Children's home run by Lioncare Ltd Operating as The Lioncare Group in Epping Forest

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 An experienced Registered Manager leads this home, supported by a fully staffed team. All staff receive training to meet the needs of the young people in their care.  Staff demonstrate a commitment to young peoples’ wellbeing and welfare. Regularly updated care plans and risk assessments guide care and maximise young people’s safety.  Staff value young people, they talk proudly of their achievements and progress. Young people develop trusting relationships with staff; they share their worries and concerns and receive the help that they need.  Young people make progress in this home. All young people are engaged in education and receive the health services that they require. They take part in leisure activities and community projects and build self-esteem. Young people are able to recognise and take pride in their achievements.  Staff have established strong effective links with specialist services, including

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

police, education, careers and health. This enables young people to receive support and allows staff to access specialist advice to meet young peoples’ needs.  Young people are equipped for their future independence. They undertake an independence-training programme and contribute to their leaving care planning; transition planning is a strength.

p.3

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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

p.4

Recommendations

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

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure the policy on protection of children from abuse and neglect include the arrangements in relation to e-safety (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

p.4

Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide accommodation for five children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home provides therapeutic residential childcare.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

17/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Good

Young people develop secure relationships with staff and a sense of belonging. A Social Worker comment ‘he has a good relationship with the team; it’s his home and family’. Staff speak warmly of young people, take pride in their achievements and reward their progress.

p.6

Good

Staff place the wellbeing of young people at the centre of practice and make decisions in their best interests. Young people receive support to seek independent advocacy where they wish to challenge decisions about their care. They are clear about how to make a complaint but have not complained.

p.6

Good

All young people engage in education. Schools report a good relationship with staff at the home ‘we have a good relationship with staff they complete a handover book each day and we have regular phone contact, we work in partnership with the home’. Effective links with the local youth careers centre supports young people to access college courses, work experience and employment.

p.6

Good

Health services are available according to individual need. Staff access specific health services, including dieticians, child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) and sexual health services. They work in partnership with health services to improve young peoples’ health and well-being.

p.6

Good

Young people access social and recreational opportunities inside and outside of the home, according to their interests. They make decisions, including their summer holiday destination of Cornwall. Young people comment ‘it’s really good, we go on holidays, we go swimming and to the beach, we spend time with staff, watch movies with them and go out’. Young people report feeling safe and do not wish to change anything about their home.

p.6

Good

Young people learn new skills at their own pace and undertake independence skills training. Staff challenge leaving care plans when they are not in the young person’s best interests or do not represent their views. Young people learn strategies to manage their emotions and to talk about their feelings; emotional and practical aspects of leaving carer receive support.

p.6

Good

Staff provide nurturing care and consistent boundaries required for young people to feel secure and make progress. Young people talk with pride about their achievements. They say ‘I have changed, I’m less angry now’ and ‘I’ve changed quite a lot, I go to college now, I go out more and meet friends and we did a community project’. Young people make progress; this equips them in the present and for their future independence.

p.6

Good

The home provides a safe environment where young people settle. Incidents of young people missing or requiring physical intervention are infrequent. Where they do occur, good recording and monitoring is in place and links to risk assessment update. Missing young people receive return home interviews; the home provides this service where the placing authority is unable.

p.7

Good

A full permanent staff team provides care to young people. Arrangements for recruiting staff are safe and effective. All staff receive up to date safeguarding training that includes child sexual exploitation and online safety. Staff are confident in their understanding of safeguarding and their knowledge of safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding issues receive prompt response; recording is clear and evidences action taken and the outcome of safeguarding concerns.

p.7

Good

Young people and staff have a good awareness of on-line safety and internet use is an ongoing discussion between staff and young people. Internet use within the home has a safe-search facility and staff monitor young people’s computer use. The current safeguarding policy does not include online safety; a recommendation addresses this.

