Children's Home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: SC397344 1 SC397344 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 who have a physical and/or learning disability. 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. There is a suitably qualified manager in post, who was registered with Ofsted on 21 September 2010.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC397344 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2017 Full Good 16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/11/2016 Full Outstanding 09/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC397344 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

In meeting the quality standards, if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) This relates to the delays in transition planning for two young adults living in the home. 20/02/2019

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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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that the specific Team Teach techniques identified for use with a young person are included in all risk assessments and plans. Staff need to adhere to these plans accordingly. 20/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1, and ensure that any revisions of this document are sent to HMCI within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(1)(3)(b)) In particular, this document must include the experience and qualifications of all care staff, including the flexible support team staff and learning support assistants who are used in this home. 20/02/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC397344 4 The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) This is for all staff, including learning support assistants and agency workers who are used in the home. 20/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)) 20/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which are kept up to date, and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)(2)) 20/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4, and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that she signs in the roster when she is at work in the home. 20/02/2019

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, the registered person should reintroduce photographs on the walls, and young people should be encouraged to personalise the communal living areas, as well as their bedrooms. Inspection report children’s home: SC397344 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people with complex needs make good progress across all areas of their development. This is due to the standard of care they receive from the staff team. The staff team understands the complex needs of each young person. However, the community areas of the home are sparse and do not promote a homely, nurturing environment. In addition, the bathroom shower requires replacement. The manager reported that there are plans in place for this work to be completed. Staff know the young people well and have positive relationships with them. Throughout the inspection, good relationships were observed between the staff and young people. Staff have good relationships with professionals and parents. One parent said, ‘I am supported to take my daughter away for breaks away from the home. Communication is good. I feel confident that my daughter is being well looked after.’ Young people attend school and college and they have excellent attendance and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

punctuality. Staff take the young people to school and collect them. Young people have made progress in school over the last year. Staff supported one young person to attend his school prom celebration. Another young person is a member of the school council. The young people have a variety of health needs. Staff ensure that the young people have health plans in place which identify their individual needs and the ways in which staff will meet these. Staff ensure that young people attend their medical appointments and that all young people’s health needs are met. The young people are regularly consulted on their views and they feel listened to. Staff have key-work sessions with the young people. They discuss a selection of topics, including developing their independent living skills. Young people have goals to work towards and these are all discussed and reviewed. Staff support the young people to enjoy positive experiences in a safe way. Staff ensure

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

that risks relating to activities are assessed and managed, so that young people can enjoy a variety of experiences. Young people are taken to places of interest, such as Blackpool, and also enjoyed a caravan holiday in Fleetwood during the school summer holidays. The staff transport the young people to see their family members and they collect them. Staff also ensure that the young people can keep in touch with their families by telephone. This helps the young people maintain important family relationships. One of the young people currently living in the home moved in after a detailed plan was put in place. This young person has settled in extremely well, and this was a successful transition for him. However, transitions from the home have drifted. One young adult should have moved out in the autumn of last year, but this has been delayed. Another young adult does not have a clear moving on plan. The manager has not actively

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

challenged these delays and a requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

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

The risks to most young people are identified by staff and are understood and managed. Young people in the home feel safe. Staff have a good insight into the young people’s Inspection report children’s home: SC397344 6 needs. Staff understand the home’s policies in respect of keeping young people safe. However, staff have not used the specific physical intervention techniques identified for use with one young person. Despite advice being provided by a specialist about the most appropriate technique, this has not been included in the risk assessment or daily care plan. A requirement has been made to address this shortfall. The young people in this home do not go missing. This is because of close staff supervision, which ensures that young people are safe in the home and their community. However, there are risk assessments in place with clear actions for staff to follow if young people were to go missing.

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

The staff know the young people well and know their triggers. Incidents in the home are well managed and staff use appropriate de-escalation techniques. There has been a reduction in the use of physical intervention. However, the recording of physical interventions does not always include independent management oversight in the required timescale. There has been a requirement made to address this shortfall. The home environment for young people is safe. Staff recruitment is rigorous and is carried out in accordance with safer recruitment policies. This helps to ensure the safety and well-being of the young people living in the home. The staff ensure that medication for the young people is stored safely and securely. Medication is given to the young people according to their individual health plans, but records do not always include the actual times given. This was discussed with the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is managed by a permanent, experienced and qualified manager. Since the last inspection, the manager has not taken appropriate action to meet the requirements made, and four are repeated. The home is adequately staffed with suitably vetted, contracted, flexible support staff and agency staff. Staff are qualified or are working towards a recognised qualification. The manager ensures that plans for individual young people identify their needs. She works positively with other agencies and professionals. Case recording reflects the young people’s everyday lives. However, not all recording and plans are up to date, and a requirement has been made to address this shortfall. All members of the staff team are appropriately trained. Staff spoken to during the inspection feel supported in their roles. The staff team members work well together. Staff are up to date with mandatory training. Team meetings are held monthly, and the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

staff have the opportunity to discuss issues relating to the young people living in the home. The statement of purpose does not include an accurate list of all staff working in the home. The duty roster does not reflect all the staff who are on shift, including the manager. This hinders the audit trail of who is working in the home. Not all staff have received regular supervision in line with the organisation’s policies. Furthermore, learning support assistants and agency staff who regularly work in the home do not receive supervision. This does not provide an opportunity for all staff to Inspection report children’s home: SC397344 7 reflect on their practice. The manager reviews the quality of care. The manager is aware of the strengths of the home, and recognises areas for improvement, such as recording and ensuring that staff adhere to plans for 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: SC397344 8

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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

Jenny Brady, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC397344 9 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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