Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC039676 Inspector Caroline Jones Type of inspection Interim 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 Susan Sewell Date of last inspection 22/10/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 23/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

Young people's progress, experiences and outcomes have remained positive since the last inspection. They are safe and settled during their short break at the home. Staff create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for young people to enjoy and meet up with their friends. There are no risk taking behaviours, complaints, significant incidents or restraints. Young people's parents and partner agencies are consistently complimentary about the service and their feedback is used to drive the service forward.

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This inspection

Young people continue to attend school during their stay and excellent communication between parents and staff makes sure that young people's routines are maintained. They continue to participate in a wide range of activities including; camping, outdoor pursuits, holidays, arts and crafts. Furthermore, young people are working towards a 'Gateway Award' which encourages them to gain new skills and experiences, become more independent, make friends and be active in the community. Challenging barriers to participation for young people with disabilities, is a key strength of the staff.

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This inspection

Young people are central to care planning and detailed short break plans provide a comprehensive picture of their individual needs and how these are met during their stay. Moreover, staff know each young person individually as they have been staying at the home for a number of years. This detailed understanding of each young person's individual talents, interests and backgrounds ensures a personalised stay that meets every aspect of a young person's needs.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager remains in position and is supported by two senior workers who deputise in her absence. This ensures the smooth running of the home. Quality assurance systems are in place to promote care practice and drive improvements further. The three recommendations from the previous inspection have been 3 of 5 addressed and implemented into practice. Namely, all supervisions of staff are now recorded, young people's views are incorporated into monitoring activities and staff have had further training in relation to young peoples complex needs. The future operation of the service is currently under review and continues to be influenced by the modernisation agenda of the local authority. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This is a short-break children's home operated by a local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to 10 young people with physical and learning disabilities.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2014 Full good 15/10/2013 Interim good progress 16/04/2013 Full good 30/01/2013 Interim satisfactory progress Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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