must take should any concerns arise. The manager is aware of her responsibilities to keep young people safe and she quickly shares any significant information, events or concerns with the relevant safeguarding agencies. This open and transparent approach promotes young people’s safety and well-being.

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

Some young people struggle to maintain their safety, as they engage in increasingly risky behaviours, such as self-harming and aggression, as well as violence towards staff and the home. The manager has identified the increasing risk-taking behaviours that some young people continue to engage in. She shares these incidents appropriately with placing social workers, team managers and health services, and requests meeting regularly in her quest to identify strategies that are more suitable, in order to manage these situations safely. Despite this, and the best efforts of staff to manage these increasingly difficult situations, some young people continue with these particular behaviours.

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

Staff support young people sensitively to modify their behaviour. Staff use incentive schemes to promote socially acceptable behaviour and occasionally use age-appropriate sanctions and consequences to address behaviours that are of concern. While these approaches have proven to be successful for some young people, they have not been as effective for others. The manager and staff continue to work hard to support young people to manage their behaviour safely without the need for criminalisation.

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

Staff are aware of the processes they must follow when young people go missing from the home. Discussions take place with all staff about all risks and the procedures in place to minimise risks to individual young people. Staff speak confidently about the actions they need to take if young people are at risk. However, young people’s care planning documentation does not identify their known behaviours, such as missing from home and absconding. In addition, not all young people benefit from a clear and specific risk management plan with regard to this. This is a recording issue and has not impacted on the welfare of young people. However, without up-to-date and detailed assessments, the manager cannot be assured that all staff are fully aware and follow the correct risk management plans.

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

All staff have attended training in the use of physical restraint. Restraint is only used when necessary. However, there have been some shortfalls noted in the recording of this practice. One physical intervention had not been recorded in the correct documentation. In addition, when the management team is involved in physical interventions, the records lack an independent oversight. This does not ensure that all physical interventions are fair, appropriate and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A competent, experienced and qualified manager effectively manages the home. She registered with Ofsted to manage this home in April 2009. The manager provides strong, child-focused leadership for the team. This enables staff to deliver the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. The manager and senior staff lead by example and have strong, influential relationships with staff and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 8 Staff and young people feel valued, develop confidence and have high aspirations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are dedicated and committed to providing a high standard of care to young people. Despite the challenges they have faced supporting young people through their complex and challenging situations, they speak about young people with compassion and warmth. Staff speak fondly of young people and understand their needs and vulnerabilities well. Professionals are happy and complimentary about the care and support that staff provide to young people. One professional said, ‘[Name] was apprehensive about going to the home, but the staff were really positive. The manager was brilliant. She talked them through what to expect and about the things that were important. They have settled in well and are happy there.’ A young person echoed this and said, ‘The staff want to help you and want you to achieve what you can. I sat all my GCSEs and they have helped me with my behaviour.’ They went on to say, ‘The staff

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective use of external quality assurance systems ensures that the manager understands the needs, plans and progression paths for young people. The manager uses the action plans identified within these systems, and a clear and realistic development plan. This helps with the continued development of the service and to promote and enhance young people’s progress and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is appropriately qualified and highly skilled. Staff work collaboratively to provide young people with a good quality of care. Staff feel supported by the manager and leadership team. They are clear about their roles and responsibilities in enhancing young people’s lives and experiences, to promote their safety and well-being. The manager ensures that staff are provided with appropriate training opportunities and identifies quickly when more specialised training is required. However, specific training to support young people’s identified needs, such as supporting young people who may self- harm, has not yet been completed by all staff. This lack of bespoke and required training for staff hinders their ability to deliver a good standard of safe care and support to young people at times of crisis. Furthermore, while the manager ensures that staff receive regular support and supervision, senior managers have failed to provide the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

manager with this. This means that the manager is not fully supported and does not have a regular opportunity to reflect on or develop her practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In line with the home’s statement of purpose, there have been 31 emergency admissions to the home. A small, well-equipped bedroom with a range of toiletries and a children’s guide is set up in readiness for any child moving into the home in an emergency. It is not possible to evaluate the impact of these emergency admissions on those young people living in the home. This is because the manager has yet to incorporate the views of young people on this matter into her quality of care review. This was a recommendation at the last inspection. This hinders the manager’s ability to scrutinise the impact that a high number of children coming to and leaving the home may have on the outcomes of those young people that already live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager escalates concerns appropriately with placing social workers when young people’s statutory care planning documents are incomplete. Young people’s records are Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 9 accessible and generally kept up to date. Records are securely stored in the home, are managed confidentially and provide details of young people’s progress.

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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: SC369857 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Victoria Square, PO Box 29, Bolton BL1 1RU

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Inspector

Janine Shortman-Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC369857 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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