Children's Home run by Blackpool Borough Council in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 1 SC033611 Registered provider: Blackpool Borough Council

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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 local authority home provides short-term breaks for up to seven children who may have may have social and emotional difficulties, physical disabilities, learning disabilities or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since 2017

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Information about this children’s home

Twenty-two children are currently accessing the short breaks provision.

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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

Date of last inspection: 19 December 2023

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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: SC033611 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2023 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good 02/03/2022 Full Good 13/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences of short breaks are positive and help them make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the home has undergone a refurbishment. The home closed for two weeks to enable work to be completed. During the closure, children’s short breaks were rearranged to avoid families missing out. Children’s bedrooms have been fully redecorated and new flooring purchased, which means they are more welcoming and brighter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by an experienced and consistent staff team who know them well and demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs. Staff who have worked in the home for several years have been able to build meaningful relationships with children and their families. Warm and caring relationships between children and staff were observed. Children said that they like staying in the home and like the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff place emphasis on child-centred introductions to the home, and children are introduced to the service over a series of visits. Staff form close links with parents and specialist services, which means that information is shared, and this supports good outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff regularly attend all children’s review meetings. They work hard to develop good partnership links. However, education, health and care plans are not up-to- date for all children. As a result, staff are not always aware of the additional support required for each child. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Communication with children is tailored to each child’s individual needs. Staff are introducing innovative ideas to gather the views of children. This includes the development of a ‘talking wall’, which offers the opportunity for everyone to share their views about the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a wide range of interesting and age-appropriate activities. Children’s achievements and progress are celebrated in the home by recognising ‘star moments’. There are photos of children’s achievements on display in the home. Professionals state that children enjoy each other’s company and their short-break stays at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff work with parents and social workers to promote positive outcomes for children. One parent said, ‘They don’t just look after my son; they look after me too.’ Another parent described the service as a lifeline to her and her family.

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

Staff keep children safe with one-to-one staff support and careful planning. They receive safeguarding training that is specific to individual children’s disabilities. Staff have a clear Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 4 understanding of children’s needs, vulnerabilities and any potential risks they may be exposed to. Staff understand how to report and respond to safeguarding concerns. Since the last inspection, changes have been implemented to improve the quality of risk management plans.

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

Staff regularly review children’s individual care plans. However, some plans do not fully explain to staff what the support needs of children are in line with their moving and handling needs and/or epilepsy care plan. Action was taken during the inspection to address this.

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

Following a recent medication error, the manager completed a lesson learned session with all staff. This resulted in improvements in the procedures and recording of the administration of medication to ensure children receive the correct dose of medication. Medication is stored safely, and records are detailed.

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

Children are settled during their short-break stays. Staff use a range of de-escalation techniques and show care and understanding in their responses to children when they are distressed or upset. Since the last inspection, there have only been low-level restraints used as a last resort to keep children safe.

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

Staff ensure that a range of health and safety checks are regularly undertaken. Children take part in fire drills, and each child has an up-to-date personal evacuation plan. This ensures that children know how to leave the home in case of any emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. She is held in high regard by staff, parents and professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides a supportive environment for staff through regular supervision. Any competency issues are addressed where required. Staff say supervision is reflective and that the manager is always available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are regular team meetings, and staff recently attended an away day, which was an opportunity for staff to get together and share good practice. There have been some recent changes to staff handovers, which give staff a shared sense of ownership and accountability. They work well as a team, and the manager leads by example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight. She has robust systems in place to monitor and review the service. She has completed a review of care report and a development plan that ensures continual improvements in the service and care delivered by the staff. However, there have been two occasions when the independent visitor’s monitoring report has not been sent to the regulator in a timely way. A recommendation has been made to address this. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 5 Staff receive training bespoke to the children’s needs. This means staff have appropriate knowledge in the care and management of children with complex needs. The dedicated staff team works hard to consistently support positive outcomes for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that the independent visitor sends all monthly monitoring reports to the regulator in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that all children have an up-to-date education, health and care plan that informs staff of all their required needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 26, paragraph 5.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that all children’s records are kept up to date and plans are reflective of children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: SC033611 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 4, Blackpool FY1 1NA

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Inspector

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC033611 8 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 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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