Children's home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 1 SC373044 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 home is part of a charitable organisation and it provides caring accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a condition on this home that it must reduce the number of young people aged 18 and over who are provided with care and accommodation in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has recently left the home. An acting manager is in position.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2018 Full Good 21/11/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2016 Full Outstanding 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 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

that staff— 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i) and (d) 29/11/2019

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e)) 29/11/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 4 The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) 29/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 29/11/2019

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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. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, include any criteria used for the admission of children to the home, and any policies and procedures for emergency admission. 29/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive 29/11/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 5 care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i))

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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improvement to be good

Young people living in the home have complex needs and disabilities. Stability of staff and continuity of care are key to their development. However, ongoing staff vacancies mean that agency staff continue to be required regularly, therefore consistency is not achieved. Additionally, this can hamper the ability of staff and young people to nurture secure and trusting relationships.

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improvement to be good

There are core staff who know the young people well and encourage them to achieve their potential. For example, young people have developed their independence and self- care skills. One young person has joined a band at the local youth club and performs music. These are good examples of young people growing in confidence. Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 6 Established routines provide young people with structure to their daily lives. They participate in numerous activities and hobbies, such as swimming, scuba-diving, outdoor adventure pursuits, attending community groups and taking regular trips to the cinema and restaurants. This helps young people to learn new skills and develop their confidence.

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improvement to be good

Young people continue to attend the company college and make progress. For example, a young person has achieved qualifications in French, English and cooking. Moreover, one young person who has previously struggled with education has started to attend. These are all positive steps forward with young people.

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improvement to be good

Consultation is undertaken with young people to encourage their views and opinions. Young people who use non-verbal communication are included, but it is not clear if this is working. Crucially, young people‟s views in relation to the home‟s care are not captured. This is a missed opportunity to gain their opinions on the use of agency staff.

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improvement to be good

Young people are registered with appropriate healthcare services and attend all necessary appointments. They are encouraged to eat healthily and to exercise. Medication is administered safely.

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improvement to be good

Staff make sure that young people see their family members regularly, to maintain these relationships. Memory books are underway but lack detailed and considered information about the time young people have spent living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is tired and in need of updating. A patchwork of repairs to the walls is untidy and a young person’s curtains and pillows have not been replaced. A young person’s bed was also broken. This was replaced during the inspection, but it showed a lack of attention and pride by staff.

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improvement to be good

Young people are not able to access all shared areas of their home, due to doors being routinely locked. Furthermore, no assessments are in place to inform this decision. This practice detracts from young people having the experience of a homely family life.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting young people. 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 which safeguards young people.

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improvement to be good

Detailed risk assessments are in place for the majority of young people, to safeguard their welfare. However, one young person‟s risk assessment has not been updated to reflect the current practice of the young person attending the cinema and shops without any supervision from staff. Furthermore, risk reducing strategies are not identified to manage any associated risks to the young person. Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 7 All staff are trained in Team-Teach, which is the model that they are expected to use to manage challenging behaviour. Records provide sufficient information for the review of the effectiveness and appropriateness of physical interventions.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is generally tired and worn throughout. The inspector found that a young person‟s bed base was broken, and staff had not noticed this. This was unsafe and demonstrates lethargy around staff taking pride in the home. Moreover, this does not respect young people‟s dignity.

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improvement to be good

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 and praise. This gives them a sense of positive achievement.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are in place. Checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and obtaining references from previous employers are part of this process for permanent staff. However, verification of references and why employment ended are not always sought and recorded.

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improvement to be good

External staff are employed from two different agencies. Profiles are secured before they start to work here, but the information in these is limited and often does not show experience, skills and qualifications. There is no induction process for these staff and no further vetting by the organisation to ensure that staff are safe and fit to work in the home. For example, one staff member’s profile showed a DBS certificate from 2015 with no further verification since.

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

The registered manager has very recently left her position. An acting manager is in post and recruitment drives continue. The manager is supported by an experienced senior manager. Together, they are focused on improving the service to young people.

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

The leaders and managers have over-relied on agency and casual staff to fill gaps in staffing. An examination of three months’ rota showed that 38 different agency staff members had been to work at the home. This does not provide young people with continuity or the opportunity to form relationships and strong bonds with staff. Moreover, this is not akin to family life. There are recruitment drives underway.

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

Several of the core staff have worked at the home for a long period and provide familiarity to young people. The staff members spoken with during the inspection said that they enjoy their work. They feel supported by the manager and their team members. The staff are suitably qualified or working towards a recognised qualification. They have regular training and team meetings to keep them abreast of emerging information.

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

The requirement from the last inspection has been met and transition plans are in place. Furthermore, significant incidents are notified to all appropriate bodies to share information and develop practice. Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 8 The manager monitors and reports on the quality of care provided to young people. Written documents show how staff support young people to progress and develop. However, this system has not been successful in securing improvements in recruiting a stable and committed staff team. Again, the statement of purpose does not reflect the criteria for admission to the home or the staff currently working in the home.

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

External quality audit systems are in place and provide an overview of care practice. The independent person‟s reports are improvement driven. However, repeated recommendations in relation to recruitment of staff are a reoccurring theme that has not been successfully addressed by the leaders and managers.

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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 9

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC373044 10 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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