Children's Home run by North Lakes Children’s Service Limited in Cumbria

Unique reference number SC356907 Inspection date 14/03/2014 Inspector Gillian Walters Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 18/12/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home is operated by a private provider, who has three other children's homes in the locality. It provides a service to nine young males, between the ages of 10 and 15 years. The home cares for young people who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. The organisation also operates a school, registered with the Department for Education, providing fully-integrated programmes of care and education.

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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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Progress

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

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Progress

At the last full inspection in December 2013, the home was judged to be outstanding. One recommendation was made as a result of the inspection to promote further improvement in the home's quality assurance arrangements.

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Progress

The Registered Manager has successfully revised her quality assurance reporting format in relation to her internal monitoring arrangements. The new format provides an improved opportunity to evaluate and document patterns and trends and identify actions that will secure continuous improvement. This means that the home is effectively able to demonstrate the impact and value that living at the home has on young people. The provider has additionally revised arrangements for the home's external monitoring to ensure an appropriate level of independence in arrangements and compliance with revised legislative requirements.

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Progress

The home has been proactive in responding to recent changes in legislation and has updated and revised a number of policy and procedure documents accordingly, including its Statement of Purpose. This ensures that young people, their families and relevant professionals have clear information available to them relating to the home's ethos, the outcomes the home seeks to achieve and arrangements relating to their operating practices.

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Progress

Young people are mostly very settled within the home and respond positively to the nurturing approach and clear boundaries provided by the staff team. Young people moving into the home identify the high level of care and support as the key factor that has helped them settle so quickly. One young person commented, 'Staff have been brilliant. They have really been there for me.'

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Progress

The staff team, although experiencing some recent changes, is confident that their strength lies in the good communication that exists within the home. Staff report a high degree of satisfaction with the provider's staff development programme, identifying regular training opportunities as invaluable in keeping their knowledge and skills up to date. Additionally, the staff team benefits from organised visits by relevant professionals that can offer advice and guidance on individual and specific issues in relation to young people. As a result, staff are well informed and able to provide a consistently high quality of care that enables young people to make good and steady progress.

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Progress

Young people are encouraged in accordance with their age and ability to develop a range of independent living skills that will support them as they make the transition into adulthood. For a number of young people this includes having an increased amount of free time that they are learning to manage. Young people have successfully engaged in a variety of community activities, including football clubs and local youth clubs. As a result, young people have strengthened their links with the local community and developed positive peer relationships with other young people living in the local area.

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Progress

Since the last inspection the home has continued to play a key role in promoting and supporting young people's contact arrangements with close and extended family members. Consequently, young people enjoy spending quality time with those that are most important to them. This provides them with good opportunities and support to rebuild and develop these most significant relationships.

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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.

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