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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may have social or emotional needs. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A manager has been appointed but is not yet registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 18 October 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

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

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress due to the care from a committed staff team. Children say they enjoy living in the home, feel cared for and have identified staff members who they can talk to and trust.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals said that children make progress in a number of areas. One social worker said, ‘They provide stability and routine and due to this we have seen some great progress in respect of reduced missing-from-home episodes, better attendance at college and more reflection on their self being displayed.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When one child has not attended their formal education provision, one-to-one tutoring in the home has been arranged. However, when the child has not engaged in this, staff have not always been able to re-engage them in education. This means that there have been times when the child has had little structure to their days.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with placing authorities to develop children’s independence skills. One child is working through their ‘passport to independence’. This has enabled the child to develop skills in cooking, cleaning and managing their money. This helps children prepare for adulthood.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in a large, warm and welcoming home environment. The home is decorated to a high standard. Children’s bedrooms are well proportioned and are personalised to their individual tastes. However, one bathroom has been locked. This prevents children from accessing all areas of the home.

p.3

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

For both children living in the home, there have been measurable reductions in anti- social and high-risk behaviours. Children are well supported by staff to understand risk, reduce risks and engage in positive activities.

p.3

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

When concerns are raised in relation to children, there is a proportionate response from staff. Staff engage with children’s placing authorities and ensure that information is shared with all agencies involved in children’s care.

p.3

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

Professionals are positive about how staff support children to stay safe and reduce their risk-taking behaviours. One child’s support worker said, ‘He is no longer involved in youth justice, criminality or substance use.’

p.3

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

When children go missing from home, there is a prompt and consistent response from staff. They actively search for children, get in touch with known contacts and encourage children to return. This helps reduce the amount of time that children are away from the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 4

p.3

good

The previous registered manager left the position in July 2023. Since then, the home has been jointly managed by the responsible individual and deputy manager. Senior leaders have appointed a manager who is yet to start working at the home or to register with Ofsted.

p.4

good

In the absence of a manager, the responsible individual has taken the decision not to move any more children into the home. This allows the staff team to focus on the two children in their care and reduces pressure on the team.

p.4

good

Staff say they feel supported by senior staff members, the deputy manager and responsible individual. One staff member said, ‘Managers are very supportive, visible and have the best interests of the team at heart.’

p.4

good

When incidents have occurred, staff record in detail what has happened. However, there are gaps in the management oversight of incidents. This means that there are missed opportunities to evaluate how staff respond to incidents and if appropriate action has been taken.

p.4

good

In the absence of a manager, a registered manager from another home has been undertaking quality assurance audits. These have identified weakness in in practice for some staff, which have since been addressed with them in supervision. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person is required to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must review incidents that occur and evaluate the response from staff. In addition, the registered person should detail actions staff need to take. 10 November 2023

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. 10 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 6 (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager should register with Ofsted.

p.6

Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

p.6

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.6

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must remove locks from internal doors. 10 November 2023

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 7

p.6

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 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brinscall Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Rob Neild, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9