Archived: Belhaven

Updated 15 September 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection visit was carried out by two inspectors from the Care Quality Commission’s Children’s Services Inspection team.

Service and service type

Belhaven is a children’s home that was, at the time of our inspection, providing support to three young people aged between 15 and 18 years who have difficulties with emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced which means that that the provider was aware of the inspection before we arrived on site. We announced this inspection in advance because during week days, we were aware that most of the young people there attended school or college.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

During the inspection visit we spoke to people who lived at Belhaven. We spoke to staff members, including managers, as well as members of the senior leadership team.

We examined and reviewed information during the visit which included policies, procedures and personal staff records and children’s care records. The provider also sent us information following the inspection visit.

Updated 15 September 2022

About the service

Belhaven is a children’s home providing treatment of disease, disorder or injury to up to six people. The service provides support to children and young people aged between 16 and 18 years who have difficulties with emotional wellbeing and mental health. At the time of our inspection there were three young people using the service.

This service is also registered with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. Ofsted are the lead regulator as this is a children’s home.

The published date on this report is the date that the report was republished due to changes that needed to be made. There are no changes to the narrative of the report which still reflects CQCs findings at the time of inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

There were effective systems in place to identify and manage potential risks. These were updated on a regular basis and risk assessments were seen to be up-to-date and in line with current best practice and published legislation. Records examined demonstrated that risk assessments were routinely followed and checked as being both relevant and up-to-date.

Safeguarding vulnerable children was taken seriously by staff and managers alike. Staff were trained in both safeguarding children and adults according to national guidance and staff supervision was seen to include discussions pertaining to safeguarding issues raised both locally and nationally.

Young people using the service we spoke with told us that they felt safe, part of a family and that their views were listened to by staff and acted upon.

Incidents of self-harm had been investigated in a way which minimised the risk of similar incidents recurring, meaning that young people using services at the home had been protected from the possible risk of further harm.

There were effective systems in place for monitoring the services provided. For example, making sure that important daily, weekly and monthly checks had been completed.

An effective system had been used to make sure that all policies were up-to-date. This included the most up-to-date best practice and legislation, and that they contained information that reflected current best practice processes, including taking into account rapidly changing legislation during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Staff had received relevant training to keep young people safe and to undertake their roles effectively. Safeguarding was taken seriously and timely actions to protect young people had been taken when needed.

Young people spoke highly of staff, telling us that they were respectful, kind and that they felt comfortable raising concerns when needed. They also told us that they felt like they had been included when making decisions about the care that they had received.

Young people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in the best interests of those young people; policies and systems seen to be in place supported this practice.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they would meet the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture:

Right support: The model of care and setting maximised people’s choice, control and Independence; Right care: Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights; Right culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

This service was registered with us on 02 October 2015.

Why we inspected

The last inspection of Belhaven children’s home was on 08 March 2017. Monitoring of the service during the Pandemic resulted in no concerns being raised.

There was no evidence that the provider needs to make any improvements following on from this inspection.

Enforcement and Recommendations

There were no recommendations or enforcement action taken in relation to this inspection.

Follow up

There were no follow up actions for the provider to take following on from this inspection.