Children's home run by Birchwood Independence Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2679827 1 Registered provider: Birchwood Independence Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for one child. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified registered manager has been in post since June 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2679827 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2023 Full Good 05/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2679827 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide warm and empathetic care and have a good understanding of the needs and experiences of the child who lives in the home. This care has contributed to the child settling and building trusting relationships with some staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proud of the child’s achievements and are aspirational for their future. A strengths based approach highlights the things the child is good at and what they have achieved. Daily records are written in a child-friendly way which would offer a positive perspective should the child wish to access their records later on in their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers help the child to keep in touch with people who are important to them. Staff have a clear understanding of the complexities of some relationships and the different emotions the child might experience around visits. They provide support to the child before, during and after visits to ensure that time spent with family is safe and positive. As a result of the support in place, the child is now having increased time with family members, including some overnight stays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have advocated strongly for the child to receive the education that meets their needs. Expectations regarding daily routines in the home are clear. However, more could be done to help the child maintain appropriate structure to their day when they are not attending formal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s health needs and how the child’s history may impact on their own feelings about their health. Staff regularly speak to the child about the importance of having a healthy diet and prepare home-cooked meals. Managers have worked with health professionals to seek guidance on how best to meet the child’s specific health needs. However, these strategies have not been effective, and staff have been unable to ensure that the child maintains a healthy diet or that they attend all required medical appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, warm, and welcoming and decorated in line with the child’s interests. For example, furnishings in the living room are themed around the child’s favourite tv show.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals who know the child well say that the child is well cared for and feels safe and happy living here. While the child can find it difficult to express this verbally, professionals feel this is demonstrated by the fact that the child is settled and has now lived at the home for a significant length of time. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679827 4

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improvement to be good

When incidents occur, staff generally respond appropriately. Staff know the child well and recognise the signs when they are becoming upset or angry. This enables staff to provide the child with support and reassurance to calm down before incidents escalate.

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improvement to be good

Restraint has been used on ten occasions. When restraint is used, this is in appropriate circumstances and to prevent serious harm to the child or to staff. One serious and sustained incident has taken place where the child was restrained on the floor several times and the police were called to assist staff. Following this incident, the manager has worked well with the staff team and external agencies to identify learning, reflect on practice, and review the support in place for the child. At the time of the inspection, there had been no further use of restraint in the weeks since this incident.

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improvement to be good

Following incidents, staff are skilled at repairing relationships with the child. They offer nurture and reassurance and have a good understanding of the impact of incidents on the child. The child responds well to this approach which is positive for their wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not always taken appropriate action to address safeguarding concerns. During one recent incident, the child had a cigarette lighter in their possession and used this to burn paper in their bedroom. Staff and managers did not ensure that this item was removed promptly. As a result, the child was in possession of this item for two days which posed a risk.

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improvement to be good

The manager has reflected on this incident and acknowledges that more robust action should have been taken sooner to address this issue. Clear guidance is now in place which sets out expectations and actions staff should take in future if needed.

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improvement to be good

When the child has been missing from home staff have not always responded in line with the strategies in their support plan. Managers identified these shortfalls and took action to address them. During recent incidents, staff have responded appropriately when the child has gone missing, and records show a significant improvement in the quality of recording with clear management oversight. However, some staff remain uncertain about the procedure to follow if the child were to leave the home. The manager has acknowledged that guidance to staff in this area could be clearer and more explicit in the child’s support plans.

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improvement to be good

Regular conversations take place between the child and staff about keeping safe online and when out of the house. Staff understand the signs of exploitation and demonstrate professional curiosity during conversations with the child. Appropriate restrictions and filters are in place on the home’s Wi-Fi and the child’s mobile phone. Staff carry out regular checks of the child’s mobile phone with their consent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679827 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. The manager knows the child and staff team well and clearly understands the staff’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has identified and acknowledged that management oversight has not previously been consistent or robust enough and has taken action to address this. The manager and the responsible individual maintain oversight of the home through monthly auditing. They now understand better what has gone well and what areas require development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well with other professionals and there are multiple examples of him advocating strongly for the child and escalating concerns if required. Professionals are positive about the communication from the manager and the relationships the child has with him and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at this home and feel well supported by visible and approachable leaders and managers. Team meetings are used to good effect and as an opportunity for staff to discuss learning and to reflect on recent incidents in the home. Strategies on how best to support the child are partly informed through consultation with the therapeutic service provided by the child’s placing authority. Staff and managers make good use of this service to consider the child’s needs and to develop practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Approaches being used to keep the child safe and help them progress are not always reviewed and adapted frequently enough. For example, following recent significant incidents, regular crockery and cutlery have been removed from the home and replaced with plastic and melamine items. The manager is clear that this is a temporary change; however, the child’s plans do not contain any specific timescales or mechanism for the review of this measure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

If allegations are made against staff or concerns are raised about practice, these are identified and addressed promptly, and relevant safeguarding procedures are followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Two complaints have been made by the child living at this home. These have been managed appropriately with concerns being investigated promptly and the outcomes fed back to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679827 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 1 August 2024

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 1 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2679827 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that strategies to support children are regularly reviewed and that if they are not effective, they are updated and adapted. The registered person should also ensure that all staff clearly understand the agreed strategies to support the child and apply these consistently.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the reasons for any restrictive practices or monitoring of children are clearly documented in their care and support plans along with consent from relevant parties and clear timescales for review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)  The registered person should ensure that procedures for when a child goes missing include sufficient detail and clear, unambiguous guidance for staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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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: 2679827 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Birchwood Independence Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 14 Highlands, Taunton TA1 4HP

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Inspectors

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Min Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2679827 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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