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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirement set at the last inspection has been met, all supervisors have had training to supervise staff. The recommendation in relation to evaluating restraints to ensure effective practice and analysis has been met. There is evidence that the Registered Manager monitors restraints and seeks advice in regards to their effective use. There are occasions when this needs to be completed in a timelier manner but the monitoring and evaluation of restraints is effective.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people enjoy a range of social activities within the community. On the day of the inspection some children were on holiday with staff. The other young people were joining staff and peers from another of the organisation’s homes to play in a football tournament.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have left the home and there have been new admissions since the last inspection. The Registered Manager has completed combined placement plans for children admitted and has worked in partnership with social workers to inform care plans and risk assessments. Staff are aware of children and young people’s needs and work collaboratively to ensure they are met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Planned transitions from the home to other placements are positive. Staff advocate for young people to ensure there is a clear plan in place. One young person has been able to make his own decision about his next placement. Staff are supporting him to transfer positive attachments to staff at the new placement. A planned holiday with staff from both homes will enhance the potential for a successful move.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work closely with education to identify schools and ensure that specialist support, such as speech and language therapy, is in place. Staff liaise with school staff to support children and young people who are struggling at school. Staff meet with head teachers and school staff to ensure that they are working together to resolve any issues.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management strategies stem from the therapeutic relationships that staff make with young people and the trust they build in each other. The number of restraints necessary for one young person’s safety has reduced significantly as a result, from approximately seven times a month to rarely. Staff foster an environment where children and young people develop positive relationships with each other and staff to support secure attachments. Young people make good use of group meetings to discuss any concerns and share their day.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff form good relationships with parents and carers; they facilitate contact to ensure that young people see those who are important to them. One parent reported ‘I am happy with the placement as a whole’. Social workers are positive about the service. One Social Worker reported, ‘staff have an understanding of his challenging behaviour and are able to help him to use strategies to manage them’. Another Social Worker said ‘my child is making significant progress therapeutically, I am impressed’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professional relationships between the Registered Manager, staff and partner agencies results in effective multi-disciplinary working to ensure young people’s health needs are met. One young person had an operation involving a short stay in hospital, her lead care coordinator stayed overnight with her ensuring she felt safe and nurtured. Staff are vigilant in regards to young people’s health needs, they sought health professional’s advice on noting changes in children’s health. This led to a medication change for one young person and the diagnosis of an underlying condition.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home does not reflect a nurturing, homely environment and showed signs of disrepair. One young person’s bedroom needs re-decorating; there are holes in walls and torn upholstery, this affects feelings of self-worth and is at odds with the therapeutic ethos.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been changes in staffing, some established staff have left and newly recruited staff did not complete probationary periods. This has been challenging for the Registered Manager, the impact on children has been minimised due to her commitment and the support from the team. New staff shadow experienced staff prior to working directly with young people. Records have not accurately shown who is working in the home at times, this makes it difficult for staff to plan shifts and means reviews and investigations would be hampered. The Registered Manager supports staff in relation to the emotional impact of the work, however, supervisions do not take place at three weekly intervals in line with the statement of purpose.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The Registered Manager and deputy manager are strong leaders and good role models for staff. They are keen to continue to improve the home, both the physical environment and staff support, to enable them to provide for children and young people to provide them the best possible care.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to accommodate up to seven children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It offers a therapeutic approach to the care of children and young people. It is operated by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 (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.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must- (2) (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose, specifically in relation to the frequency of supervision. 31/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked (Regulation 37 (3)) 31/05/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): Ensure the home is well decorated and in good repair. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9).

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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 .

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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,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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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

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