Children's home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 1 SC467796 Registered provider: Birtenshaw

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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 children’s home is part of a charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children, up to the age of 18, who have learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager voluntarily cancelled her registration with effect from 14 October 2019. A new manager has been appointed, but she is not registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Children were seen as part of this inspection.

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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: 11 December 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 11/10/2017 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(e)) 12/12/2019

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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.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation14 (1)(a)(2)(c)) 12/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— 12/12/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 4 the name of the child;

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

Paragraph (3) does not apply in relation to restraint that is planned or provided for as a matter of routine in the child’s EHC plan or statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(4)) Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) This is in respect of further training in autism spectrum disorder.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their individual starting points. There are individualised plans in place. These plans provide clear details of the daily support that children need to be cared for effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the children well. The inspector observed warm relationships between the children and staff. Staff know what the children need, and this enables children to have trusted and secure relationships with staff. This is helping the children to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend school every day. Staff work with school staff and share information about the children. This enables them to provide the children with consistent care. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health needs. They take children to the necessary health appointments. Medication is managed well, and the staff are trained in first aid.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities. Staff take the children to the park and trampolining. Children’s day-to-day experiences are positive. There is a lot of laughter in the home, and the inspector observed staff singing with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s views. This includes children who are non-verbal. Staff use a variety of communication tools that are individual to each child. These include pictures and flash cards. The staff’s understanding of each child also contributes to this. This means that staff understand what children want.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff communicate well with children’s parents. One child’s parent was very positive about the staff team. Staff support contact between the children and their parents, and some parents visit the children at the home.

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

Staff know the risks in respect of the children. There are individualised risk assessments in place. These assessments are detailed and address all areas of risk. Staff understand Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 6 the risks for the children and they are keeping children safe. Children do not go missing from this home. Staff know what to do if children do go missing.

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

There are behaviour management plans in place. These are clear and include triggers to children’s behaviour. Staff follow these plans. This allows children to receive consistent care. Staff know the potential triggers to children’s behaviour. Staff are consistent in their approach and they manage incidents sensitively. This helps children to feel secure.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been incidents of physical restraint. These were appropriate. Staff record the detail of these incidents, and the manager evaluates these incidents. However, the manager does not always evaluate incidents within 48 hours. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

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

Some children need a mechanical restraint to keep then safe when they are travelling in a vehicle. The use of this restraint appears to be appropriate. However, the manager needs to review all incidents of mechanical restraint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager submitted a voluntary cancellation in May 2019 and she left the home on 11 October 2019, the day after this inspection. A new manager has been appointed, and there is a plan for her to submit an application to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an ambitious vision. She has a clear understanding of the progress that children make. She motivates the team and provides a supportive environment. Staff are positive about her leadership. Some staff said that they are sad she is leaving. Staff said that they ‘like working at the home’ and ‘enjoy coming to work’ and that ‘staff morale in the team is good’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision. Staff said that supervision is helpful and that they feel supported in their roles. Staff have regular training and refresher training. All staff have had basic training in autism spectrum disorder. However, the staff would benefit from further in-depth training in this. A recommendation has been made to reflect this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Education, health and care plans have not yet been received from the placing authorities. The manager has requested the plans from the placing authority and has escalated this internally to her senior manager. However, these plans remain outstanding. This is a repeated action in external monitoring reports and does not ensure that the home has up-to-date information on a child. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Agency staff are used to compensate for staff shortages. Since the last inspection, a high number of agency staff have worked at the home. Although this has decreased in recent weeks, this shows that children are not always cared for by a consistent staff team. A requirement has been made to reflect this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well. She finds out their views, wishes and feelings and Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 7 involves them in planning their daily care, for example choosing meals. The manager made individual story books for the children to tell them that she is leaving and to say goodbye. The inspector observed her showing these to the children. This helps children understand what is happening and helps to prepare them for the changes in the home.

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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: SC467796 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

Catherine Fargin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC467796 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 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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