Children's Home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report children‘s home: SC470797 1 SC470797 Registered provider: Birtenshaw – company number 02978546

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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 part of a charitable organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and/or sensory impairment. There is a registered manager in post.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 2018

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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: 4 September 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/09/2017 Full Outstanding 09/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/09/2016 Full Good 15/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children‘s home: SC470797 2

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children‘s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child‘s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iii)) 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children‘s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their 15/03/2019 Inspection report children‘s home: SC470797 3 parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, ensure that staff receive training with regard to understanding, managing and responding to self-harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector had the opportunity to see all the young people in their home. They enjoy positive relationships with the staff, who provide consistent care and routines. These relationships assist young people to build their self-confidence. Staff are familiar with young people‘s communication preferences. They understand how each young person communicates, and they therefore adapt and respond to each young person‘s specific needs and choices. This approach has reduced young people‘s frustration and anxiety. Staff are creative in gaining young people‘s views about their care. The use of picture symbols allows young people to choose the weekly menus and their preferred activities. Young people also choose the decor for their bedrooms and enjoy days out at the seaside. Young people‘s attendance at education is 100%. Daily handovers between the home and education staff ensure that the care provided is consistent. This shared information

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

also gives all staff insight into the behaviour of young people and enables the staff to change young people‘s plans whenever necessary. Young people are supported to engage in a range of opportunities to become more independent, for example by helping to do their laundry and prepare meals. Consideration is given to their age, level of understanding and disability, and staff reward young people with certificates of achievement. These are displayed throughout the home. As a result, young people become more confident as they develop new skills, and they take pride in their accomplishments. Staff have a good knowledge of young people. They know what situations cause young people anxiety and distress. They involve other professionals, such as the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), who provide advice on managing young people‘s complex behaviours. This advice enhances staff practice and enables them to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

devise strategies to help young people to calmly manage their emotions. Staff support young people to have contact with their families in line with their care plans. Staff keep in regular contact with parents to ensure that they are included in their child‘s care. Parents are invited to visit the home and to take their child out for meals Inspection report children‘s home: SC470797 4 and other activities. This ensures that care is consistent, and that young people can maintain a sense of family identity.

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

Young people‘s safety is of a high priority. Staff ensure that risks in the home and community are well considered and planned for. High levels of staff supervision mean that young people are safeguarded both inside and outside the home. Consequently, young people do not go missing from their home. Sanctions are not used in this home because of young people‘s complex behaviours. Staff reward positive behaviour using praise and this is proving successful. Staff provide young people with a calm, friendly and supportive environment. Young people know that staff may need to use physical restraint, but that this is only used to keep the young person, staff and other young people safe. The manager evaluates the use of restraint, ensuring that it is necessary and proportionate. Young people have thorough risk management plans. Staff utilise other professionals for young people with specific risks and needs. This assists staff to manage these risks

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

effectively, keeping all young people safe. Staff know what triggers specific behaviours and are skilled in pre-empting emerging behaviours. They can identify signs when young people‘s behaviours are likely to change and are able to sensitively distract young people by engaging them in their favourite activities. This means that there is minimal effect on the other young people who live there. The home is a safe environment with adaptations for young people who need extra support. Staff employed at the home are subject to organisational screening procedures. They do not start work in the home until all appropriate checks are complete. This ensures that the environment is safe, and that young people are protected from people who may present a risk to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered in September 2018. He has the required qualification to lead and manage the home. An experienced deputy manager supports him. Leaders and managers are child-focused and are keen to deliver quality care to help young people to achieve positive outcomes. The manager has identified areas that need improvement. He has created a form to enable him to gain the opinions of parents and professionals. Once fully implemented, thiswill helpthe management team to review staff practice, once fully implemented. This will ensure that any negative areas of feedback are considered and improved. Managers and staff prioritise the needs of the young people. They have a good knowledge of the young people and are committed to supporting young people to gain positive outcomes in all aspects of their development. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. This level of support provides them with

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

an opportunity to reflect on their practice and helps them to provide young people with individualised care. Staff development is encouraged. Staff complete mandatory training, such as in safeguarding and health and safety. However, staff currently lack self-harm and ligature Inspection report children‘s home: SC470797 5 training. This training would support staff to develop their knowledge and enhance their ability to respond effectively to incidents of children self-harming. Some young people lack pathway plans. These are integral to the planning and transition for young people so that they receive the right level of support in their adult lives. The manager is keen to escalate this to young people‘s placing authorities. The quality of care review needs improving. It lacks information about how staff have supported young people to make progress. There is a lack of feedback from staff, parents, professionals and young people. This would assist the manager to track the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

quality of care provided to young people.

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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: SC470797 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Birtenshaw – company number 02978546

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Birtenshaw Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, Bolton BL7 9AB

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Inspector

Jo Hornby, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC470797 7 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

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