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

Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 1 SC360599 Registered provider: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by an experienced and qualified registered manager who is supported by dedicated and vibrant staff team. As part of this children’s home full inspection, young people, parents and external professionals were spoken to about the care provided in this home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2019 Full Good 25/09/2017 Full Good 29/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have excellent relationships with the staff. The inspector observed a genuine display of warmth and affection by the staff and the young people. A young person said: ‘This is my home. I love it here. The building is better than before, because we have much more space. Staff are great, here.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning is good. Plans are routinely updated to reflect the changing needs of young people. Likewise, plans are developed in partnership with the young people their families and external social care professionals. This wraparound support package ensures that young people are provided with the appropriate level of care and guidance to attain their future targets.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people come to the home with a history of educational disruption, including non- attendance. From their initial starting point, young people learn about the importance of education and the expectations for them to attend. The registered manager and staff work consistently with education providers to ensure that young people are provided with bespoke educational packages. As a result, all young people attend full-time education and make consistently good progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the value of including families, where possible, in planning for young people’s care. Staff work extremely hard to develop trusting relationships and support family members in making significant life changes. This has proved successful. Since the last inspection, two young people have returned to live with family members. A parent said: ‘The staff are really caring and helpful. They are always on hand to offer advice.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with young people is prioritised. Young people come together each day around the dinner table. They need no encouragement to express their views or make suggestions about the home. They take time to hear about each other’s day and spend time making plans for the evening. The registered manager said, ‘We don’t have formal young people’s meetings. This is the young people’s home. I promote a homely environment where we can chat about things all the time, on a friendly and informal basis’.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to read books and benefit from a range of specialist therapeutic storybooks and other reading material. Staff spend time reading with young people and ensure that their night-time routine includes reading a book together. Likewise, young people benefit from in-house activities such as the use of the pool room, board games and arts and craft activities. However, access to the home’s internet is limited. This means that young people cannot access some popular internet sites or television programmes like their peers who do not live at the home. The registered manager said, ‘The internet is a local authority network and I am aware of the issues we have with access. We are working with the local authority to improve this.’ A recommendation is made to address this matter. Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 4

p.3

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

The safety and well-being of young people living in the home are prioritised. Detailed impact risk assessments ensure that all young people placed at the home are assessed against the needs, interests and aspirations of those already resident. Likewise, individual risk assessments clearly identify risk-taking behaviours. Each assessment provides the staff with specific guidance on the management of any assessed risk. This ensures that young people’s risks are managed consistently and effectively.

p.4

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

Young people and staff form excellent relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Therefore, young people work with the staff to identify areas for development and a suitable reward for the progress that they make. Some young people are rewarded with tokens, while other young people have positive behaviour programmes. This means that young people receive consistent praise and recognition for positive and improved behaviour.

p.4

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

Young people know how to complain, and they receive valuable information from the home and their placing authority to guide them in this area. Since the last inspection in January 2019, there have been no complaints.

p.4

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

Staff receive annual training in the use of physical intervention and confirm that it is used only as a last resort. Since the last full inspection in January 2019, there have been two incidents where a minor intervention was necessary. Records clearly detail each incident and include the debriefing with the young person and staff. Likewise, after the use of a physical intervention the staff spend time with the young person to discuss how the incident may have been avoided. This helps the young people to understand the triggers for their challenging behaviours and develop strategies for self- management.

p.4

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

From young people’s initial starting points, missing-from-home episodes are reduced. Young people come with a history of absenting themselves from their previous placements. Therefore, staff work with young people to identify risks and develop an individual missing-from-home plan. This document is supported by a record of incidents and quality-time sessions. Young people respond very well to the work undertaken with them and, as a result, risks are reduced. However, there is one area for improvement: to ensure that all missing-from-home records contain the location from which a young person has gone missing. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. She has substantial experience of working with children and young people in a residential setting. The registered manager is supported by a qualified and experienced staff team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Evidence of the external monitoring undertaken by an independent visitor is available in the home. The reports provide a clear analysis of the care provided in the home and the actions that the registered manager may take to improve the service. However, these reports are not consistently forwarded to Ofsted for review. As a result, the regulatory Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 5 body does not have consistent oversight of the service developments and/or challenges. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Records of internal monitoring are available in the home. A review of these reports clearly shows that the registered manager has a robust approach to the overall analysis of the service provision and outcomes for the young people living in the home. However, the reports are not consistently received by Ofsted in accordance with the regulatory timescales. As a result, the regulatory body does not have oversight of the progress,

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

challenges and planned areas for development, as identified by the registered manager for this service. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Mandatory training is regularly refreshed, and additional training is provided at staff’s request. In addition, staff attend training sessions that focus on teenage trends and difficulties, such as the effects of drugs and alcohol or the impact of destructive relationships. This training provides the staff with the knowledge and skills to identify concerns and to respond accordingly. A staff member said, ‘The training is excellent. I learned so much. I can identify substances visually and from their smell. I understand what action I need to take if I feel one of our young people may be under the influence.’ The staff feel that they are a valued and respected team. They receive regular supervision. A staff member said, ‘We have had some difficult times over the past 12

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

months and a great deal has changed. However, we have always been very well supported. The registered manager is always available to talk things through or to lend a listening ear. We are a very happy team.’ This service transferred to an alternative building in October 2019. This building provides spacious internal accommodation and the large garden is perfect for those young people who like to play football. Although some work has started to address areas of damage in the home, there are further areas that require attention. For example, various areas of the home require repainting and some windows require replacing. In addition, the small area of damp evident on the stairway requires further investigation. A recommendation is made to address this matter. The registered manager and staff demonstrate good overall child-centred practice, tailored to the individual and personal needs of young people. The effectiveness of this

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

approach is evident in the progress that young people make, particularly in education, the reduction in risk-taking behaviours and building positive relationships. The registered manager is aware of the procedures for notifying Ofsted of all incidents under Regulation 40. Since the last inspection in January 2019, there have been a number of suitable notifications made. Providing this information ensures that it is shared with the regulatory agency so that actions and outcomes for young people can be suitably assessed. Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 6

p.5

Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standard’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Specifically, ensure that the remaining damaged areas are redecorated, misted windows are replaced and the area where damp is present is investigated and rectified.  Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. (‘Guide to the

p.6

Recommendations

children’s home regulations including the quality standards’. page 29, paragraph 5.19) Specifically, ensure that the internet provided to young people is fit for purpose.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Specifically, ensure that missing-from-home records include the location where the child has gone missing from.  The processes the registered person put in place to enable such a review to take place, should allow for a report to be generated at least once every six months.

p.6

Recommendations

The generated report should be sent to Ofsted and the placing authority of all children in the home who are looked-after children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standard’, page, 65 paragraph 15.3)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Specifically, ensure that the completed report by the independent visitor is consistently submitted to Ofsted for review. Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 7

p.6

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: SC360599 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blackburn With Darwen Borough Council, Town Hall, King William Street, Blackburn BB1 7DY

p.8

Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC360599 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

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 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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9