Children's Home run by Woodside House Care Ltd in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report children’s home: SC357455 1 SC357455

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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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children. It is privately owned and managed and run by a family partnership. A registered manager has been in place since 2008. He has the relevant experience and qualifications for his post.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 September 2019

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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.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC357455 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2019 Full Outstanding 27/11/2017 Full Good 23/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/11/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC357455 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people living in this home are extremely well cared for. They receive a consistently high level of individual care. The staff are knowledgeable about the young people and the staff provide a supportive and nurturing environment in which the young people succeed and flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people like spending time with the staff and they have positive relationships with them. They are well supported, enjoy their experiences and are confident to voice their opinions about all areas of their day-to-day life at the home. This means that the young people are able to influence the quality of care that is being provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage the importance of education. They regularly communicate with the young people’s education provider. Both young people have completed school exams and are now achieving 100% attendance at college. The young people have chosen their preferred college course. These courses include mathematics and English so that the young people can improve their individual GCSE grades. This will increase the young people’s career opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff proactively encourage the young people to develop outside interests and to attend local clubs. Young people enjoy theatre shows, concerts and regular holidays in the United Kingdom and abroad. These arrangements help the young people to increase their self-esteem, meet new friends and widen their views. Each young person’s talents are nurtured and celebrated, and their personal preferences are taken seriously and arranged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people’s physical and emotional health and well-being is met. Models of care, social trends and current affairs are fully understood by the managers and staff team. Young people have access, when needed, to external professional help. This approach enables staff to increase their understanding and to support the young people in areas of need, for example trauma, attachment, resilience and self-esteem. The research is evident in the home and this supports the staff’s practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have successfully moved out of the home. For example, one young person who had lived at the home for three years has been able to return to the care of his family. Staff have supported another young person to live independently. For the current young people living in the home, their independence programme is being followed daily. These arrangements prepare the young people well as they approach adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people experience being wanted and loved in a home that they call home. They are happy in the family environment that is provided for them. They know that staff care about them. Consequently, during their stable and long-term placements, young people make very significant progress. Both young people told the inspector that living in this home is not like being in care. One young person says, ‘This has been an amazing experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC357455 4

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

The managers and staff have an excellent insight into the different risks and vulnerabilities that the young people face. These risks are clearly recorded and highlighted in the individualised and extremely detailed risk and behaviour management plans. The managers carefully plan staff shifts and consider managing every eventuality. This level of contingency planning is crucial, and it keeps the young people who are living at the home safe.

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

Managers use current research to develop their practice and they share their findings with the staff team. This creative, developmental method better informs the care and protection that the staff provide to the young people.

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

The staff prioritise young people’s safety. They are extremely well trained in all areas of safeguarding and are constantly alert and responsive to any signs or symptoms of abuse. Any training required to support the young people’s additional vulnerabilities is arranged immediately, including from outside agencies, and staff readily seek specialist advice.

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

The staff pride themselves on getting to know each young person. Detailed care and behaviour management plans guide staff in addressing any challenging behaviour in a consistent and positive way. As a result, the young people’s behaviour is managed successfully, and the records show that physical restraints have not been used for four years.

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

The staff are not risk-averse. They listen to the young people’s wishes about spending time with their friends. This means that the young people develop friendships and learn to manage their personal safety in the community. As a direct result of the managers’ and staff’s practices, the risk of incidents of the young people going missing from the home or being exploited is extremely low.

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

The managers and staff have a clear understanding of the impact of early childhood experiences. Staff display genuine affection and warmth, ensuring that the young people are safe, secure and happy in their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and responsible individual have created an excellent family-style home for young people. Both are qualified, skilled and experienced. Between them, they have put considerable effort into creating a home that allows young people to achieve consistently and make successful progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and responsible individual know the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Both are motivated to address any shortfalls identified by the thorough monitoring systems in place. Continuous improvement is driven by the detailed monthly reports from the independent person in addition to the comprehensive managers’ Inspection report children’s home: SC357455 5 internal monitoring system.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel supported through regular and reflective supervision, training and appraisals. The retention of staff in the home is excellent. Case records are clear, analytical and reflective. The case records include comments from the young people and demonstrate that the voice of the child is valued and held in positive regard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are qualified and highly experienced in providing an exemplary level of care for the young people. The managers are innovative and encourage this in their staff team. They clearly use wide-ranging research to inform practice and to help the staff to develop and learn about the work and the needs of the individual young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers and staff have created a strong nurturing ethos. Their knowledge and understanding of the young people’s needs, aspirations, likes and dislikes is evident and characteristic to that of caring parents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback received from young people, staff, professionals, families and group leaders consistently notes highly effective communication and regular updates, as well as the committed, warm and positive relationships that staff have with the young people. Comments include:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

 ‘I feel really safe and the people who look after me are amazing and so kind. They treat us like their own.’  ‘It is family run and as close to a family environment as is possible. The young people[’s] and the staff[’s] rights are respected, and their views are listened to and when necessary acted on.’  ‘Communication from staff is very good and they present as caring and warm towards the young people. They are excellent advocates and are prepared to challenge us professionals on behalf of the young people.’  ‘My child is supported, and all of his needs are met and exceeded.’  ‘A supportive and happy place for young people to be. Managers and staff have a wonderful relationship with us at [group’s name] and they clearly care for the young people a lot.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The one requirement and four recommendations made at the last inspection have been met.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC357455 6 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: SC357455 7

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alison Hayton-Gregg

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Inspector

Mark Kersh: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC357455 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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