Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC039248 Inspector Anthony Kyem Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Lancashire County Council Registered person address PO Box 78 County Hall Fishergate Preston PR1 8XJ Responsible individual Brendan Francis Lee Registered manager POST VACANT / Stuart Selby Date of last inspection 31/03/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 21/08/2014

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Previous inspection inadequate progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make good progress in relation to their individual starting points across all aspects of their care, emotional, physical, social and behavioural development. They benefit from good relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments. Young people's views about their care and their relationships with staff, are consistently positive.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people report, 'I haven't lived here long but, I like it. I like the fact that if you need anything the staff are always there for you. It's good. The best thing is they listen to you. I would describe the home as being friendly, homely and caring.'

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's views, feelings and opinions are central to how the home operates and develops its practice. Young people are routinely involved in key decisions to enable them to influence the running of the home. Consequently, they feel listened too, valued, supported and involved.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from very well planned, highly individualised care, that promotes their needs effectively. Young people are kept safe and they have a strong sense of personal safety. The manager has a good understanding of the home's strengths and weaknesses. They routinely make good use of the home's rigorous monitoring activities to promote, the home's continuing development and 3 of 9 improvement. Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively.

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Overall effectiveness

A social worker reports, 'I have a young man placed at the (home) and I am very pleased with the placement. I especially find the manager, a pleasure to work with. He really does understand the kids and translates good practice ideas to his staff.'

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Overall effectiveness

Young people report, 'When I first moved in here, it was alright, but it got a lot better. The new manager gives you more chances and choices to do stuff. Staff make sure the home's safe and they ring you if you go out. They listen and they talk to us. I'd give the home 8 out of 10... It could do with a refurbishment...The manager is fair and he listens to us…He's very good. He's brilliant.'

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, there are a small number of recommendations made. These relate to improving the standard and quality of young people's accommodation, obtaining their consent for the independent person to access confidential records, providing staff with appropriate training on internet safety and ensuring eligible care leavers, have pathway plans to promote their readiness for independence. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide a service for six young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and is run by a local authority.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/03/2014 Interim inadequate progress 10/12/2013 Full adequate 20/02/2013 Interim good progress 04/10/2012 Full good

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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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Recommendations

 ensure the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated (NMS 10.3)  ensure the contributes to the development of the pathway plan for eligible care leavers and works collaboratively with the young person's social worker or personal advisor in implementing the plan (NMS 12.2)  ensure there is a good quality learning and development programme which staff are supported to undertake. This relates specifically to staff training on internet safety and social media (NMS 18.1)  ensure visits of the home are carried out under Regulation 33 include relevant checks set out in regulations and guidance. This relates specifically to obtaining consent from young people and the placing authority. (NMS 21.7) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people make good progress to develop a positive self-view. They develop self- confidence and emotional resilience as a result of the high quality support provided to them. Staff help young people make sense of their past and they support them to move forward and plan for the future. Staff are positive roles models for young people. Young people have appropriate adults they can look up to and learn from.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people report, 'I really struggled with things that have happened in my past. (Staff member) is nice. She's like the person you can talk to about your problems.'

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are supported to attend school or alternative educational provision. The educational achievement of young people is satisfactory, taking into account both their attainment and progress in relation to their individual starting points. Young people who struggle to attend school benefit from the encouragement they need to re-engage in their education. School leavers are actively supported to pursue further education, training or employment. Staff have high aspirations of young people and they promote positive educational outcomes for them.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people benefit from appropriate contact with their friends and family. Staff facilitate contact so young people can maintain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Young people's independence is promoted. Consequently, they develop their life skills in shopping, cooking and budgeting. Young people are allowed to take appropriate risks as part of their growth and natural development. However, eligible care leavers do not have pathway plans, to promote their readiness for independence.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community. They benefit from positive, constructive and enjoyable activities. They develop their social skills, interests and hobbies as a result of their participation. Young people contribute to key decisions and staff routinely involve them in the running of the home. Young people attend regular in-house meetings and they are routinely consulted as part of the home's monitoring activities. Young people are involved in staff appraisal so they can share their views and opinions about how the staff perform.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy good relationships with staff and with each other. They receive the support they need to build and maintain their positive and constructive relationships. They know how to make a complaint and their rights are promoted 6 of 9 effectively. There have been no complaints made young by people since the previous inspection.

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Quality of care good

Young people's needs are assessed comprehensively. They benefit from very well planned, highly personalised care, that promote their needs effectively. Young people are involved in their plans so they have a positive knowledge and understanding of them. Young people know what targets and goals they are working towards.

