Children's Home run by Brinscall Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 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

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2019, and the manager registered in September 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2023 Full requires improvement to be good 01/08/2022 Full requires improvement to be good 06/07/2021 Full good 17/12/2019 Full outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a clean and welcoming environment. Staff help children to personalise their bedroom, including displaying posters and photos celebrating their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The time children spend with their family members or people who are close to them is a priority for staff. Staff work well to ensure that family time takes place for children. Staff act as strong advocates for children and challenge the placing authorities to ensure that children’s care plans reflect their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to be independent. This ranges from ensuring that children spend time in their community independently to having their own independent living space in the home’s annexe. The annexe provides children with a safe and secure space where they can develop their independence. The child who is currently living in the annexe is able to cook and clean for themselves and has their own shopping budget. This has helped the child to develop their independence skills while having the support available as needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to develop interests and hobbies. One child has a passion for fishing, and staff have managed to make this a significant part of the child’s life and daily activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school or another educational provision. They are learning and making good progress, taking into account their starting points. There is effective liaison with school, colleges and tutors. One child’s deputy headteacher said that the child is now attending school, which they did not think would be possible. The deputy headteacher feels that this is due to the support offered by staff. However, staff do not consistently provide children with a daily structure of educational activities to support learning and progress. Furthermore, children’s education attendance is still minimal in terms of weekly time spent in school, college or tutoring. This prevents children from reaching their full potential.

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

There have been no incidents of physical restraint since the last inspection. Leaders and managers say that restraint is only used as a last resort to safeguard children. When staff use techniques such as a ‘guide’, these are recorded as physical interventions as a matter of good practice. However, the statement of purpose does not include information about the home’s approach to physical intervention, how staff are trained in restraint and how their competence is assessed as required. This compromises children’s and other relevant persons’ understanding of the home’s approach to behavioural support. Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 4 Recruitment procedures and practices are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted before starting work. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home. The registered manager ensures that practice checks and observations are completed with new staff to help them to

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

continually monitor the standards of care.

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

Children receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. One child said, ‘When I feel sad, staff always help me out.’ Staff understand how children’s life experiences impact on their behaviour. Staff use therapeutic and nurturing approaches to help children to manage their own needs.

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

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Staff use de-escalation techniques and create alternative strategies that are specific to the needs of the children. However, not all strategies and consequences are effective. Staff do not always review consequences to ensure that they are helping to reduce incidents, such as children vaping and using cannabis.

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

Room searches of children’s bedrooms and possessions are carried out sensitively. Due consideration is given to the dignity and respect of children. All searches are recorded, including the reasons for the search and the attempts to gain children’s consent. Leaders and managers have good oversight of room searches and any identified risks.

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

Leaders and managers regularly review risk management plans to ensure that they meet the children’s needs. Staff amend risk management plans to reflect any changes to children’s needs. This helps staff to provide a consistent approach to keeping children safe.

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

Leaders and managers do not consistently notify Ofsted of serious events without delay, as required. This means that, on some occasions, the regulator’s oversight is limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well and works hard to create a warm and homely environment for them to live in. The manager and staff have high aspirations for the children and the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend regular supervision and team meetings with their manager. This enables the manager and staff to reflect on incidents and identify areas for development. One staff member said, ‘I have so much support from the staff and management, meaning I have progressed from support worker to team leader.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have implemented effective monitoring and review systems. This helps them to identify the strengths and areas for development and take action to address any shortfalls identified. Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 5 Staff attend regular training that helps them to better understand and meet children’s needs. When training is not deemed to be good enough, the registered manager challenges this and ensures that suitable training is commissioned. This means that staff develop their skills to ensure that they implement good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carries out a quality of care review report every six months. However, this does not consistently include the opinions of children. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to evaluate a range of opinions to improve children’s care. Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 12 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is reviewed regularly and that staff are working in line with the ethos and principals set out in the statement of purpose. The statement of purpose must detail the approach to physical restraint and how staff are trained to use these measures. 12 July 2024 Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review is evaluative and contains feedback from children and wider stakeholders. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weaknesses 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 children are in full-time education when they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The registered person should ensure that children have opportunities to take part in informal educational activities when not in full-time education. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  The registered person should address general principles for behaviour management in the home. This includes ensuring that any consequences are consistent and reviewed to ensure that they are effective and appropriate to the individual child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.35)

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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 children’s home: 2534436 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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Catherine Chrystal-Clarke

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Inspectors

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Debbie Dawson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2534436 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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