Children's Home run by Brinscall Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 1 Registered provider: Brinscall Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2022. The registered manager post is currently vacant. A new manager has been appointed.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living in 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: 2661511 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2023 Full good 18/10/2022 Full good Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a welcoming and friendly environment. Staff help children to personalise their bedrooms, including by painting their walls to match their football team colours and displaying family pictures on the walls. The children’s wishes and feelings are obtained through regular children’s meetings and are considered in the day-to-day running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they have an open and supportive relationship with the staff. One child said, ‘It’s amazing here, if you are down, they [staff] bring you back up again.’ One child has been reunited with their sibling recently as they have moved in to the home. The social worker said that when the child heard this news, they ‘burst out crying’ as this meant a lot to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff draw on their skills and previous experiences to help children to gain an insight into possible career options for themselves. This helps to raise children’s aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the children to develop their interests and hobbies. One child has a passion for Muay Thai martial arts, and staff have supported the child to engage in martial arts activities. Staff also supported the child to travel to Birmingham to meet one of their martial arts heroes. The child valued this experience and it helped to increase their confidence. This broadens the child’s experiences and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s engagement in education and learning is good. Children are either attending formal full-time education, or accessing informal education or tutoring. This demonstrates that they are making progress from their starting points. One child was supported to change their course at college when they were not enjoying it. This enabled the child to pursue a course that is more aligned with their passions.

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

The management team ensures that therapeutic principles are embedded into staff practice and behaviour support plans. Staff use positive behaviour approaches that are supported by therapeutic training. This avoids any use of negative or punitive measures to manage children’s behaviour. Staff and children are able to use the identified and inventive behaviour management support system collaboratively to good effect. Children say that they enjoy this system, and it helps them to manage their emotions through positive praise.

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

The management team ensures that local authority documentation, such as care plans, placement plans, and delegated authority, are accessible to staff. This means that the staff have access to background and current information for each child. This supports the manager to effectively guide the staff to understand and follow risk management and care plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 4 The home uses the PACE (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy) approach as their chosen model of care. However, staff are not all trained in this model of care. As a result, children may not be provided with consistent approaches to care.

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

Staff are trained in physical intervention and de-escalation techniques. Physical intervention is rare and used as a last resort to safeguard children. When physical intervention is used, the manager reviews the intervention. All physical interventions and holds are necessary and proportionate to effectively safeguard children and others. Children and staff receive a reflective debrief following the use of physical intervention. This enables the manager to consider staff practice and if any changes in practice are required.

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

There is a strong management team in place. However, there has been a delay in ensuring that the manager is registered with Ofsted. Therefore, Ofsted has not been able to assess the manager’s suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team works well with families and professionals. This means that children benefit from a joined-up approach. One professional said, ‘Staff go above and beyond for children, and their communication is excellent.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported through regular, reflective and robust supervision. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and have an annual appraisal. Team meetings are reflective and consider the individual needs of children. However, appraisals do not consider children’s views or the views of professionals who work alongside the members of staff. This is a missed opportunity to support staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff are safely recruited to work at the home and receive a thorough induction that provides them with a detailed programme of training and guidance for their new role. This ensures that children are cared for by staff who can meet their needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported in their roles. They say that the manager is always supportive and will often make amendments to rotas to support them with any personal issues they may be experiencing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care review report celebrates the achievements and progress that children make. However, the report does not consistently include or evaluate the opinions of children. This is a missed opportunity to help the leaders and managers to evaluate the quality of care effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 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

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children;

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Requirement Due date

worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 5 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 14 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 6 in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2017.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider may defer the relevant date if the person—

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Requirement Due date

does not manage, or has not managed, a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

manages, or has managed, a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review is evaluative and contains feedback from wider stakeholders. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraphs 15.2 and 15.4)  The registered person should ensure that appraisals consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and

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Recommendations

resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that they lead a team that provides high-quality care for all children living in the home. They must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children, which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 7

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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: 2661511 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brinscall Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2661511 9 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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