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Quality of care good

Young people's needs arising from personal identity, age, gender, race and ethnicity, are all positively identified and addressed in both care planning and daily living. Care planning and practice is highly individualised to meet the needs of individual young people. Staff work effectively with parents, agencies and other professionals to promote continuity of care and positive outcomes for young people.

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Quality of care good

The home provides young people with a healthy environment. They are taught about key health issues so they know how to lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The arrangements for the storage and administration of young people's medication are managed safely and effectively, by trained and competent staff.

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Quality of care good

Young people benefit from the services they need to promote their good health, physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Young people have prompt to access to doctors, dentists and opticians, including specialist support and services, if they need them. The home actively promotes young people's good health, and their well-being.

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Quality of care good

The location of the home ensures young people have appropriate access to public transport and local amenities. As a result, they can access places and services of potential interest to them. The manager is currently working towards completing a safer location review to ensure the location of the home is safe and suitable for young people.

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Quality of care good

The home in its current physical condition does not provide young people with a homely and comfortable environment. The accommodation provided for young people is beginning to look tired. The home is in need of complete re-decoration. There have been some physical improvements. For example, new bathrooms and washing facilities have been installed for young people. A programme of re- decoration and refurbishment is planned to improve the quality of young people's accommodation. Young people spoken too felt the accommodation provided for them required improvement.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

7 of 9 Young people are kept safe and they feel safe living at the home. They have a strong sense of personal safety. Staff place the safety of all young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges this presents them. Visitors to the home are appropriately chaperoned and there is suitable monitoring.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff employed to care for young people are selected and vetted carefully, to protect them from unsuitable people. Staff are trained in child protection so they know how to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. The use of clear and comprehensive risk assessments, pro-active safeguarding practice and management, ensure young people are protected from abuse, sexual exploitation, bullying and neglect.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff understand young people's particular vulnerabilities and they know what action to take, to address them. However, staff are not suitably trained in E-safety, to ensure they are familiar with, and know how to protect young people from the risks associated with social media and the internet. There are positive and effective arrangements to promote young people's safe return, if they go missing. There is evidence to show that the frequency with which young people go missing has reduced positively, overtime. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the local police to ensure young people receive effective support and protection. Staff continue to work with individual young people to further reduce this type of risk taking activity.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people's positive behaviour is actively promoted. Staff share and implement the home's ethos, approach and philosophy, in caring for young people. The home adopts a positive approach that rewards and this encourages the positive behaviour. The use of sanctions has reduced significantly and young people are buying into the targeted incentives and rewards. The use of restraint is exceptionally rare and it is only ever used as a last resort to protect young people from accident, harm or injury. Staff are trained to manage young people's behaviours safely and effectively.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The accommodation provided is physically safe and appropriately secure. All health and safety matters are managed effectively. There are regular fire drills to ensure staff and young people know how to follow and implement the home's emergency evacuation procedures effectively.

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Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. The home employs a full- time newly appointed registered manager, to promote the smooth and efficient operations of the home. The manager has been in post since April 2014. The manager has a professional qualification in social work and leadership and management. There are clear lines of accountability, delegation and responsibility within the home. There are effective arrangements for staff to deputise in the registered manager's absence. 8 of 9 Manager's and leader's routinely make good use of the home's rigorous monitoring activities to promote and improve the quality of young people's care. They have a good understanding of the home's strengths and weaknesses and they take action, to secure improvement. Managers and leaders exercise strong and effective leadership of the home's staff and its operation.

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Leadership and management good

The manager consistently communicates high expectations to staff, about continuing improvement. They stimulate staff's enthusiasm and they channel their efforts effectively. Performance is monitored efficiently and effectively including independent scrutiny. The manager regularly monitors the progress young people make and the outcomes they achieve.

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Leadership and management good

The home's monitoring activities routinely take account of the views and feelings of young people. This enables the independent person to form an accurate opinion about the quality of young people's care and the home's effectiveness in promoting their welfare. Young people's consent is required for the independent person to access their confidential records.

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Leadership and management good

The home meets the aims and objectives of its Statement of Purpose, comprehensively. Requirements from the last inspection have been addressed successfully. Written development plans are in place for the home's continuing development and improvement.

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Leadership and management good

Significant incidents are reported to the authorities promptly, so that appropriate action is taken to protect young people, if necessary. The home is adequately resourced and there are no issues with the home's financial viability. However, the home is not maintained to a high quality standard, this aspect of the service, requires improvement.

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Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from sufficient numbers of well trained, suitably qualified and experienced staff, who promote their needs effectively. Staff supervision takes place regularly and staff feel supported in their work. Staff have access to training to develop their skills, knowledge and professional practice. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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