Children's Home run by Woodside House Care Ltd in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report for children’s home: SC357455 1 SC357455 Registered provider: Woodside House Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated by a family partnership. The home provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in February 2008.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home and were spoken to by the inspectors.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC357455 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/10/2023 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Outstanding 21/09/2021 Full Outstanding 11/09/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC357455 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Careful consideration is given by the management team when considering new children moving into the home. Leaders and managers consider the needs and vulnerabilities of the children already living at the home. This ensures that children are safe to live alongside one another. As a result, children settle into the home extremely well, form positive respectful relationships with one another and live at the home for a considerable amount of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s complex and challenging needs, including their health needs, are understood and managed well by the managers and staff. Children receive exceptional, individualised care that gives them elevated levels of emotional support and a sense of belonging. The relationships that managers and staff develop with the children enable them to make significant and sustained progress. This alters children’s life chances and improves outcomes for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are enormously positive about the care they receive. One young person said, ‘The best thing here is the opportunities they give you. They are loving and caring. Every opportunity you can give a child, they give it.’ Children access a wide range of activities and are encouraged to explore their hobbies and interests. For example, one child has been encouraged to make a YouTube blog about how Wi-Fi works, and children have experienced fantastic days out and holidays abroad.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people are making remarkable progress in their education and employment from their starting points. Children who have previously been disengaged from education now attend full time and are achieving their targets. One young person has been supported into full-time employment with the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship in their chosen career. As a result, children and young people’s educational, work ethic and career prospects for the future have significantly improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Family time is very well supported and recognised as important by the management and staff teams. The manager and staff have excellent relationships with family members and carers. Staff actively support children in speaking to, reconnecting with and visiting family members regularly. This supports children to stay connected with people who are important to them and supports their sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff have high aspirations for the children and young people in their care. They actively model positive behaviours and attitudes and challenge negative behaviours effectively, using a therapeutic approach. Positive feedback was received from an independent review officer who said, ‘It is a high-quality home. I would not recommend [name of child] is anywhere else. Nowhere else could meet their needs. They genuinely want the best for the children. [Name of child] has thrived.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC357455 4

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

Managers and staff have a comprehensive understanding of the children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments outline children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities and include strategies to guide staff to manage behaviours effectively and support the children. They are regularly reviewed and updated.

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

Staff implement clear boundaries, routine and structure that create a space for the children to feel emotionally safe. Children are protected from harm due to the positive and exceptional changes they achieve with input from the staff team. This means that children’s risk-taking behaviours are significantly reduced.

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

Children are extremely settled in the home. Due to the nature of the relationships in the home, staff manage children’s feelings effectively, including those that may result in conflict. This means that children learn to identify and manage their feelings in a more appropriate way. Children do not go missing from home, nor have they had to be physically held to keep themselves or anyone else safe. This means children are safer because of the excellent care and support the management team and staff provide to them.

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

Bedroom door sensors and a doorbell on the upstairs landing are in use to alert the sleep-in staff downstairs in the basement should the children and young people require support during the night. The use of this form of monitoring and surveillance is not required for the children and young people currently. This means that children’s and young people’s liberty may be restricted as the sensors and doorbell are not being used to safeguard their welfare and are not kept under regular review.

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

The home offers lots of space inside and out. It is clean, tidy and homely. The home is free from hazards and benefits from strong health and safety procedures to protect children from harm. However, the children’s bedrooms and upstairs landing would benefit from redecoration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and responsible individual are inspirational, confident and ambitious, and they advocate strongly for the children in their care. They lead an enthusiastic, highly motivated, qualified and committed staff team. Children from the past and present are extremely fond of them, and this is reciprocated. Both the manager and responsible individual demonstrate excellent leadership of the home and a strong commitment to meeting the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team and staff are collectively committed to achieving the best outcomes for the children and ensuring that they receive a model of care that meets their individual needs. As such, the management team has secured a private rental and are guarantors to ensure that one young person remains close to their network. This means that the young person will receive ongoing support once they move on and can Inspection report for children’s home: SC357455 5 maintain their job, college and numerous appointments and meetings they need to attend. This is exceptional practice and worthy of further dissemination.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

One professional said, ‘Excellent care is offered to [name of young person]. They have acted as guarantor; this is very rare. They have done budgeting work with them to make sure their new home is affordable. I have viewed the flat the responsible individual found for the young person. They have put up the initial rent and bond and supported them to get furniture.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from being cared for by a small, stable staff team, many of whom have worked in the home for several years. Staff feel valued and supported in their roles, receive regular supervision and training and attend team meetings to reflect on their practice. One member of staff said, ‘I have worked at [name of home] for approximately nine years. I have always felt that the home has provided a safe and caring environment for the children and young people. As well as it being a great place to work, it is professionally managed.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children and staff benefit from the strong day-to-day presence of managers and their oversight of the home. The management team has an in-depth understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. They make effective use of internal and external monitoring to make sure that high standards of care practice are maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC357455 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s bedrooms and the upstairs hallway are decorated and maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that any decisions to limit a child’s access to any areas of the home and to use bedroom door sensors must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. This specifically relates to the use of bedroom door sensors and the landing doorbell to alert staff sleeping in during the night. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC357455 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Woodside House Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alison Hayton-Gregg

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Inspectors

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Anna Belshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC357455 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 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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