Children's home run by Lavender Group Homes

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 This is the first inspection since the home was registered in November 2016. Young people have settled very well and are making good progress, given their starting points. They have good relationships with staff which help them to feel safe and secure.  Admission and transition practices are very good because they take account of individual needs and previous experiences.  Young people’s behaviour has improved significantly in some areas since moving into the home. This means that their safety, and the safety of others, improve. It also enables them to engage in more activities in the community.  All young people have either no or limited verbal communication. Staff are good at using different communication methods to empower young people, and this is a strength.  Young people’s attendance at school is very good. Staff work collaboratively with schools to ensure that they have the best chance of reaching their

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The children's home provision is good because:

potential.  Partnership working is a strength, which helps to ensure that staff can meet young people’s holistic needs.  A requirement has been made to ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is sent to Ofsted whenever this is amended. Four recommendations have been made in relation to record keeping, the management of medication and providing individual written risk assessments for young people who go swimming.

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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 ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement of purpose within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(b)) 31 August 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):

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children’s case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  Ensure that medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. This is with specific reference to obtaining clear guidance from the prescriber for medication which is to be administered as and when required. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  Children’s home staff should take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements, based on the individual child’s needs and developmental stage, about when to allow a child to take a particular risk or follow a particular course of action. This is with specific reference to producing individual written risk assessments for young people who go swimming. (‘Guide to the children's homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)  Ensure that all incidents of restraint are recorded to enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint, to identify effective practice and to respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Good

Young people receive a good standard of individualised care from a committed staff team. They appear happy and are making good progress, given their starting points. Their communication skills and confidence have improved. Minutes of young people’s review meetings reflect this progress and note how settled young people are. One young person’s review minutes stated, ‘He is indeed thriving since his move to the home. He has formed good friendships and has a good rapport with the staff.’

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Good

Young people have settled quickly, which can be attributed to very good admission and transition practices. Staff have worked in tandem with parents, carers and a range of professionals to ensure that each young person’s admission has been as smooth as possible and at their own pace. A social worker described the transition of two young people to the home as ’brilliant’ and ‘beautiful’.

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Good

Individual placement plans, routines and risk assessments are in place and reviewed regularly. However, it is not always clear what information is new. This has the potential to affect the monitoring of young people’s progress. Not all records are signed and dated by the author. There is no evidence that these shortfalls have affected the health and well-being of young people. Staff work closely with parents, carers and a range of health professionals to ensure that they can meet young people’s physical and psychological health needs. Young people access routine health checks, as well as specialist health services. For example, some young people access specialist dental clinics, and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. The management of medication meets the needs of young people and there are good monitoring systems to ensure that medication practices are safe. However, staff do not always obtain clear and up-to-date guidance from the prescriber for

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Good

the administration of PRN (pro re nata: as and when required) medication. Empowering young people is a top priority. All the young people have either no or limited verbal communication skills. The ability of staff to use different communication methods has helped young people to develop good relationships with them quickly and trust them. Staff use a range of individualised communication systems to ensure that young people can contribute to decision making as much as possible. Staff also work closely with young people’s parents and carers, who will advocate on their child’s behalf when necessary. The acting manager has recently introduced memory books for each young person which include photographs of them engaging in different activities. This helps young people to share their experiences and celebrate their achievements with their families and people who are important to them. Young people’s attendance at school is very good. Staff work closely with schools

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Good

to ensure that each young person can meet their full academic and social potential. It is clear from reviewing a young person’s records that some of the targets set in school are replicated in the home and that the young person is making progress. For example, one young person’s school target is to develop spoken language and improve opportunities for social interaction; staff at the home are also working on these. Young people are increasingly accessing a wider range of activities based on their individual interests and needs, as well as trying new activities. This means that they have fun, while at the same time becoming more confident in social situations and being able to be part of the wider community. A good level of staffing allows young people to go on individual activities as well as share activities with the other young people. All activities are risk assessed by staff, but individual risk

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Good

assessments for some activities, such as swimming, are not in place. This does not fully protect young people from the risk of harm. Young people live in accommodation which is decorated and furnished to a good standard and takes into account their individual needs and behaviours. Staff encourage young people to personalise their bedrooms and contribute towards choosing the decor.

