Children's Home run by Birchwood Independence Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children's home: 2802317 1 Registered provider: Birchwood Independence LTD

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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 was newly registered in August 2024 to provide care for one child who experiences social and emotional difficulties. It is privately operated, alongside one other home in the region. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home, having moved into the home when it registered.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and registered with Ofsted in August 2024. They were available throughout the inspection. The responsible individual attended the home on the second day of inspection.

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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 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: 2802317 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home was present and spoken with, alongside staff members, during the inspection. The child is making progress and enjoying positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is cosy, overall. The child’s bedroom is personalised and decorated in their chosen colours. Personal cards sent to the child are displayed in the lounge. Their preference not to display photos is respected, but the absence of other artwork or other photos and blinds more typically used in an office slightly detracts from the cosy feel in areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child moves in a relaxed and confident way through the home environment. Recognising the value of positive relationships, staff engage the child in natural, age- appropriate discussions and respond to their requests for support. The child is taken on, and engages in, trips out and activities, such as bowling and meals out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have taken many photographs of the child engaging in activities during their time in the home, but they have not yet involved the child in creating a memory book, or provided them with one. While there is the intention to order a printed book, how the child would participate in the book’s development and the impact of the delay were not understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and managers have high aspirations for the child’s educational success in college. They have advocated for the child and formally escalated issues to address barriers to college attendance. Although the child’s reintegration to education is just beginning, the motivation and preparation, including the identification of risks, are well monitored. However, the opportunities for creative learning and development outside of college are not consistently taken or recorded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff respond to the child’s basic and higher health needs. They proactively consult and involve the child’s social worker and family, to facilitate effective communication. During wider partnership meetings and specialist referrals, and when addressing the child’s documented needs, the managers and staff advocate for the child. They engage the child in meaningful conversations to support their health and decision-making. For example, they discussed the dangers and impact of vaping, which contributed to the child’s choice to stop using e-cigarettes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff champion family time, providing practical, emotional and verbal support to help children maintain positive family relationships. They demonstrate empathy towards the child and family members, effectively supporting the child to maintain positive connections with their parent despite separation. Additionally, the staff have facilitated reunions between the child and a sibling, after years apart. Inspection report for children's home: 2802317 3

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

The leaders and managers understand and fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities, including when children are court ordered to have their liberty restricted. They effectively share information with relevant parties and have policies in place to support staff actions.

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

The child’s neurodiversity, adverse childhood experiences and early trauma were considered during the referral process. The child’s transition planning was considerate of their individual needs and responded to the urgency to move the child into the home without compromising this process. There was a detailed plan for introductions, visits and the sharing of photographs and information about the home.

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

The managers and staff respond quickly and appropriately to incidents. They provide support and reassurance to the child to defuse the situation often before it escalates.

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

The child has not gone missing from the home. The risks associated to the child are understood, including criminal and online exploitation. Strategies are in place to reduce the risks. The home’s policies support and guide staff actions. The managers have effectively used external specialists to ensure that measures are in place for the oversight of technology, and appropriate controls are on the devices the child uses.

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

Restraint has been used on a few occasions. These instances were proportionate and necessary to prevent harm to the child or staff. Managers take action to ensure that the child and staff are spoken to after incidents, demonstrating effective managerial oversight and reflection. There is also evidence of check-ins and efforts to repair relationships with the child following such incidents.

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

The child demonstrates independent skills that staff and the manager recognise and are motivated to maintain and develop further. However, the manager and staff do not adequately identify all existing restrictions, nor have they ensured the appropriate recording of assessment, planning and strategies to remove or reduce these restrictions.

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

The managers and leaders are adhering to safer recruitment practices. Complaints and concerns about staff performance or practice are taken seriously, with advice from human resources gained and followed.

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

The experienced responsible individual understands the expectations and requirements that must be met. They aspire to create a home with limited hierarchical barriers, empowering staff at all levels to engage in decision-making that is focused on positive outcomes for the children. While they communicate this objective well and have identified some strengths and weaknesses, they were not aware of the inconsistencies in practice identified at this inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2802317 4 The registered manager is new to the role and gains support from leaders, who provide high-quality supervision to them and attend team meetings. However, this arrangement has created confusion of roles. The manager does not consistently demonstrate how they set expectations and use monitoring systems to improve practice.

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

The team supervision is not delivered by the manager or the deputy manager to a number of team members. This impacts the oversight and setting of expectations by the managers at this critical time of the home’s development.

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

The leaders and managers place appropriate emphasis on staff development, focusing on delivering training that is aligned with the home’s statement of purpose. However, their efforts to assess whether staff require additional, tailored training based on a child’s diagnosed needs are not being adequately documented or communicated. This is despite a commitment to take actions that will support and improve the quality of care provided.

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

The quality of plans is inconsistent and they frequently lack specific and measurable actions. Furthermore, documents are not routinely signed and dated. Consequently, staff expectations are unclear, and monitoring by managers is inconsistent, contributing to variable care quality. For instance, expectations regarding a child’s bedroom routine tasks being completed before activities and staff responses to inappropriate language are not consistently followed.

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

Managers and leaders recognise the importance of creating a positive organisational culture and maintaining a stable workforce. They provide the team with support and nurture. Despite existing areas for improvement, leaders and managers model ambition and high aspirations for the children. Inspection report for children's home: 2802317 5

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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 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; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that plans to support children are written in plain language, with measurable and specific strategies that can be reviewed and, if required, adapted to improve progress. The registered person should also ensure that all staff clearly understand and apply strategies consistently. 1 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 1 May 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2802317 6 use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff consistently monitor that the child is completing expected tasks as set out in plans, including helping to maintain a bedroom that is clean and well-ordered, and support children to develop their independence. Also, the registered person should ensure that staff consistently challenge inappropriate language. Finally, they should ensure that any restrictive practices or monitoring of children are clearly documented in their care and support plans, with consent from relevant parties. There must be specific timescales for review and strategies to reduce and, where possible, remove the restriction. Inspection report for children's home: 2802317 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff keep appropriate memorabilia of children’s time living in the home. In particular, staff should provide context to the photos that are included in memory books so that children are helped to remember where they were, what they were doing and who they were with when they look back at the photos in later life. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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: 2802317 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Birchwood Independence LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 14 Highlands, Taunton TA1 4HP

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Inspector

Ashley Arkless, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2802317 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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