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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 1 SC040719 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 children’s home is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. Both children spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living at 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2022 Full Good 24/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/02/2020 Full Outstanding 06/11/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they feel happy and cared for. They are encouraged to have their friends over to spend time watching movies and enjoying pamper nights. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a variety of activities, such as bowling and the cinema, and are encouraged to attend youth groups and develop interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain close relationships with people who are important to them. Families praised the staff for their support, describing the service as first class and the staff as welcoming and supportive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aspirational for children and want them to succeed. Children who have not been in education for some time want to achieve. The manager has challenged one child’s school over the hours of education being delivered. The other child is making progress, exceeding educational targets and completing a hairdressing apprenticeship. This helps children with plans for their future and increases their self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health needs are met. Children are supported to attend regular health appointments and have access to an emotional-health practitioner to support their mental health and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff listen to children when they raise any concerns, worries or complaints and ensure that they are responded to. Children confirmed they feel listened to and have trusted adults in the home who they can share their worries with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not yet living in a homely and well-maintained home. Children have been encouraged to develop a sense of belonging by personalising their bedrooms. However, one child’s bedroom is tired and in need of redecoration. The home could be improved further with a replacement fire door. One door looks institutionalised and is not in keeping with the rest of the home. The outside space has not been well maintained; it detracts from the home’s appeal and does not look inviting.

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

Risk management and behaviour support plans are individualised and contain child- focused strategies of support. Staff understand children’s individual needs and have developed positive relationships with the children in their care. As a result, staff know how to respond to children and use effective behaviour management techniques to support children in managing their frustrations. Consequently, there have not been any incidents of staff needing to hold children to keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 4 There is a multi-agency response in the home to ensure that children are safeguarded. When serious incidents do occur, there is timely and effective information-sharing with relevant agencies in order to safeguard children from further harm.

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

Staff regularly engage children in proactive, direct work that is planned based on the children’s current and emerging needs. They also carry out regular sessions with children to help them better understand their emotions, risks outside of the home and how to keep safe and make safer choices.

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

There have been frequent episodes of children going missing from the home. Prompt action has been taken by the staff to support the children’s safe return. Information is shared with the police and other agencies in a timely manner to ensure that the necessary care, support and protection are provided for children. On their return, children have access to independent return home interviews. These established practices help to reduce risks for children. However, the manager has not always shared incidents with the regulator as required by regulation. This limits external oversight of practice in the home.

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

Consequences for negative behaviours are clearly recorded and evaluated by the manager. However, they are predominantly financial, with limited evidence of a restorative approach. This limits opportunities for children to reflect on and learn from their behaviours.

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

Children do not have access to the kitchen or conservatory area at night as the internal doors are locked. Although there are risk assessments in place to provide evidence of the decision to lock doors, alternative safety measures have not been considered, and this has become an ongoing rather than a time-limited practice. These practices are restrictive and do not provide children with a positive home environment. A requirement has been made in respect of this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a well-established, knowledgeable and experienced manager and deputy manager. Together, they are highly effective and have created a positive and nurturing home for children to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from good-quality individual and group supervision sessions alongside monthly team meetings. Team meetings are used effectively to reflect on the progress and experiences of children. However, meetings do not include research and development. This is a missed opportunity to further develop practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises the qualities of her team and the importance of professional development. Staff have access to a range of mandatory training opportunities. However, the manager has not ensured that staff have been placed on needs-led training to help them support children who display sexualised Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 5 behaviour. This does not ensure that children are supported by a knowledgeable workforce.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s review of the quality of care report lacks reflection, evaluation and clarity. Additionally, there is limited evidence of how the views of children, families and stakeholders have been used to inform practice and improve outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 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, 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 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(g)(i)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have completed training specific to children’s risks and vulnerabilities and that research and development is used to inform and improve practice. 6 March 2024

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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

ensure that staff— 6 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 7 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

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)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children live in a homely, welcoming and well-maintained environment free from institutionalised fittings and signs.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the use of internal door locks is reviewed and any restriction of access for children to communal areas is time limited, follows a written assessment of risk and is regularly reviewed. 6 March 2024

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (e)). 6 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a restorative approach is taken when children receive sanctions for their behaviours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review is evaluative; includes the views of children, families, staff and external stakeholders, and provides a clear, task-specific action plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: SC040719 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Victoria Square, Bolton BL1 1RU

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Inspector

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC040719 10 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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