Children's Home run by Birtenshaw in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 1 SC373044 Registered provider: Birtenshaw

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a large charitable organisation. It provides care for up to 4 children who may have learning disabilities and social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 4 children were living at the home and spent time with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2026.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/07/2025 Full Good 06/08/2024 Full Good 31/07/2023 Full Good 26/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 3

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Summary of findings

The children have lived together for 12 months and are happy, settled and making progress. They benefit from caring, nurturing and child-centred staff who know them well and understand their individual needs. Children’s views are central to daily practice, and staff support their communication effectively. Family time is well supported, children’s health needs are met and staff support children to attend and engage in education.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and provide high levels of supervision to keep them safe. The manager is driving improvements in care quality and supporting staff development. Shortfalls have been identified, which the manager accepts and has appropriate plans in place to address them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a highly nurturing environment where staff prioritise and consistently meet their needs. Having lived at the home for more than 12 months, children benefit from trusting relationship with staff who are committed, nurturing and child centred. Staff know each child well, understand their individual needs and help them make progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are supporting one child to prepare for a move to an adult provision in the near future. The manager works with other professionals to identify the appropriate support the child will continue to need going forward. Staff have developed social stories to help the child understand and prepare for the move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place children’s views at the centre of daily practice. Staff have a good understanding of each child’s communication needs and consistently consider their views and feelings. Through the use of Makaton pictures, sign language, the Picture Exchange Communication System, points of reference, the child’s gestures and facial expressions, children are able to express their wishes and feelings. As a result, children are actively involved in decisions about their day-to-day care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in a wide range of activities at home and in the community. Children regularly enjoy visits to parks, sensory playrooms, bowling trips and local walks. They have also recently enjoyed a holiday in a caravan. These experiences increase children’s confidence and broaden their life experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s complex health needs. They work in partnership with a range of health professionals to provide coordinated care and ensure that children receive the support they need to manage lifelong health conditions. However, on one occasion, staff did not seek medical advice in a timely manner after a Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 4 child suffered a head injury. While the child did not suffer any adverse effects, this was a missed opportunity to ensure the child’s welfare and could have resulted in a more serious outcome.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their families and friends. They maintain good communication with children’s families. This provides children with a support network where they feel safe to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with the children’s schools to promote consistency in care and support. They share information effectively through daily communication and sensitive handovers. As a result, children remain settled in school, enjoy attending and continue to make educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff sensitively support children to develop skills that promote greater independence. Children are encouraged to attend to their personal hygiene and help prepare drinks and snacks. This helps them develop practical skills that are tailored to their individual needs and abilities.

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

Children experience a safe, stable and nurturing environment because staff place their safety and wellbeing at the centre of their practice. Staff understand each child’s individual needs and the level of support required to keep them safe. They provide high levels of supervision in line with assessed needs and implement appropriate restrictions, such as securing external doors, to prevent children from leaving without adult support. These measures are based on comprehensive assessments of each child’s unique needs and are clearly documented.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s risks, vulnerabilities and underlying needs. Children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans identify these needs and provide clear strategies that staff follow. Support and care provided by staff help children to stay safe, and there have been no missing-from-home incidents.

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

Staff know children well and recognise how they communicate their emotions. By identifying subtle changes in behaviour, staff can quickly recognise when a child is distressed or unhappy and take action to understand and address their concerns. There have been 3 complaints since the last inspection, and these have been managed appropriately.

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

Children have developed trusting relationships with staff who understand how their disabilities affect their development, communication and relationships. Staff help children to understand and manage their emotions safely and support them to make sense of the world around them. They provide well-planned routines that promote predictability and consistency. These routines help children overcome barriers and engage positively in Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 5 daily life. As a result, children benefit from a safe, nurturing and emotionally secure environment where they can thrive.

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

Staff are calm and caring in their approach. They understand the behaviours children display because of their individual needs. When physical intervention is required, staff use it appropriately, proportionately and only to keep children or others safe. Records are clear, and managers provide effective oversight of incidents. However, the manager has not ensured that children are spoken to following an incident of restraint to help them understand why the hold was necessary.

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

Children benefit from a warm, welcoming, clean and tidy home environment. Staff incorporate children’s sensory needs into their care and support effectively. There are photos and children’s artwork displayed around the home, helping children to develop a sense of belonging. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect each individual child’s interests and choice. However, there are some hazards that need addressing. For example, holes and uneven surfaces in the artificial grass in the back garden present a potential trip hazard and need attention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced, enthusiastic and child centred. She maintains effective oversight of the day-to-day running of the home. A capable deputy manager supports her, and together they have developed an effective leadership team. They place children’s welfare at the centre of practice and promote a shared ambition for children to be happy and achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses effective monitoring and review systems to evaluate the quality of care provided and understand the effects it is having on the children’s progress and experiences. She seeks and considers the views of children and those who are important to them to identify strengths and areas for development. She uses this insight to drive continuous improvement in the care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s complex needs require high levels of staffing. There is a core group of staff who are committed, caring and attentive to each child. They work well together as a team and morale is positive. Although there have been some recent staffing changes, the manager is using experienced staff from within the organisation while recruitment is ongoing. This helps maintain consistency and minimises disruption for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented a comprehensive induction and training programme. All staff have completed mandatory training, and the manager ensures that staff receive additional training to meet children’s specific needs. She maintains good oversight of staff skills and knowledge and identifies learning opportunities to strengthen practice. Additional team training helps staff continue to develop the knowledge and skills needed to meet children’s needs effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 6 Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. These one-to-one sessions give the staff an opportunity to reflect on their practice and identify any additional learning needs. The staff say that they value this support from the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that team meetings take place regularly, providing opportunities for staff to share knowledge, skills and experiences. Staff also take part in daily debriefs to reflect on practice and identify learning opportunities. This promotes consistency in the care and support children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have developed strong relationships with partner agencies. They work effectively with professionals to identify and meet children’s needs. The manager is a strong advocate for children and provides effective challenge when necessary to ensure that children receive the support and services they need. Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 7

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff seek medical advice within an appropriate timescale if a child has banged their head. 23 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— 23 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 8 has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the child is spoken to after any incident of restraint, so that they understand why the hold was necessary.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that issues of maintenance in the home are addressed. Specifically, this includes the holes and trip hazard of having uneven levels in the astro turf in the back garden. 23 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 9

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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: SC373044 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, Bolton BL7 9AB

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Inspector

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC373044 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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