Children's Home run by Barracare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2647022 1 Registered provider: Barracare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home that provides care for up to four children. Children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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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: 10 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2647022 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/01/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2647022 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Four children are living in the home. The manager is child-centred and believes in a nurturing, therapeutic approach. She uses this approach with children and staff. This ensures that children feel well cared for and the staff can provide good-quality care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff care about the children and understand what works well for them. Children are happy in the home. They are building positive, trusting relationships with the staff. Staff support children to develop their relationships with family and friends. This has resulted in children making steady progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians. There are good arrangements to meet the specific health needs of the children. Staff support children to attend their health appointments and ensure that children have access to specialist services to promote their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use achievable incentives to encourage children to attend school. This helps children to work towards goals. Children attend activities and enjoy holidays together. This enhances their social skills and improves their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are engaging in education. The manager advocates for children. If there are shortfalls, the manager challenges agencies and seeks specialist support. All children are making steady educational progress. The dedicated staff team helps children to maintain routines. This promotes their development and learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are from different faith groups. Staff understand the children’s individual beliefs. Staff provide children with prayer mats and Islamic clothing. Staff support children to attend the mosque. Children experience and celebrate religious festivals. This encourages children to explore their identity, culture and religious preference.

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

The manager and staff build excellent relationships with children’s families and partner agencies. Staff understand individual children’s behaviour and use this knowledge to keep them safe. Staff and children have trusting, respectful relationships. This promotes open communication.

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

The manager and staff understand each child’s risks. Together, they identify and assess new risks. Risk management plans are individualised. They provide staff with clear guidance on how to support children who are struggling. Plans are regularly reviewed to ensure they reflect the ‘here and now’.

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

Staff support children when they are in crisis. They use their knowledge of the child to support children and de-escalate behaviours. After incidents, they talk with children to help them understand their emotions. Inspection report for children's home: 2647022 4 Records of incidents show a consistent staff response. They show that staff and children reflect on incidents. This has resulted in a significant reduction in serious incidents and physical interventions.

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

Staff ensure that children are given an explanation of acceptable behaviour, boundaries and house rules. These are also outlined in the children’s guide. This helps children to understand what is expected of them and why. Consequences are used to support learning and improve children’s decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team uses its wealth of experience and skills to develop the team. Managers use reflection, supervision and research to support their development. They share this information with the staff team. Good staffing levels ensure that children have good support and supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The cohesive staff team feels supported by the managers. Reflective discussions promote consistency of care. Managers reward staff for their care practice. One new staff member received a ‘staff member of the month’ award. Children and staff give their reasons for their vote. The staff member said, ‘This recognition is motivational and acts as a reminder of why I work with children in care.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions include discussions about staff practice and staff well-being. As a result, staff feel supported. This approach means managers have oversight of staff’s strengths and weaknesses. The manager promotes staff development and understanding of the therapeutic parenting model. Specific training ensures that children’s individual needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home environment needs to be improved. Children’s bedrooms are not in an unacceptable condition. The manager must ensure that damage is repaired promptly. Work is needed to ensure that all areas of the home are comfortable and homely. Inspection report for children's home: 2647022 5

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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, 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.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(vii)(viii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children’s bedrooms are maintained to an acceptable standard. 30 November Inspection report for children's home: 2647022 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9).

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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: 2647022 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Limes, Barkerhouse Road, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 9NL

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Inspector

Sally Hallwood, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2647022 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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