Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC359836 Inspection date 06/02/2012 Inspector Paul Scott Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 22/09/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011).

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Brief description of the service

This is a children's home operated by a local authority. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress.

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Progress

This interim inspection has focused on the progress made by the home since the last full inspection, at which the overall judgement was good. The home has demonstrated continued improvement in the quality of care and outcomes for the majority of young people.

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Progress

Positive action has been taken to address all requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection. The home’s Statement of Purpose has been updated to ensure it describes accurately the services provided by the home. Serious incidents are now routinely reported to Ofsted. The home’s development plan has been revised to include more detail of how the restructuring and reorganisation of the responsible authority will impact on the home. Procedures for admitting young people to the home have been improved. All admissions are now appropriately assessed to ensure the needs of the individual can be met without negatively impacting on the care of young people already living at the home.

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Progress

Young people live in a safe, caring and supportive environment that enables them to make good progress in many aspects of their lives. They continue to achieve good outcomes because they receive a good standard of care from an experienced, competent and qualified staff team. Staff work hard to ensure young people’s individual needs are met. They provide personal support tailored to reflect young people's development and meet their current and emerging needs.

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Progress

Staff encourage young people to take responsibility for themselves appropriate to their age and level of understanding. This has resulted in the majority of young people taking more responsibility for their health and making better choices about safe and healthy lifestyles, education and personal safety. Staff work in a determined manner to establish and maintain positive relationships with young people. This means young people feel valued and cared for and settle into the home quickly. A number of young people have been admitted to the home in a relatively short period of time. Consequently, there has been an increase in challenging behaviour as young people test boundaries. Staff have shown patience and resilience and through creative use of positive relationships and individualised rewards, young people's behaviour is improving. Staff give young people's safety the highest priority. Young people said they like

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Progress

living at home and that they feel safe. Staff work effectively with the police and safeguarding agencies to ensure any concerns are managed robustly. They talk to young people about keeping themselves safe in the community and what to do if they have any concerns. This has led to the majority of young people taking more responsibility for their own safety.

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Progress

The home is effectively managed and continues to show a capacity for improvement based on its performance since the last inspection. Restructuring of the responsible authority has led to further changes to the staff team. These changes have been managed well to ensure the impact on young people's care is minimal. Staff are provided with good support and guidance. They are clear about their roles and responsibilities and show a strong commitment to ensuring young people have the best opportunities to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Regular team meetings provide staff with the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills and develop care practice.

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Progress

A number of quality assurance systems are used to monitor the operation of the home, young people's welfare and progress and the home’s records. Changes to Regulation 34 reporting format have been made between inspections. This format better captures data and allows a more robust evaluation of the information available to take place. However, the views and opinions of young people, their parents and other significant people, including social workers are not routinely sought as part of this process.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure any review of the quality of care shall provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34 (3)) 06/03/2012

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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