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

The home is operated by a private provider, who is also the registered manager of the children‟s home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2014 and is suitably experienced and holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC421197 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/05/2017 Full Good 02/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/04/2016 Full Good 09/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC421197 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)) 05/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) This is with particular regard to following the risk assessment around staffing levels. 05/10/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC421197 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a home that is safe and homely. They experience nurture and grow in confidence, because staff have high levels of respect for young people‟s individuality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people feel part of the running of the home because staff listen to their ideas. Positive relationships with staff ensure that young people can raise their views and discuss personal matters with staff whom they trust to listen and support them. The manager is accessible, approachable and skilled in building relationships with young people. This ensures that young people always have a trusted adult to speak to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress across all aspects of their lives. They enjoy good health, eat balanced meals, receive encouragement to exercise and support from staff who are sensitive to young people‟s mental and emotional health needs. Child-centred key-work sessions, combined with engagement with specialist agencies, support young people‟s emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are engaged with learning as staff work to quickly secure educational placements. Staff support young people‟s attendance and encourage them to work towards their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in finding ways to support young people‟s learning. Young people fully appreciate opportunities to develop social and independence skills. During this inspection, one young person proudly talked about their new skills and plans for their future.

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

The care planning framework is comprehensive, child-centred and covers all aspects of young people‟s needs. Strategies are implemented consistently by staff to ensure that young people make good progress.

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

Staff are well trained in safeguarding procedures. Young people are safer because staff have an in-depth understanding of young people‟s backgrounds, safeguarding needs and individual risk management plans. However, on occasion, risk assessments are not followed in relation to staffing levels with young people who have highly complex needs. For example, risk assessments state that there should be two staff members on duty at all times with a highly volatile young person. When these staffing levels have not been in place, staff have been put in a vulnerable situation and, on occasion, assaulted. In these circumstances, staff were unable to safely manage the behaviour being displayed by the young person because they were working alone, and this placed the staff at risk. A requirement has been made to address this.

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

Staff responses to young people going missing from the home, and the associated risks, Inspection report children‟s home: SC421197 5 are strengthened by individual missing from care protocols. Staff are highly committed to following and looking for young people. Staff understand the risks associated with young people going missing. This is demonstrated excellently in key-working sessions carried out with young people on their return to, and throughout their placements at, the home.

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

Young people‟s behaviour improves because boundaries and behaviour management strategies are clear and agreed with them. Young people learn from their experiences and improve their emotional resilience as they receive compassionate, proportionate and warm responses from staff.

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

Physical intervention is used rarely, and when it is used it is monitored closely by the registered manager. Detailed records show that staff view the use of physical intervention as a last resort to keep young people and others safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have a clear understanding of the home‟s statement of purpose. All statutory requirements from the last inspection are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager took clear action when some young people‟s placements became unmanageable. The safety of all young people was made a priority, and a clear benchmark was set regarding the action to be taken when young people‟s needs could not be met. The child-centred approach of staff shone through in the sensitive support staff provided for young people who had to move placement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New admissions to the home are managed effectively. The young people‟s guide provides easy to understand information about the home, it informs young people about the support that they can expect from staff, young people‟s rights and their participation in the home. Compatibility assessments are completed with regard to the young person‟s individual needs and their potential impact on other young people living at the home. Good collaboration with young people‟s social workers and relevant support agencies ensures that young people‟s plans are clear, and their needs met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides his staff with regular, good-quality supervision. Monthly staff meetings provide a forum for staff to discuss young people‟s progress and any practice issues. All new staff complete induction training. They familiarise themselves with policies, procedures and practice in the home. However, three staff who have been working at the home for more than two years still have not completed their level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people. A requirement has been made to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is held in high regard by the staff and the young people. Staff feel fully involved and value the registered manager‟s high aspirations for young people and hiscommitment to staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear understanding of his monitoring responsibilities. Monthly audits show good compliance and demonstrate tracking of the positive Inspection report children‟s home: SC421197 6 outcomes for young people. Independent monitoring reports are comprehensive, positive, and any recommendations are quickly addressed.

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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 differences 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: SC421197 7

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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:

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC421197 8 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:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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

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