Children's home run by Brinscall Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2775422 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 and manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024. The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2775422 2

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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. Children say that they ‘love’ their home, especially the garden and their own bedrooms. Children are observed to be settled and comfortable in their home. One child said that the staff ‘care for them better than anybody else’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to spend time with people who are important to them. One child enjoys regular time with their sister, who visits the home. This helps children to maintain their sense of identity and their relationships with their family and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from support to attend education. Prior to joining the home, both children were not in full-time education. One child had been out of school for over 12 months. One child’s independent reviewing officer said that they were ‘amazed’ to see this child now attending school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences in the home. Both children said that they enjoy a range of activities, including golf and trips to Blackpool pleasure beach. Both children enjoy elements of engine mechanics and are being assisted to further this knowledge with the support of staff from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s transitions into the home are positive. Children can visit the home and spend the night there. Leaders and managers communicate with the children and their families prior to their move into the home. This has supported the children to settle into their new home. However, one child did not have a positive experience of moving out of the home following emergency notice being served due to the home not being able to meet their needs.

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

The manager ensures that the staff follow therapeutic principles and work in line with their model of care. The home uses the PACE model of care. Staff are trained in this approach and are aware of how it is implemented in their day-to-day practice.

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

Physical intervention techniques are used as a last resort to keep children safe. Staff are trained to deliver therapeutic care using de-escalation techniques. This means that staff can intervene early to avoid the need for physical intervention.

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

Leaders and managers regularly review paperwork, including risk assessments, to ensure that it reflects any changes in the child’s needs. This helps staff to adapt the support offered and ensure that the child’s progress is captured regularly through in-house progress reports. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775422 3 Leaders and managers do not always identify risks appropriately, which leaves children vulnerable.

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

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

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

The registered manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager. Both are ambitious and motivated to ensure that the needs of the children are prioritised. The registered manager is keen to implement positive changes to ensure that the home runs effectively.

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

Staff benefit from regular team meetings, which are reflective and consider children’s individual needs.

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

The staffing of the home is consistent, and there is a core team of staff who are suitably trained. Staff have completed all required training. They also have access to many other relevant training courses to support them in their roles and in meeting the specific needs of the children in their care. The manager has sourced external specialist training to support staff to understand one child’s additional support needs.

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

Leaders and managers do not consistently notify Ofsted of safeguarding concerns without delay. This compromises the regulator’s oversight of the home.

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

Staff are supported through regular, reflective supervision. However, not all sessions of supervision are recorded. This means that there is not always a record of the support offered to staff or any record of when concerns are raised regarding staff practice.

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

Leaders and managers do not always notify the placing authority to changes in the children’s care plans. This means that the care provided is not always adequately or suitably assessed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775422 4

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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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any risks to children are identified and considered in collaboration with the placing authority. 28 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 28 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2775422 5 registered person to ensure that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children have a positive, planned experience when moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that supervision is recorded accurately and considers any potential risks identified. 28 November 2024

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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)) 28 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2775422 6 In particular, the registered person must ensure that regulation 40 notifications are submitted without delay.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and 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. (Regulation (5)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they communicate effectively with the placing authority when considering changes to family time. 28 November 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring, including under regulation 44, to ensure the wishes and feelings of the children are actively sought. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2775422 7

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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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Inspectors

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Deborah Turner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2775422 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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