Children's home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: SC373044 1 SC373044 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

T he home is part of a charitable organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. There is a condition on this home that it must reduce the number of children and young 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: 21 November 2017

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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: SC373044 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2016 Full Outstanding 14/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC373044 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

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that— arrangements are in place to— 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)) This is with reference to ensuring that young people are emotionally and practically prepared for their transitions to adult placements and that pathway plans are held on young people’s files and implemented.

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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.  All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to

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Recommendations

the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, in relation to recording key-work sessions and room searches completed. Inspection report children’s home: SC373044 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector had the opportunity to see some of the young people in their home. Young people live in a warm, friendly environment. All outstanding maintenance work is complete. Staff provide consistent care and routines. They communicate with young people using verbal communication, picture symbols and sign language. Staff support and encourage young people to take part in the running of the home. Young people have recently chosen the colours for their bedrooms. They choose their meals and their recreational activities. This gives young people a sense of belonging and increases their confidence. Staff understand young people’s complex needs. They understand how young people’s emotional and health needs can impact on their behaviours. Staff have good links with health professionals, sharing information around medication needs. This ensures that young people’s health needs are understood and managed successfully. This improves

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young people’s health and well-being in their daily lives. Since the last inspection, two young people have moved on to adult placements. Staff prepared them for the transition by using social stories. This supported the young people to understand the plans for their transitions. The young people moved to placements within the organisation. Consistent care and thoughtful planning helped the young people to make positive transitions. Managers know that young people need well-planned admissions to the home. The manager visits young people at their placements. She gains important information from social workers and young people’s families. This information helps the manager to match the new young person with the young people who already live there. This means that young people are familiar with staff and the young people. Staff support the young people to have contact with their families in line with their care

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

plans. Staff invite young people’s families to visit the home. Staff support families and share strategies and skills to help them to care for their child. This affords young people with consistent care, stability, and security.

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

Staff give young people’s safety high priority. Staff teach young people how to stay safe in the home and the community. Young people do not go missing from the home. There is a high level of staff supervision and young people are busy engaging in after-school activities. Managers and staff know when young people are upset and frustrated. They know how these feelings will be displayed. The manager is working with the placing social worker, education staff and the child and adolescent mental health services to devise strategies that will support one young person with his emotions. Inspection report children’s home: SC373044 5 Staff know that young people’s experiences are often communicated through negative behaviour. Staff identify the triggers to young people’s behaviour. Staff create social stories to help young people to talk about issues that may worry them. This method is effective in helping young people to manage their feelings and communicate their fears

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

and anxiety. Since the last inspection there has been a high number of physical interventions. This is due to a mechanical restraint that is used to keep a young person safe in the home’s vehicle. Staff have supported the young person to manage with a seat belt, which means that this restraint is not necessary. On the few occasions when restraint has been necessary, this has been to ensure that the young people and staff are safe. It is of a low level and used as a last resort. The manager evaluates the records to ensure that the restraints are proportionate and necessary. Staff do not use sanctions. They use rewards and praise that are more appropriate for young people who have complex needs. Young people enjoy gaining certificates of achievements for tasks, such as helping staff in the kitchen. This gives young people a sense of achievement and increases their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered in May 2018. She has the required qualification and experience to manage the home. The manager is child focused and leads her staff team with confidence. She is supported by a deputy manager who shares her aspirations for the young people. Managers 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. They know young people well and prioritise their needs. Staff development is encouraged. Staff complete mandatory training, such as in safeguarding and health and safety. However, staff currently lack self-harm and ligature 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 essential to the planning and transition for young people so that they receive the right level of support in their adult lives. The

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

manager is keen to escalate this to young people’s placing authorities. Staff use key-work sessions to help young people to understand a variety of subjects. Staff do not record each session. This does not show the work that staff complete with the young people, such as self-care skills. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. This support provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their practice. It helps staff to provide young people with individualised care and support. The manager has positive working relationships with a variety of people. She communicates with parents, health workers, education staff and placing social workers. She attends multi-agency meetings to discuss young people’s emerging risks and Inspection report children’s home: SC373044 6 behaviours. This provides young people with holistic support specific to their developmental needs. The manager monitors and reports on the quality of care provided to young people. This

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

document shows how staff support young people to progress and develop. This system enables the manager to identify shortfalls and make necessary improvements.

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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: SC373044 7

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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: SC373044 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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