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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059842 1 SC059842 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 short-break service provides care for up to four children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the overall aim of the children’s home is to provide high-quality, planned short-break care for children with severe learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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: 21 February 2020

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC059842 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2020 Full Outstanding 11/10/2018 Full Outstanding 19/12/2017 Full Outstanding 20/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC059842 3

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outstanding

Children receive excellent individualised care at this short-break service. Placement plans are developed in partnership with the children’s parents. This teamwork ensures that essential details about the child’s personality, strengths and difficulties are clearly assessed prior to their stay. This level of detail enables the staff team to co-ordinate and match children’s short breaks in accordance with their individual needs, interests and abilities, making their experiences more positive.

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outstanding

Children are excited and happy to arrive at the service. They are welcomed by enthusiastic and passionate staff who have built up fabulous relationships with them. On arrival, the children are provided with individualised sensory sacks. This allows the children to play and settle into their short break. Likewise, in preparation for their short-break stay, the staff team ensures that each bedroom is prepared with children’s favourite bedding, toys and familiar items, making the bedrooms feel very comfortable.

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outstanding

Children who do not communicate verbally are assisted to express their needs using pictorial communication aids. This enables the children to make choices regarding their evening meal, snacks and activities. The pictorial aids also enable children to indicate how they are feeling. In partnership with parents, individual strategies are devised to ensure a consistent approach is maintained should a child feel anxious or unwell.

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outstanding

Equality and diversity are championed in this service. Children are encouraged and supported to have their say, and represent other children of the short-break service at the children’s rights forum. Children’s ideas and suggestions are valued, respected and acted on. For example, children’s submissions have prompted further development of the sensory room, which now boasts a fabulous interactive sensory floor and additional lighting.

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outstanding

Children are supported by a staff team that promotes their abilities. This ensures that children are not prevented from taking part and trying out a range of exciting activities, for example ice skating, horse riding and trampolining. A staff member said: ‘We want to create as many amazing memories as we can. If a child wants to try something, we will do everything in our power to make it happen safely.’ Children also enjoy a range of indoor activities such as pamper nights, baking, arts and crafts and karaoke. A child said: ‘I love coming here. It gives me a break from everything and I can just be me. I love the staff and how much they do for us to make each visit special.’

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outstanding

The management team and staff regularly consult with children, their parents and professionals about the care children receive in this service. The commitment to consultation strengthens relationships between services and this helps to enhance Inspection report for children’s home: SC059842 4 the care provided to the children. A parent said: ‘The staff are always there for me. If I am struggling, I can always call the service and the staff will give me strategies and help me through. I have never had this level of support before.’

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outstanding

Children’s health is consistently monitored during their short-break stay. Staff work in partnership with healthcare specialists, and parents are provided with extensive details regarding their child’s specific health diagnosis. Prescribed medication is routinely monitored, appropriately administered and stored securely. Records do not include non-prescription medication, such as paracetamol, and do not include a running total of the remaining medication. This will ensure improved accuracy of homely remedy audits.

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outstanding

The home continues to promote the respite service and regularly invites parents and carers to the home for coffee mornings. This provides opportunities for parents and carers to come together and share their experiences with the staff who, in turn, provide helpful guidance and strategies. A parent said: ‘The service is like a home from home. The staff genuinely care and always make me welcome. I can’t express how grateful I am for all their help.’

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outstanding

Individual risk management plans identify potential hazards, behaviours and specific triggers that may impact upon the child during their short-break stay. These personalised plans help to shape the care each child will receive, and the response required by staff should any risks arise. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated in partnerships with parents to ensure that any new behaviours are quickly identified, and strategies are put in place to mitigate any potential risk.

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outstanding

The assessment of risk enables children to take part in a range of unique indoor and outdoor activities supported by knowledgeable and trained staff. A parent said: ‘We couldn’t do half the things they do at the service. The children are safe at all times and absolutely love it.’ As a result, children take part in activities safely.

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outstanding

Children’s care is meticulously planned to ensure all the right equipment is available to them, for example specialised beds, hoists and low-level worktops. Furthermore, the outside space is a safe area for children and includes a range of safe play equipment. Children also have access to a sensory garden. Children can access all areas of the home safely.

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outstanding

Staff are trained to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns. At the time of this inspection, there have been no incidents requiring a notification to Ofsted, a physical intervention or a report of a child being missing or absent from the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059842 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At this inspection, the registered manager was not at work and the home was being managed by an acting manager. The leadership and management of the home is good. Children are provided with a short-break service that is managed in their best interests. The service meets the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose, and children, social workers and families are clear about the service and support that it provides. The team is provided with a consistent annual training package. Mandatory training is regularly refreshed, and additional training is given based on the theoretical framework of the person-centred approach. This provides the foundation for the positive and aspirational ethos of this service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team is provided with consistent support. One staff member said: ‘We have all worked together for a very long time. We love what we do, and feel we are given the right support and guidance to do a great job.’ The staff receive regular supervision including group and key-worker supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering consistent, person-centred practice that is tailored to the individual and personal needs of children. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the fabulous opportunities and experiences children are provided with during their stay. The home employs a strong and committed staff team. Staff are all qualified at level 3 of the children and young people’s workforce diploma. The training at this level ensures that the staff are suitably qualified in the care and management of children. Internal monitoring systems provide the home with a clear approach to the overall monitoring of care. Detailed information highlights areas for development, and the manager’s action plan details the methods used to enhance the service. The home also benefits from regular external monitoring. The independent visitor’s reports provide a positive insight into the experiences of children accessing this service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, children’s records are maintained to a high standard. However, records that are to be archived should be audited to verify that they are up to date at the point of the child’s discharge from the service. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059842 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that case records are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. They should ensure that records are completed prior to files being archived. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that records of homely medication being administered include a running log of the quantities of medication remaining. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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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 for children’s home: SC059842 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

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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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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC059842 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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