Children's home run by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 1 SC040719 Registered provider: Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home has recently changed its statement of purpose to provide care for children who need intensive care and support to develop their independence skills as they approach care-leaving age. The home has not had a registered manager since July 2019. Due to a service restructure, the proposed manager withdrew her application and the current manager is set to submit an application for registration with Ofsted.

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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 good

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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: 6 November 2018

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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: SC040719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2018 Full Outstanding 15/06/2017 Full Outstanding 13/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/12/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 3

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outstanding

Children’s progress is outstanding. Staff use child-focused and creative ways of helping children to develop independence skills, with practical and written sessions, covering areas such as self-esteem, finances and cooking. One child is engaged in employment and taking driving lessons. Another child, who previously had poor school attendance, has been supported to sit her GCSE exams.

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outstanding

The manager and staff team recognise the importance of social networks for care- leavers and encourage children to develop positive relationships with friends and family. Friends are welcome to visit children at the home and spend time there together. The home environment is warm, cosy and welcoming. One child was supported to return home to live with family. She continues to be supported by her key worker as part of a developing outreach service.

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outstanding

Children develop excellent relationships with the staff, who know them well. The staff recognise children’s progression, however small, and are committed to ensuring that children move on to positive and successful futures. Staff are proactive in working with other professionals to ensure that children have up-to-date plans and are achieving recommended targets and actions. Feedback from children and other professionals is positive. Children are happy at this home and this is confirmed by professionals working with them.

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outstanding

Risk for children has reduced while living at this home. One child who was at high risk of exploitation and regularly missing from home has reduced missing incidents to none.

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outstanding

The staff team is highly skilled and has extensive experience of working with children who display challenging and risky behaviour. Staff demonstrate sensitive but firm, consistent approaches when supporting children.

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outstanding

In addition to the staff’s well-planned and consistent management of children’s risky behaviour, the manager undertook regular, in-depth analysis and monitoring of risky behaviour to provide up-to-date reports to share with other professionals as part of multi-agency arrangements. As a result, clear factors of risk-heightening behaviours were identified, and strategies were put in place by staff and other professionals to help support children and reduce risk.

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outstanding

There have been no incidents of restrictive physical intervention or sanctions given to children at the home. Staff have a system of positive reinforcement. Since the restructure of the service, there have been no incidents at the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is currently without a registered manager. The current manager will be submitting an application to register with Ofsted. She is an experienced, qualified manager who is passionate about developing the service. The staff team shares her vision and enthusiasm and her commitment to supporting children to reach their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring is thorough but not received by Ofsted in a timely manner to enable the regulator to monitor progress and review the quality of care. Systems to ensure that staff are regularly receiving supervision and appraisals are not effective and the manager has yet to implement a workforce development plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, staff informed the inspector that they feel well supported and have regular staff meetings, and said that the manager is ‘fantastic’. The current manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service and has a clear plan of action. Staff benefit from detailed handovers, regular staff meetings and training. Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 5

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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

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1)(4)(a)(b)(5)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that this report is sent to the regulator in a timely manner. 16/03/2020

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: - detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s Statement of Purpose; - detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); - detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; - detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4)(b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 6

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Recommendation

The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC040719 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Victoria Square, PO Box 29, Bolton BL1 1RU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Bernadette Brown

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Inspector

Jessica Forshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040719 8 to 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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