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 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 care for up to five children. The home operates a short-break service and also provides an outreach service.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in April 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspection of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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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

Date of last inspection: 22 October 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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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

22/10/2019 Full Good 05/03/2019 Interim Not judged 15/01/2019 Interim Not judged 20/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and parents spoken to consider that staff offer meaningful and responsive support and that this has a positive effect on their lives. As a result, they feel that their emotional health improves and that this helps them to manage difficulties in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from trusting relationships that staff work hard to establish. This enables children to begin to talk about things that worry them. The help that children receive enables them to grow in confidence and learn how to communicate better with others. As a result, relationships with their families improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The short-break service offers children a safe environment in which to enjoy activities and experiences they may not otherwise access. These activities include bike rides, archery, arts and crafts and trips out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Outreach services are also available to children alongside the short-stay facility. These services provide additional support outside children’s stays in the home. As a result, children and their families receive ongoing support and advice that they value and benefit from.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team at the home is very stable. This means that children receive consistent care and support from staff who know them and their families well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although education remains principally the responsibility of the local authority and parents, staff work hard at encouraging children to attend school when not at the home. For example, they regularly liaise with schools and parents and set incentives for children to attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers consider that the short-break service and additional outreach support make a significant contribution to positive outcomes for children.

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

Since September 2020, there have not been any complaints or allegations. Any serious incidents occurring at the home have been appropriately notified to Ofsted.

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

Incidents of children missing from home and restraints are low. When children have been missing, staff have acted appropriately. However, it is not always clear from recordings why children have needed to be restrained or who conducted the debrief with the child. In addition, debriefs with children have not always been within regulatory timescales.

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

Children have appropriate assessments of risks. However, some assessments are not clear in offering advice to staff, lacking clarity and detail as to how staff should Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 4 respond if children harm themselves. In addition, assessments do not always reflect children’s contributions or views.

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

There are currently two systems being used to record and evaluate incidents of self- injurious behaviour by children. Each system compensates for shortfalls of recording in the other. However, this reduces managerial oversight and does not provide for a streamlined monitoring system.

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

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities well. Training that is available to staff supports their awareness and knowledge of issues that may pose a risk to children’s welfare and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is appropriately qualified and experienced. She leads an enthusiastic and dedicated staff team. Since the last inspection, improvements have been made in capturing children’s progress. There are suitable systems in place that offer oversight into the effect that the service is having on children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is suitably staffed, and there are a high number of staff who hold a relevant qualification. Staff assume a collaborative approach to supporting children. They feel that they are well led and that there is an open and learning culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and family members spoken to expressed a high degree of confidence in the staff and manager. This is echoed by social workers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular formal supervision that is focused on children’s plans and the progress that children make. In addition, staff benefit from peer support via group supervision and ‘learning circles’ that focus on areas of development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the home is welcoming and suitably furnished. It offers children good spaces for relaxation, games, crafts and outdoor activities. However, there are areas of the garden that need repair, such as broken and uneven paving, and it lacks equipment for children to make best use of this space. Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 5

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and any other person present when the measure was used;

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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(vi)) 31 August 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s risk assessments contain children’s views and that the local authority social workers agree and sign those assessments. In addition, they should ensure that risk assessments are clear in their advice to staff, demonstrating how to respond to concerns. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)  The registered person should ensure that children’s routines are fully reflected in the home’s short-stay plans and that children contribute to those plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that improvements are made to the outside space, such as renewing and replacing broken paving, and that damaged panels are repaired or replaced. In addition, that outside furniture should be provided, enabling children to make better use of this space. (‘Guide to the children’s

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Recommendations

homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 6  The registered person should ensure that records of self-harm are streamlined and comprehensive. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 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

Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040437 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 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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