Children's Home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 1 SC470797

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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 organisation and provides care for up to four children who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector was aware during this inspection that a serious incident that occurred at the setting since the last inspection is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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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: SC470797 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Good 05/10/2021 Full Good 12/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 3

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improvement to be good

Children live in a spacious and warm environment. The home is furnished to a high standard, with bright, tasteful decor. Children choose how they want to decorate and personalise their bedrooms. Staff are supportive in embedding children’s sensory needs into their care. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home, and one young person has moved out.

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improvement to be good

Staff have supported a child with a well-planned move into the home in line with their needs. The child has settled in well, and the manager implemented a comprehensive plan to support them. Through social stories, visits to the home and introductions to staff, the child was well prepared for this move and is now settling in successfully.

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improvement to be good

Staff are dedicated to promoting children’s independence by focusing on self-care and healthy snack preparation. By integrating these goals into individual plans, the children make significant progress. Regular reviews of their objectives, along with celebrations of accomplishments involving parents and social workers, boost the children’s self-esteem and independence, fostering a positive and nurturing environment.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s complex health needs and work closely with other professionals to manage lifelong conditions. However, in the manager’s absence, staff delayed seeking medical advice after a child was injured, although they did apply an ice pack. The incident report reviewed by covering managers lacked reflection. When they returned, the manager addressed this issue and the team discussed the incident and new strategies in a meeting to help prevent future occurrences.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. The manager advocates for children and supports increased time spent with loved ones. In addition, staff support children to spend time with friends when it is appropriate to do so. This ensures that children maintain important relationships.

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improvement to be good

Children are engaged in full-time education and have all made progress. The staff and managers work very closely with education colleagues. However, the children’s education, health and care plans were not on file. This means that staff may not have access to all the information required to support each child and may not fully understand the areas to help the child work on and strengthen.

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improvement to be good

Children have positive experiences in the home. They participate in a range of enjoyable activities, such as having days out at the beach, going on trips to the cinema, shopping and going to parks. Children also have memory books that capture Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 4 their time from when they moved into the home up until when they leave. This helps to provide children with good memories of their time spent in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand each child’s unique methods of communication and are attuned to the children’s communication styles. Children who are non-verbal will use different vocal noises, directing staff to items of choice. Staff are sensitive to each child’s facial cues and gestures and use these to help the child make choices in their daily life.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children and respond well to any behaviours that challenge. They are committed to finding different and innovative ways to manage situations that children may find difficult to cope with. This approach reduces children’s anxieties and helps to minimise incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children receive a high level of supervision and support that aligns with their assessed needs. Physical interventions are used when necessary to protect children from harming themselves or others due to their needs. However, on two occasions when the manager was involved in the incidents, an independent review of the learning did not take place. Additionally, the manager has not ensured that children are spoken to after a hold, preventing them from understanding why it was necessary for their safety. Following one incident, there was also a lack of management oversight to help staff learn from the event.

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improvement to be good

Restrictions are in place at the children’s home, including the locking of front and back doors to prevent children from leaving and encountering potential harm. These measures are based on comprehensive assessments of each child’s unique needs and are carefully documented. The manager also conducts regular reviews of these assessments to consider their continued relevance and effectiveness in ensuring the safety of the children. However, one young person’s deprivation of liberty order was not on file, and the manager was addressing this during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that most children’s care plans are up to date and tailored to each child. Staff support children with their emotional well-being, and clear plans guide staff on how to care for children when they feel upset, worried or anxious. Staff can quickly identify when something is not right for a child. However, the manager has not updated one child’s care plan following an allegation made by the child, which prevents staff from fully understanding and addressing the child’s current needs.

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improvement to be good

When concerns were raised about staff, they were removed from duty and appropriate action was taken. However, there was a delay in reporting the matter to the local authority designated officer and the placing authority. Despite this, children were safeguarded effectively, and there has been appropriate scrutiny of practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 5

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good

A suitably experienced registered manager is supported by a consistent staff team. The manager swiftly applied to register with Ofsted and has worked hard to build positive relationships with the children, staff, parents and relevant professionals.

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good

The staff welcome the manager’s leadership and the constructive challenge that they bring. The manager actively shares information with others involved in the children’s lives. One parent commented, ‘The manager is great, she really knows [name of child], and he has made so much progress while in her care and loves the home. This is evident with the big smiles when I take him back to home after spending time with him.’

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good

There is a core group of staff that provides consistency for the children, fostering stability. There is a strong teamworking ethos, and staff report feeling well supported. They are encouraged to take on additional responsibilities, which promotes shared ownership, boosts confidence and aids their development.

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good

Staff complete a broad range of good-quality training on safeguarding matters. Safeguarding themes are further explored with staff through supervision and team meetings. As a result, staff know how to recognise, report and act on any safeguarding concerns that they may have.

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good

Leaders and managers have systems in place to review and monitor children’s progress and the development of the home. However, when the manager is away on leave, these systems are ineffective. Leaders and managers have failed to identify shortfalls in some significant incidents, and managers have not notified Ofsted of a recent serious incident as required by regulations. This limits the regulator’s ability to maintain oversight of practices in the home, potentially affecting safeguarding measures.

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good

Supervision sessions follow a detailed agenda covering all relevant areas, but the manager has not ensured these sessions are consistently completed. This limits opportunities for staff to develop their practice and identify learning needs.

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good

Team meetings serve as a valuable forum for learning, and the manager is proactive in addressing and challenging staff practices. This helps staff reflect on their performance and identify areas for improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that children receive medical treatment for injuries that meet the threshold. Additionally, an accurate record of the incident should be recorded and evaluated by the manager. 20 October

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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;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 20 October Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 7 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is sufficient management oversight of the home when the manager is on leave.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff receive regular supervision sessions that allow them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all significant incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented within children’s risk management plans, or to support the development of staff. This specifically relates to when children have reported allegations.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that incidents of restraint are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented within children’s risk management plans, or to support the development of staff. 20 October Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 8 Leaders and the registered manager must ensure that an independent person has oversight of restraint records when the manager has been involved in the incident.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that child-centred discussions are held with children following any restraint, and these discussions should consider their age and additional needs.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that partners share children’s relevant plans, and if plans are not shared in a timely way, the registered manager needs to escalate this to ensure that the relevant information about a child is received. 20 October

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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 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 20 October Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 9 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that significant incidents are notified to Ofsted.

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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: SC470797 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Birtenshaw Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, Bolton BL7 9AB

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Inspector

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC470797 11 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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