Children's Home run by Bright Futures Care Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593530 1 Registered provider: Bright Futures Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have learning disabilities, autism, associated complex needs, or a sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. They all met with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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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: 25 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: 2593530 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2023 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2593530 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress as a result of the good-quality care they experience. Staff have aspirations for children and what they can achieve. Consequently, children flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is an enquiring and creative culture in the home. Staff want to understand children and how best to support their changing needs. Good use is made of children’s preferred methods of communication, and some non-verbal children are being supported to develop limited speech.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves in to and on from the home are well planned. Before children arrive, there is thorough consideration of their own needs as well as those of the children already living in the home. This means that children only come to the home if it is in the best interest of all the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to move on from the home into adult provision positively. Clear plans are in place and children’s new carers are helped to build a good understanding of the child’s needs before they move to their new homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good use is made of the provider’s commissioned therapeutic services to inform and support children’s care. Regular multi-disciplinary meetings take place to share information and implement strategies to address children’s development needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents say that they trust the staff to care for their children and make their experience of being cared for away from home a nurturing and happy one. Children’s families are welcomed in to the home to spend time with their children. Staff also support children to see their family members on activities in the community. This inclusive approach means that children are able to maintain these important family relationships.

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

Children live in a safe environment that meets their sensory and cognitive needs. Children have space to play and have fun, and also have quiet places to spend time when needed.

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

There are appropriate staffing levels in place to meet children’s needs and ensure that they are cared for safely. When children need additional staffing at points of crisis, this is swiftly put in place. Waking night staff are used when needed to provide additional care and support for children.

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

The introduction of a new electronic case recording system gives staff easier access to children’s written records. Staff carry with them a tablet device that allows them Inspection report for children’s home: 2593530 4 to quickly capture children’s daily lived experiences and share information, which supports consistency of care.

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

There has been a significant reduction in the use of physical interventions with children. This reflects the progress that children have made and their increasing sense of security and safety within the home. When physical intervention does take place, it is appropriate and proportionate. However, some previously handwritten records are illegible, and staff signatures are not accompanied by a printed name. As a result, some handwritten records lack accountability. The recent introduction of an electronic recording system for incidents of restraint has improved the quality of these records.

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

There have been a small number of errors in respect of the administration and recording of children’s medication. Staff involved in these incidents have been removed from medication duties until they have received further training. These incidents have been discussed in team meetings to raise awareness and improve practice. The registered manager is aware of the need to ensure that there is effective oversight of systems for recording and administering medication to reduce the likelihood of further errors.

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

The provider follows safe recruitment processes to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is the manager’s first registered manager role. She has quickly developed her understanding of her responsibilities and established herself in her leadership role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. Most staff have joined the team within this period. There continues to be a number of vacancies, but the impact of this for children has been minimised by reducing the number of children living in the home. Therefore, there has not been a need for agency or casual staff. This helps to provide consistency of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of the staff do not yet have the formal qualifications for their role due to the short time that they have been in post and their lack of previous experience in children’s residential care. The registered manager is ensuring that staff are supported to make progress towards their qualifications. She is providing additional group support for staff. New staff are allocated a mentor who is an established member of the team. Staff say that this peer support helps them to develop their confidence in their new role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision of their practice. Team meetings are used effectively to share information and reflect on children’s progress and experiences. Staff say that they are supported on an individual level and as a team. Consequently, staff enjoy working in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593530 5 Staff receive the training they need to care for children with complex needs. Where additional training is required to meet the needs of individual children, this is put in place. For example, whole team training has taken place in relation to childhood trauma. This has supported the staff to understand the experiences of one child and consider his behaviour and care needs in light of his early childhood experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good oversight and understanding of the quality of care in the home. She uses her quality of care reports to reflect on children’s progress and identify areas for further development. She is a strong advocate for children with placing authorities and key professionals. This helps to ensure that children receive the child-centred help they need in a timely manner. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593530 6

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Recommendation

 The registered manager should ensure that staff provide handwritten records that are legible, and all signatures are accompanied by a printed name. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2593530 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bright Futures Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Asher House, Barsbank Lane, Lymm WA13 0ED

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2593530 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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