Children's Home run by Brinscall Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 1 Registered provider: Brinscall Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children who may have social or emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. The manager registered with Ofsted when the home began operating in April 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good care and support, which is planned in line with their individual needs and wishes. They have warm and trusting relationships with staff, which supports their good progress and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, including some who have experienced many previous moves, said that they feel settled, safe and well cared for at this home. Feedback from a parent and external professionals was also highly positive. A social worker commented that the child she supports has been able to share his feelings for the first time, due to the relationships he has built with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in education, albeit slowly. Staff are aware of the importance of education and closely support children to achieve. The manager works well with professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met and that they have access to a range of education and training opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s religious and cultural needs are understood and met. They have worked hard to find an advocate for one child, aiming to find one who has a similar cultural background and speaks the child’s language. Staff ensure that the child is supported to observe his religion, for example through worship and diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Records of direct work demonstrate that children are encouraged to share their views and wishes. The manager and staff ensure that children are provided with clear information in formats that they understand, and they advocate strongly for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and how to support them. However, internal care plans do not always clearly describe their care or give a clear picture of their progress. Improvements in care plans will help to ensure that children continue to receive well-planned, individualised care.

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

Children say that they feel safe and well cared for and confirm that they are confident to share their concerns or worries with staff. There is evidence that children are safer due to the care and support they receive. Assessments demonstrate that risks are being reduced in areas such as children going missing from care and exploitation, from the point of their admission.

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

The manager works closely with external professionals to ensure that risks to children’s safety and well-being are well managed. Children’s safety plans demonstrate input from a variety of professionals, including some from specialist teams. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 3 There is clear guidance in place for staff about the action they must take to safeguard children who are missing from home. The registered manager is proactive in ensuring that return interviews are carried out with children following a missing- from-care episode. However, the details of these interviews are not always made available to the manager and staff. This means that important information which could help to inform future missing-from-care risk assessments may be missed.

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

Staff understand children and why they may behave in certain ways. They support children’s behaviour in a consistently positive manner and work with children to help them develop their own understanding of safe behaviours. However, in the case of one child, who has used some problematic language towards others, this support could be more focused on helping him to understand the potential impact of his behaviour.

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

Safer recruitment procedures are in place and are generally followed. However, shortfalls were identified in relation to obtaining full employment histories for two staff members. Failure to follow thorough recruitment means that children may be exposed to adults of unsuitable character.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager in post who has been registered with Ofsted since June 2022. The manager is highly child-centred and communicates a strong passion for achieving the best outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well with external professionals and advocates strongly for children. She is able to challenge services that are falling short, in an effective manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When considering whether to offer care to new children, impact risk assessments are carried out. While risks children may present to each other are identified, records do not demonstrate that they are fully considered or evaluated. This shortfall has not had an impact on children so far but should be rectified to support safer practice in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff express confidence in the leadership of the home. They are highly motivated and confirm good levels of training and support. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and one-to-one supervision, where they are able to reflect and share ideas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas that would benefit from development. Internal monitoring is effective in identifying shortfalls and practice issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

It was identified in this inspection that two significant incidents had not been notified to Ofsted. Failure to notify Ofsted of significant incidents impacts on our ability to monitor, and therefore does not support children’s welfare. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 4

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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

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 2 December 2022

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 5 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); 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. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s internal care plans reflect their needs, day-to-day care and progress, taking into account the child’s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, previous experiences and any relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that expectations of standards of behaviour are high for all staff and children in the home, that these standards are clear and unambiguous, that children are supported to develop understanding and empathy towards other people, and positive behaviour and relationships are reinforced, praised and encouraged and that poor behaviour is challenged and discussed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 6

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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: 2661511 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brinscall Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 27, Barnfield House, Sandpits Lane, Accrington Road, Blackburn BB1 3NY

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 8 regulates and inspects 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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