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Good

Safeguarding young people is at the forefront of practice. Staff receive a range of training, including safeguarding children with disabilities, and they are fully aware of their responsibilities to report any child protection concerns. This, along with effective risk management, ensures that young people are safe while at the same time enabling them to become as independent as possible. Management monitoring systems of staff practice contribute to ensuring young people’s safety.

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Good

Staff are good at managing young people’s complex and diverse behaviours. They have quickly come to know and understand individuals’ behaviours, including triggers for behaviours, and they are good at interpreting body language. A social worker commented that staff are very good ‘at picking up the cues’. Staff take time to explain to young people why behaviours are unacceptable and why staff have to say ‘no’. This helps to provide consistent boundaries and helps young people to trust staff. All young people have made good progress in improving their behaviours since being admitted to the home. This is reflected in comments made by parents and professionals. A social worker told the inspector that a young person has not presented certain behaviours that they displayed in their previous placement, and that this is significant progress.

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Good

Physical intervention is used when appropriate and as a last resort. Physical intervention records do not always give clear details of who was directly involved or which staff member held which part of the young person’s body. These shortfalls may limit the management team’s ability to assess whether practice is safe and appropriate. Incidents of young people going missing are unlikely. However, there are clear protocols to follow in the event of a young person going missing which are in line with the local police procedures and statutory guidance. Staff work closely with the local police, and the police have provided all young people with a ‘keep safe’ card through a scheme that the police run for children with disabilities. This is good practice and helps to protect young people who are particularly vulnerable to the risk of harm and abuse.

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Good

The management of health and safety is good. Young people’s particular needs, including their behaviours and levels of understanding, are taken into account. For example, all young people have a personal emergency evacuation plan.

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Good

The registered manager has many years’ experience of working with children and young people with learning disabilities in residential care, and is suitably qualified. However, he has been off sick since the end of February 2016. An acting manager has been in post since March 2016. A registered manager from the company’s other home and the responsible individual are providing him with additional support. The acting manager is currently applying to become the registered manager as an interim measure.

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Good

The home initially went through a period of instability in terms of staffing, and many of the staff who were originally appointed left. However, new staff have been appointed. Staff told the inspector that they are receiving good support from the acting manager and supporting management team. There is no evidence that the staff changes have had an impact on young people’s care and development. Staff receive a range of training to enable them to meet young people’s needs. Nine staff members have a level 3 qualification in working with children and young people, and eight staff members are in the process of completing the qualification. Staff told the inspector that they benefited from a thorough induction which included shadowing staff. They also confirmed that they receive regular supervision and have monthly staff meetings. These enable them to raise any concerns, and to discuss practice issues and their personal development.

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Good

Managers recognise the importance of reviewing young people’s placements when they have not settled, are not making good progress, or are having a detrimental impact on the lives of other young people. Decisions to terminate a young person’s placement are made only following careful consultation with parents and placing authorities.

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Good

There is a detailed statement of purpose which provides clear information about the services provided to parents, carers and key stakeholders. It is reviewed and updated when required. However, the registered provider does not ensure that copies of the updated statement are sent to Ofsted as required. Practice in the home is in line with the statement of purpose.

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Good

There are a range of quality assurance and monitoring systems that help to monitor young people’s care and inform future practices and developments. All staff take responsibility for health and safety checks. The acting manager reviews all records and completes a monthly quality assurance report. He also obtains feedback from parents and key stakeholders on a quarterly basis, which helps to inform practice and improvements. An independent visitor carries out monthly visits which complement the internal monitoring systems.

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Good

Partnership working is an integral part of staff practice and is a key strength. This is particularly important for young people who have limited or no verbal communication skills. This means that their holistic needs are met and that they have other advocates to represent their views when necessary. Parents and social workers have confirmed that staff work closely with them and receive regular progress reports. One social worker commented that it was ‘a pleasure to work with such a good service’.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

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

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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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