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

Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 1 SC040719 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 respite care and accommodation from Friday until Monday. At any given time, the home can accommodate up to three children and young people, irrespective of gender, who are aged between 10 and 16 years.

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Information about this children’s home

This home can provide emergency placements for children and young people of Bolton in crisis situations if this has been agreed by the assistant director of children’s services.

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Information about this children’s home

The staff also provide outreach services for children and young people and their families. The aim of this service is to prevent admissions into care and to support and improve family relationships.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a registered manager who was registered by Ofsted on 20 January 2016.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care. Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 2 Date of last inspection: 15 June 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2017 Full Outstanding 13/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/12/2016 Full Outstanding 23/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 3

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Statutory requirement

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, and that the registered manager has their fitness to perform their role appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(b)(c)) 07/12/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home continues to provide outstanding short-term breaks and outreach support. The support provided enables children and young people to remain living with their families and carers while also enjoying a safe and happy environment where they continue to make progress against their individual targets and goals. A professional confirmed this when they wrote: ‘[Member of staff’s name] has gone above and beyond, leading to positive outcomes for this lovely young girl.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are extremely effective in their work with parents, carers and siblings to improve and develop family relationships. The staff’s carefully considered and sensitive approach helps children, young people and their carers to develop better strategies for managing their complex situations and family dynamics. This thoughtful approach has prevented several children and young people from becoming looked after.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people’s education is valued and supported exceptionally well by the manager and staff. The manager and staff work closely with children, young people, parents and schools to help remove barriers to children and young people’s learning. Staff are proactive when difficulties arise for children in school. Staff provide additional support and guidance for children, young people and their families to ensure that a consistent approach to education is maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people benefit from improved health as their health needs are fully documented and understood. Staff have a clear understanding of children and young people’s health needs, and they advocate strongly to ensure that these needs are met and their emotional wellbeing is prioritised, especially at times of crisis. Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 4 Children and young people are provided with an array of new and exciting opportunities to broaden their social skills and experience. This supports children and young people to build and establish extremely positive, nurturing relationships with the manager and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people are constantly encouraged to share their views and wishes, and this is evident in the care planning. The manager and staff are strong advocates for children and young people, which ensures that the voices of children and young people are listened to and acted on.

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

The safeguarding of children and young people is at the heart of the manager’s and staff’s practice. A professional wrote: ‘This is an excellent service, providing a nurturing and caring environment where the safety and the welfare of the child are paramount.’

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

Staff work extremely hard to keep children and young people safe when they are in crisis. Staff use their knowledge, skills, experience and effective working relationships with other agencies to manage the sometimes-challenging situations very well. Effective communication systems ensure that all agencies, including HMCI, and the senior managers, including the responsible individual, are kept fully informed.

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

Children and young people feel safe and supported by the manager and staff. One child wrote: ‘I didn’t believe people actually cared for children in care settings. I always thought it was just a job to them until I stayed at ASU. They got staff in on their days off to help me feel safe and secure, and they went out of their way to get me the best possible support, even though I didn’t realise I needed it at the time.’

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

Children and young people rarely go missing. When this occurs, staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities, and implement the missing-from-home procedures immediately. The staff work very closely with parents, carers, police and social workers to ensure the swift and safe return of the child or young person.

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

The manager and staff listen to children and young people when they raise any concerns, worries or complaints. The manager is thorough in her investigations and ensures that all parties are satisfied with the outcomes of these.

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

The manager fully understands the complexities of managing the different needs and risks of children and young people. She considers all of the risks fully, before children and young people access the service. This thoroughness when considering compatibility has, on occasion, resulted in some children not accessing the short-term break service when emergency placements have been necessary. The careful and detailed assessment of each child and young person’s needs promotes the safety and well-being of all children and young people.

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

Staff work extremely hard to ensure that children and young people are protected. Staff Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 5 undertake regular group-work sessions and carry out individual work with children and young people to increase their knowledge and understanding of the outside world. Staff are proactive in researching theories and models of practice in order to educate children on a multitude of risks. Staff are exceptionally good at using quizzes, resources and external agencies to support children and young people to make informed decisions which enable them to be happy, healthy and safe.

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

Children and young people’s behaviour is managed extremely well. Sanctions and consequences are not normally used in this home, as staff continually provide an environment of high praise, warmth and acceptance. This emphasis on positive re- enforcement, together with well-developed behaviour management plans that are regularly updated and understood by the staff team, promotes positive behaviour.

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

The manager’s systematic monitoring of the health and safety arrangements of the home ensures that the children, young people and staff are safe. The manager is proactive in following up any health and safety checks that are due or outstanding, to ensure that these are completed quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This home is managed exceptionally well by a child-centred registered manager. She is committed to improving the lives of children and young people. The deputy manager, who shares the same aspirations and vision for the service, supports the manager in leading an experienced, competent, dedicated and caring staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working is extremely effective. The manager and staff consistently work well with parents, carers, children, young people and other professionals to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Excellent care planning ensures that the staff consistently provide children and young people with tremendous care and support. Children and young people’s individual needs are fully known and understood because children and young people’s case records are detailed and thorough. These records, which are supplemented by photographs of children and young people’s achievements in the home, provide a clear and comprehensive account of the time they have spent in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

External services, agencies, children, young people and parents hold the manager and staff in the highest regard. The exceptional services and support that the manager and staff offer to the children, young people and families of the borough were recognised when the team won the council’s ‘The Best Team of Bolton’ award.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager actively supports the staff to develop their professional knowledge and skills so that they can continue to provide children and young people with the highest standard of care and support. The manager encourages the staff to attend training and access research-based materials which are used well in work with children, young people and their families. Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 6 Regular team meetings and supervision and support sessions for staff mean that children and young people benefit from exceptional care and support from a very effective and competent care team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Efficient and effective monitoring systems support the manager in the ongoing development of the home. The manager is clear about the strengths and continued areas for improvement for the service, as she uses her internal and external monitoring systems extremely well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A requirement has been issued, as the manager has not received regular supervision or an annual appraisal of her practice. This shortfall is due to circumstances outside of the manager’s control and does not directly affect the excellent quality of care provided.

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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: SC040719 7

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Bernadette Brown

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Inspector

Janine Shortman-Thomas: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 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 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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