Children's Home run by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 1 SC040437 Registered provider: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

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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 operated by the local authority and is registered to provide a short-break service for up to five children. This home has been closed following the last full inspection. During this time, it has undergone refurbishment and had a change of purpose to become a short-break and outreach hub. The home has a new manager who is qualified in line with regulation.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not judged

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2019 Interim Not judged 15/01/2019 Interim Not judged 20/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 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 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 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 09/12/2019

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Recommendations

 The children’s guide should help children to understand: o what the day to day routines of the home are (‘what happens in the home’); o the Statement of Purpose of the home (the care they can expect to receive while living there); o how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure; o how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible; and o how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a short break in a home that is very homely and that provides them with space to develop their own interests, join in group activities or have time alone. Bedrooms have been personalised following collaboration with children to choose different themes to decorate and furnish each room.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to learn, meet friends and have fun. In addition to short breaks, the children benefit from weekly groups run by the staff that focus on learning new skills for children and encouraging participation in developing the service. A social worker told the inspector that children are provided with activities they would not experience in their own homes and this promotes their emotional well-being, confidence and independence. Children were overwhelmingly positive about the support they have received.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager uses multi-agency planning to ensure that children receive targeted support and care that meets their individual needs. A regular assessment and review process indicates if staff are meeting targets for children and identifies where progress is being made. However, records lack robust evidence of the process of matching and identifying children for short breaks. While this does not have an impact on the quality of care for children, it is an area for improvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with children is excellent, the wishes and feelings of children are at the forefront of staff practice and there is evidence this influences decision-making and planning in the home. For example, children were part of a consultation exercise to devise a new logo and name for the service redesign. The views of children are gathered at regular children’s meetings, individual feedback exercises and focused group work on projects, such as arranging and hosting a Christmas party. As a result of their good practice, the staff have recently been awarded an ‘investing in children award’. This award ‘recognises and celebrates examples of imaginative and inclusive practice with children and young people’.

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

Staff help children to understand risk and how to stay safe. Regular targeted direct work sessions are undertaken with children to help them to recognise risk and learn new skills. In addition, regular group work is undertaken with children to improve their knowledge of issues such as drug and alcohol misuse, grooming and exploitation. Children benefit from a range of approaches to help improve their knowledge, including discussions, worksheets and watching DVDs/videos.

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

Staff are skilled in managing behaviour and as a result there are no safeguarding incidents, no incidents of children going missing or the use of physical intervention. Staff regularly attend statutory meetings for children to help them understand the current Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 5 risks and plans for children. However, risk assessments are not always updated following new information or risks to children outside of the home. While this has not impacted on the safety of children, it means that staff do not always have clear guidance and advice on how to respond to risks.

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

A clinical psychologist regularly attends staff meetings to support and advise staff on the most effective approaches for children. This also gives staff the opportunity to share any concerns and ensure that children receive specialist advice and support when needed. As a result, children benefit from sensitive and structured responses and learn to manage their own worries and anxieties. One child said in feedback gathered by the manager, ‘I have been less angry and horrible to my family since I have worked with [name of service].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an experienced manager and has a strong commitment to improving the outcomes for children. She is supported by an equally committed and passionate staff team, whose members have high aspirations for children. Staff members spoke positively about the service they offer to children and are proud of the outcomes they achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team advocate well for children. They share information with professionals at multi-agency meetings and ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are heard. This was confirmed by a child’s social worker. Relationships between the children and staff are sincere and positive. One child said about their key worker, ‘She always helps me keep a smile on my face.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision and appraisal. The manager uses feedback from children, their families and staff members in supervision to help develop staff practice. Furthermore, regular reflective supervision gives staff time to reflect on their own practice and encourages them to focus on what went well and how they can improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is good, and staff receive a variety of face-to-face and online courses on a wide range of subjects, for example self-harm, mental health and radicalisation. Training is delivered by different agencies such as Barnardo’s, the police and NHS. This means that staff benefit from specialist trainers and a range of resources that enhance their knowledge.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 6 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: SC040437 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blackburn With Darwen Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, King William Street, Blackburn BB1 7DY

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Inspector

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 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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