Barton Moss Secure Care Centre

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 1 SC040500

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Registered provider: Salford City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this secure children’s home

This secure children’s home is operated by a local authority and is approved by the Secretary of State to restrict young people’s liberty. The home provides care for up to 27 children aged between 10 and 18 years. The home was caring for 16 children at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this secure children’s home

All places available at the home are commissioned on a contractual basis by the Youth Custody Service. The Youth Custody Service may, under certain circumstances, permit local authority children’s services to spot purchase a vacant bed at the home to enable a local authority to place a child under section 25 of the Children Act 1989. The admission of any child aged under 13 years under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 requires the approval of the Secretary of State.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The commissioning of health services in this home is the statutory responsibility of NHS England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Education is provided on site, in dedicated facilities.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The manager is experienced and registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this secure children’s home

Date of last inspection: 13 December 2022

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Information about this secure children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 2 Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 3

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Findings from the inspection

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

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The care of children

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff know the children’s needs, histories and risks. Care staff work closely with education and health staff to ensure that children receive individualised programmes of support. Children are cared for by a group of highly committed, enthusiastic and caring individuals.

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The care of children

Children told the inspectors that they like living at the home, and that they get on well with one another and like the staff team. Children are able to personalise their bedrooms. There is a good balance between risk and providing those personal touches.

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The care of children

Children are being supported to overcome barriers to education. Children who have missed significant amounts of education in the past are attending and achieving in school. Outside the school day, there is a broad range of purposeful and fun activities to keep children meaningfully occupied. Activities include playing pool, attending the gym, fishing, cooking and baking.

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The care of children

There have been no complaints since the last inspection. Children know how to complain or raise an issue of concern should the need arise. Children are listened to. Leaders and managers support and encourage children to share their views and contribute to the development of the service and their own care plans.

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The safety of children

Challenging behaviour is responded to in a calm manner and physical restraint is only used when necessary. Review of CCTV confirms that when staff have to hold children to keep them safe, these interventions are proportionate to the behaviours and for the shortest period of time. Records of incidents are clear, with good management oversight. In recent months, the need for physical intervention has reduced as the children are currently settled.

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The safety of children

Children are restricted to their rooms or kept away from the group only when necessary. Detailed records of such events are maintained, and they clearly evidence that these methods are used in the least restrictive way and for the shortest time possible. Effective management oversight is in place.

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The safety of children

Staff are alert to safeguarding issues and there is a prompt and appropriate response from leaders and managers. For one incident reviewed, staff had not been sufficiently alert to potential risks. However, managers have appropriately addressed this shortfall with the staff team. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 4 Children told the inspectors that they feel safe. This is because of the strong and meaningful relationships they have with staff, who they trust. Inspectors observed good humour and warm and positive interactions between children and the care staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is an experienced registered manager in post. Since the last inspection, the management team has focused on recruitment of care staff in the home. As a result, suitable staffing levels are maintained to ensure that the identified needs of the children can be met. This supports children’s well-being and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers are committed to supporting staff to keep children safe. Since the last inspection, processes around reviewing physical interventions have been strengthened. The local authority designated officer reviews physical interventions. This arrangement allows for external scrutiny and offers additional safeguards. The management team has taken effective action when it has identified any practice concerns. Managers respond robustly and swiftly to any safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff told the inspectors that they enjoy working at the home and are well supported by managers and leaders. Staff benefit from regular supervision, team meetings and development days. These forums provide staff with opportunities to discuss children’s care and reflect on their own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is a comprehensive range of training opportunities, including essential courses, such as around safeguarding and first aid. In addition, staff are trained in specialist areas, such as self-harm and ligature use, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Not all staff have completed key training for their roles. This has not had a direct impact on the care of children but is an area that needs to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Two recommendations from the most recent full inspection, regarding medicine management processes and education, were not reviewed at this inspection and so remain in place. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2022 Full Good 18/01/2022 Full Good 03/08/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/01/2020 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 6

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff complete mandatory and essential training for their roles. 1 September 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person and education leaders should ensure that all children benefit from highly effective careers advice and guidance, which they can use to plan their future work and study goals. The registered person and education leaders should set clear expectations for the completion of core curriculum work on the residential units, and support staff with the implementation of this. They should also ensure that children consistently study a full curriculum in all subject areas. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)  The registered person must ensure that suitable medicine management processes are delivered in line with policy, always including the administration of time- specific medicines and the requirement for a second checker. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 7

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Secure children’s home details

Registered provider: Salford City Council

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Secure children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 5DA

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Inspectors

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC040500 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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