Birch Cottage

Inspection report for children’s home: SC421197 1 SC421197 Registered provider: ABC Care and Education 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 is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2022.

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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 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: 15 January 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC421197 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2025 Full Outstanding 08/08/2023 Full Good 21/09/2022 Full Good 18/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC421197 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a strong sense of belonging in the home. Staff understand the importance of building and maintaining positive relationships, and they know the children well, speaking about them with warmth and respect. The children enjoy nurturing, affectionate relationships with staff, and having lived in the home for several years, they view it as their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have excellent attendance at school and are making good progress. Staff communicate and work exceptionally well with education professionals. The manager undertakes research about local school options and matches these to the child’s needs. This ensures that the children are attending the most appropriate education provision available.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to maintaining good relationships with the important people in the children’s lives. Sensitive and empathetic staff support children’s family time. Staff share good lines of communication with family and involve them in decisions about the children, where appropriate. Children see the adults around them getting along and working together to look after them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s days are filled with laughter and excitement. Staff are attuned to the children’s moods and can recognise when they need shared time together or one-to-one support. Children enjoy a wide range of activities and feel comfortable and secure within their daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have personalised bedrooms and plenty of space to play. Their artwork is displayed throughout the house, giving the home a warm and individual feel. The property is currently undergoing redecoration; however, some areas remain tired, in need of repair, and, in places are unclean.

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

Staff understand children’s individual risks and know what they need to do to keep them safe. Staff regularly reflect on their practice and decisions are child focused. Staff have a good understanding of their roles in protecting the children. Professionals unanimously said that the staff team keep the children safe.

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

Staff model and encourage a culture of respect and kindness. They communicate effectively, using children’s chosen methods of communication. Staff listen to, and value children’s views, ensuring that they feel listened to. Children are at the heart of decisions in the home, and this contributes to the overall family atmosphere. Inspection report for children’s home: SC421197 4 Staff help children to understand their strong feelings and develop strategies to manage them. They use approaches that mirror the zones of regulation used in school, providing consistency across settings. Staff understand children’s individual emotions and respond promptly to early signs of distress. This consistent, proactive approach has reduced the number of occasions when children need to be held.

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

Children have access to a range of primary and specialist health care professionals. This is tailored to support each child in response to their individual needs. Professionals attend meetings in the home to offer specialist advice and guidance to staff in helping children who are recovering from trauma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and her deputy are enthusiastic and ambitious about the care that children receive. Staff talk about each child with insight and warmth. It is evident that the children’s happiness and wellbeing are the managers and staff’s priority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager takes all complaints and allegations seriously, and these are thoroughly investigated. When necessary to protect children, the manager acts promptly and follows disciplinary procedures. Staff feel confident and comfortable raising any concerns they may have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide high-quality support and supervision. Staff reflect on their practice and contribute to their own learning in supervision, annual appraisals, and team meetings. Guest speakers provide guidance around areas such as play therapy and speech and language development. These meetings are well attended and there is active staff participation creating a learning culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an efficient monitoring and review system in place to effectively identify the homes strengths and areas for development. This generates regular updates to partner agencies about each child. The manager uses the monitoring tools to track children’s behaviour, identifying any patterns that emerge, guiding the manager to the best possible response and staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff have exceptional relationships with the professionals involved in the children’s care. Two professionals report that this is one of the best homes they have worked with, for the strong relationships and trust the children have been able to buildup. The manager is particularly skilled in advocating on behalf of the children without compromising these working relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: SC421197 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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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: SC421197 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: ABC Care and Education Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: International House, 61 Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3HZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Kennedy

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Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC421197 7 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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