Children's Home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Assurance visit report: SC470797 1 SC470797

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children or young people including those with autism spectrum disorder, who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 12 February 2020

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: SC470797 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

Children and young people are offered care from staff that enables them to make progress with their levels of independence and reduce their reliance upon additional equipment. For example, some children and young people no longer rely on sleeping in ‘safe-space’ beds, can now drink from cups and sit at a table to eat meals. Others have reduced their need for personal care due to the progress they have made with toileting issues.

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The care of children

Parents and professionals spoken to feel that children and young people are happy and settled at the home. Parents of those recently admitted to the home have witnessed a positive change in their child or young person’s emotional presentation. These changes have contributed to enriching the contact between parents, children and young people. For example, one child was able to enjoy a meal at a restaurant when having family contact. One parent said: ‘He has come on wonderfully. It has been really good.’ Another said: ‘He is smiling a lot more now.’

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The care of children

Children and young people are given opportunities to enjoy a range of activities, such as trips out, walks in parks, arts and crafts, and baking. These opportunities have contributed to their learning and life experiences. One parent said: ‘He probably did more within the first week [of being at the home] than he had done in the previous 18 months.’

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The care of children

All children and young people attend suitable education and benefit from a range of specialist services, such as speech and language and the paediatric learning disability service.

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The care of children

Since the last inspection, there have been some improvements to the decor in the home. However, some areas still look worn and in need of repainting.

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The safety of children

Children and young people are protected from risks that are associated with incidents of missing from home and child exploitation. Overall, consistent boundaries and routines offer children and young people a sense of safety and well-being and this is evidenced in the progress that children and young people make.

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The safety of children

Staff, in the main, respond appropriately to the challenges that children and young people’s behaviour can present. For some children and young people there has been a significant decline in behaviours that would pose a risk to their welfare, such as eating inappropriate items and regularly climbing on furniture. Assurance visit report: SC470797 3 There have been instances when staff deviated from agreed behaviour management plans, acting in ways that constituted a physical restraint. These changes were not agreed by managers or other agencies. In these instances, other staff reported their concerns to managers. Although managers acted swiftly to address those concerns, they omitted to share this information with other agencies, or to notify parents. This prevents transparency and suitable oversight and scrutiny by statutory agencies and those with parental responsibility. These matters have since been appropriately

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The safety of children

A requirement made at the last inspection has not been met. This relates to the recording of physical interventions. Records are not clear with regards to when the child or young person was spoken to, which member of staff spoke to the child or young person, the date this occurred and in some instances which child or young person the records relate to.

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The safety of children

Professionals and parents spoken to felt that children and young people were safe at the home.

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Leaders and managers

A manager withdrew their application for registration and senior managers have not been successful in appointing to this post. Until recently, managerial arrangements for oversight of the home were inconsistent.

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Leaders and managers

There is now a temporary manager at the home who is providing daily support and direction to staff. She is aware of the shortfalls and has begun to make inroads into addressing some of those areas. Professionals spoken to speak highly of this manager.

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Leaders and managers

A requirement made at the last inspection regarding the supervision of staff has not been met. Some supervisions are poorly recorded, and the care provided to children and young people is not consistently discussed. Staff are not always given suitable opportunity to reflect on their roles.

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Leaders and managers

Although the temporary manager has started the collection of some data relating to the care of children, this has not benefited from analysis. For example, some children and young people have not always responded positively to certain aspects of their care and opportunities have been missed to evaluate the care offered.

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Leaders and managers

Senior managers have not always notified the relevant agencies when there have been whistle-blowing allegations made about staff practice. These have since been investigated and have been subject to local authority oversight.

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Leaders and managers

Some staff training has been reasonably delayed due to the current restrictions imposed due to COVID-19. However, some training completed by staff is significantly dated and staff have not benefited from refreshing their knowledge base. For example, some staff completed training in autism spectrum disorder seven years Assurance visit report: SC470797 4 ago, while others have not renewed their understanding of communication strategies for five years.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive 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; and

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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 home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to improving the decor of the home. 28 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to debriefs with the child being dated and signed by the author of that entry. 31 December Assurance visit report: SC470797 5 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to providing supervision that allows staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. 31 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring prompt referral of safeguarding concerns and allegations to the designated officer. 31 December

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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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 31 January 2021 Assurance visit report: SC470797 6 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to clear and consistent arrangements being in place in the absence of a manager, the development and implementation of systems that scrutinise and evaluate the care children are offered and the updating of staff skills and knowledge. These systems should identify and inform improvements in the care of children and a plan for staff development.

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC470797 7 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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