p.7

Good

Staff link with specialist services to keep young people safe. A close relationship with the police children’s homes liaison officer enables staff and young people to gain information and advice; this results in the reduced criminalisation of young people. The Registered Manager consults with the Local Authority Designated Officer for advice and information in respect of safeguarding issues. Local substance misuse services provide staff with specialist advice and direct support to young people.

p.7

Good

Young people have individualised risk assessments with clear plans to minimise risks. Regular updating of risk assessments means that risk planning reflects young people’s current situation. Risk assessments are in two formats in separate files; this can lead to confusion if both documents are not simultaneously updated. A recommendation addresses this issue.

p.7

Good

Clear assessments support young people to take age appropriate risks. Social workers comment that young people make progress in small steps at their own pace. Care plan and risk assessment updates reflect the journey of progress that young people make. Young people talk of the positive relationships they have with staff. Open communication between young people and staff takes place informally day-to-day and during the daily group meeting.

p.7

Good

The home cares for young people with diverse and complex needs. A bullying policy is in place but this home does not have a culture of bullying; young people learn to empathise and understand one another. Daily group meetings discuss and resolve day-to-day issues and foster a culture of acceptance. Therapeutic staff support young people to understand one another and learn to communicate their feelings rather than acting them out.

p.8

Good

Health and safety checks are up to date.

p.8

Good

A permanent Registered Manager with extensive experience effectively manages this home. He is undertaking a specialised therapeutic Level 5 childcare qualification to enhance his leadership of this therapeutic setting.

p.8

Good

A full staff team is in place with the majority of staff having been in post long term. Twelve staff have their NVQ Level 3 qualification; three new staff are due to begin this training. All staff receive full induction training; ongoing mandatory staff training is up to date.

p.8

Good

Staff receive effective supervision every three weeks. The Registered Manager feels supported in his role and staff say managers have an open door policy so that support and advice are always available. Staff enjoy their work and feel part of a strong team, staff comments include ‘the team is brilliant, I get a lot of support from other team members, it’s a very supportive and experienced team’.

p.8

Good

Regular monitoring of the functioning of the home leads to action to address any issues and results in improvement to the service. Focussed monitoring of young peoples’ development underpins targeted support to maximise their progress. Where young people are not making progress staff review care plans and challenge decisions that are not in young people’s best interests.

p.8

Good

Staff listen to young people and their ideas and feedback influence the day-to-day decision-making in the home. Young people attend, and wherever possible chair their review meetings, and contribute to the decision making about their lives. Up to date care plans guide the care of young people.

p.8

Good

Staff support young people to understand their lives and background. Young people have a chronology and work through this at their own pace with therapeutic support. Young people’s individual case files record their achievements and rewards are in place to recognise and celebrate young people’s success.

p.8

Good

Young people develop trusting relationships with staff and staff speak warmly and positively about young people. ‘I think we do a lot to build relationships between staff and young people. We provide a lot of opportunities to spend time with young people and talk to them’. Young people share their ideas and concerns with staff, in response staff listen and take action.

p.9

Good

Proactive work with specialist agencies enhances the support available to young people and enables staff to gain specialist advice to meet young people’s needs. Schools report good working relationships with staff, and staff effectively support young people’s education. Therapists provide direct support to young people and link with staff to support the therapeutic approach to care. Network meetings are regular and enable the professional team to think together about young people’s needs.

p.9

Good

Staff work in partnership with parents wherever possible and provide weekly updates. They are proactive in supporting young people’s contact with their families and provide transport to facilitate this where required.

p.9

Good

Young people belong to clubs and activities; current activities include gym, Princes Trust, drama club and circus skills. Staff seek out local groups to meet young people’s areas of interest. This allows young people to develop self-esteem and a sense of belonging in their local community.

p.9

Good

The statement of purpose sets out the approach to care that this home provides, accompanied by and up to date children’s guide. Transition planning is robust and meets individual need. A written transition plan enables new young people to visit the home and to stay overnight before moving in and prepares existing residents for the new young person’s arrival; this supports stability in the home during periods of change.

p.9

What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.10

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

p.11

Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.12

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.12