Children's Home run by Brinscall Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 1 Registered provider: Brinscall Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who may have a range of learning, emotional or physical needs. The children and young people may need short-, medium- or long-term care away from their family environment. They can offer placements to children and young people aged from 10 to 17. The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2019.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 17 to 18 December 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress. Most have experienced significant trauma and neglect in their early years. Relationships with staff are strong, and children show signs of feeling valued, cared for and supported. Children speak highly of the team and are developing positive attachments. Given their previous experiences and progress, this is a clear sign of exceptional practice.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is beautifully decorated and maintained to a high standard. A child said, ‘We have a lovely home.’ A jigsaw was being completed on the floor and a countdown to Christmas was on display. It was fully decorated for the Christmas season. It gives the home a child-friendly and welcoming feel.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff give the children plenty of focused time and attention. They offer playful and positive role modelling. Staff take a strong interest in what children are doing at school and celebrate children’s achievements. Staff ask children plenty of questions about what they have learned during the day. They use this dialogue to open important discussions with children around personal safety, diversity, bullying, religion and international culture. Children engage in these conversations with confidence. Staff give much care to ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to contribute.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children work towards agreed life goals and targets. They have lost weight, ran five kilometres, raised money for charity and gone from smoking tobacco to an e-cigarette. Key workers support children to achieve these goals and they monitor children’s progress through detailed hot topic sessions and monthly reviews. Children are also encouraged to pursue their chosen interests and activities in the wider community. Children attend Morris dancing, youth zone, air cadets, swimming lessons, running club and trampolining. Staff are always on the lookout for new opportunities and new experiences for children.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support children to develop greater emotional resilience and stability. This has enabled the home to work on transitions back to family or other identified placements. The home takes a very active role in this process. It invites providers to meetings and works with families to support the transition home. Parents as well as social workers receive weekly updates on the progress their child is making, with pictures and quotes. Children identify that family are the most important part of their lives because staff support them to realise this.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children know how to raise complaints. Staff use house meetings to help children to work through any issues that they are finding challenging. The minutes demonstrate a strong focus on supporting children to reflect. They learn to deal with conflict and disagreement constructively.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is strong evidence of children’s participation in decision-making in the home. The children’s guide is full of the children’s own handwriting. Children attend review meetings Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 3 and for some this is the very first time while in care that they have felt supported to have their voice heard at the meeting. A social worker said, ‘[Child’s name] doesn’t usually attend and finds it difficult to emotionally regulate during [the meeting]. However, on this occasion, she was confident and able to express her views in ways that she hadn’t before. I do believe this is due to the direct work done by the home.’

p.2

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

Children thrive due to the calm, nurturing approach, positive role modelling and the strong importance and emphasis given to their positive behaviour. They respond to frequent praise and to the incentives put in place to help them achieve and succeed.

p.3

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

Staff go to great lengths to understand how a child’s life experience affects their behaviour. Risk and behaviour management plans are of an exceptionally high standard. The registered manager monitors these regularly to ensure that plans are meeting each child’s individual needs.

p.3

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

Children now understand and recognise the possible consequences and dangers of going missing. This is due to the work that staff have undertaken with them. Staff implement safe practices and strategies in line with the missing from care protocols, liaising closely with other agencies to keep children safe. In addition, safe and well checks and return home interviews take place routinely. Therefore, risks of child sexual exploitation and missing from care episodes have significantly reduced. For a number of months, there have been no missing from home events.

p.3

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

Children can present with very complex behaviours. Staff always respond calmly and supportively. Staff seek innovative ways to manage behaviour and regularly update strategies to achieve the best possible outcomes. The registered manager was able to provide evidence of significant improvements, including a reduction in incidents and enhanced peer-to-peer relationships.

p.3

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

Staff strive to avoid the use of restraint, wherever possible. It is only employed where there is significant risk to the child concerned or to others. Records of restraint are very clear. Entries are detailed and there is a comprehensive chronology to show the actions taken during and after each incident. Children are encouraged to engage in a debriefing discussion after the incident. This helps them to reflect on the impact of the incident on themselves and on others. Staff manage negative behaviour in a way that is proportionate and sensitive to the complex factors that influence children’s behaviour.

p.3

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

Children demonstrate a well-developed understanding of issues such as bullying, racism, religious intolerance and personal safety. When a child recently used homophobic language at home, staff carried out positive work with all the children to help them to understand why this was unacceptable.

p.3

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

Staff have very thorough training in safeguarding and positive behaviour management. They demonstrated a clear understanding of policies and procedures within the home. They were able to identify all the support networks outside of the home that can help to Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 4 keep children safe.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager shows great pride in his home and his staff. He demonstrates a deeply caring attitude towards the children in his care. He has a detailed knowledge of their histories and current needs. He clearly explained the home’s ethos, including a focus on the importance of relationships. Staff practice reflects this ethos very strongly. He has inspired the team to think creatively and to strive for excellence.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager maintains strong oversight in all aspects of service delivery. His internal monitoring ensures best practice. He also encourages staff to reflect, wherever possible, on the quality of care provided to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are chosen carefully to ensure that they meet the needs of the children placed at the house. Recruitment processes are robust. Staff induction and training are comprehensive. Staff confirmed that mandatory training is of a high quality. They also praised the organisation’s willingness to source specific training courses, such as autism awareness and supporting children with trauma. Staff said that this has helped to equip them with the expertise that they need to deliver positive outcomes.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff reflected very positively on the quality of supervision that they receive. They speak affectionately and respectfully of the manager and he inspires confidence in his team. In addition, detailed daily shift handovers and the review of incidents through thorough debriefs look at lessons learned. These inform the changes that need to be made to the care of children and assist in preventing similar events recurring. Staff have vigorous communication systems, keeping them fully informed on the care to be provided to maintain children’s successful outcomes from an enlightened and supported staff team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff value the principles of equality and accepting difference. Children have been able to explore issues, such as gender and identity, in a safe and caring environment. Children have also been helped to learn about race, religious difference and the impact of bullying and hate crime.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children have an active voice, and its impact can be seen at all levels of the home. Staff are committed to listening to children and ensuring that it is an empowering place for them to grow up in.

p.4

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: 2534436 5 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.

p.4

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: 2534436 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brinscall Care Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 27, Barnfield House, Sandpits Lane, Accrington Road, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen BB1 3NY

p.6

Inspector

Elaine Clare: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7