Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.2

The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people make excellent progress because of the exceedingly high standard of care they receive. Young people benefit from the care and support of a highly motivated and child-focused staff team who shows a genuine commitment to improving their lives.  Young people regard this as their home and confirm that they are very happy living here. Relationships are exceedingly strong and provide them with a sense of stability, safety and belonging. Feedback from parents and professionals is immensely positive.  Placements are long term but there is a clear focus on preparing young people for adult life. Transitions are effectively managed in a well-planned and coordinated way which has enabled two young people to make successful transitions to alternative placements.  Safeguarding practice is strong, and young people’s safety and well-being are given a high priority. Care planning is highly individualised and is underpinned

p.3

The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

by . Consequently, young people’s known and emerging behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities are managed effectively, including those associated with their disabilities.  Strong links are maintained with parents and professionals. The manager and staff advocate strongly on behalf of each young person to ensure that everyone involved in their lives is working in a coordinated and committed way. This means that young people’s diverse and complex needs are at the forefront of all aspects of care planning.  The home is effectively and efficiently run by a dedicated and hands-on manager who demonstrates a passionate commitment to the young people in her care. Her strong, parent-like values underpin all aspects of service delivery, which is child centred and focused on continuous improvement.  Two recommendations have been made following this visit. These relate to sanctions and the independent visitor reports.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person should make best use of information from the independent monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. ('Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are recorded, including the loss of activities, and that they are subject to regular scrutiny. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

p.4

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a privately owned company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who have learning disabilities.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/12/2015 Full Outstanding 30/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/01/2015 Full Outstanding

p.5

Outstanding

Young people benefit immensely from the care and support of a highly motivated and child-focused staff team. A significant feature of the home is the warm, affectionate relationships that exist between young people and staff. These are based on parent-like values and provide young people with a strong sense of trust and belonging. Staff use these relationships effectively to provide a stable foundation on which young people can build for the future. The views of parents, social workers and young people are consistently positive when feeding back about this nurturing and child-friendly home. One young person chose to write down her answers to the inspector’s questions, which is significant in itself. They wrote that they ‘are happy, feel safe and like the staff’. A social worker said, ‘It would be great if every home was like this. Most importantly [name] always says it is good, gives it thumbs up or a happy face.’

p.6

Outstanding

Staff use well-thought-out and effective strategies to help young people overcome the challenges they face in life, including those associated with their disabilities. Consequently, young people are thriving and are making exceptional progress in relation to their personal growth and social development. One social worker said, ‘[Name] regards this as her home. She is very settled and is coming on really well. The long-term plan is for her to remain at this home until independence. I am hoping that they can develop one of their adult services so that she can stay in this organisation with people who really know her and who are dedicated to meeting her needs. This is a fantastic place for young people to live.’

p.6

Outstanding

Young people’s needs, views, wishes and feelings are integral to all aspects of care planning and care practice. Staff are skilled at enabling young people to make choices, influence the running of the home and contribute to decisions affecting their lives. The manager and staff advocate strongly for young people when necessary, and ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are upheld. They have high expectations of external agencies, with which they maintain strong working links, and ensure that young people get all of the support they need. One social worker said, ‘The manager is really dedicated to making sure everyone pulls their weight. She is a strong advocate and will challenge appropriately if we are not doing our bit. She has high expectations of everyone involved in the young people’s lives.’

p.6

Outstanding

Care planning and care practice are based on thorough assessment, monitoring and regular review of each young person’s progress. Staff have a comprehensive knowledge of each young person and provide them with exceptionally child-centred and needs-led support. Strong links and effective communication with parents and a range of external professionals and agencies promote a collaborative and inclusive approach to care planning. As a result, each young person receives an individually tailored package of support that optimises their potential and enables them to overcome the challenges they face in their lives.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff recognise the importance of family relationships and do their best to support these. They keep in touch with parents and family members, recognising that they are the most important adults in their child’s life. They work closely with parents and family members to maintain and improve strong relationships, and offer advice, support and guidance with regard to the development of consistent approaches to their child’s behaviour. This means not only that young people can enjoy well-managed and good-quality contact with the important people in their lives, but also that over time this contact continues to improve and increase.

p.7

Outstanding

Young people are consistently supported to engage in education. Staff maintain strong links with each young person’s educational placement and home–school relationships are strong. Staff share relevant information, including effective strategies of support, which promotes a consistent and effective response to meeting each young person’s needs. This is recognised as a real strength by education professionals, one of whom fed back that, ‘The home works closely with school in maintaining and implementing strategies to improve the outcomes for young people.’ They went on to report that, ‘The high levels of support that our young person has been given has certainly had a positive impact on their educational needs being met.’

p.7

Outstanding

Staff are diligent in their efforts to ensure that each young person’s routine and specific health needs are met on a day-to-day basis, and young people are in generally good health as a result. They work hard to help young people overcome their fears and anxieties through good planning, preparation and desensitisation. Each young person has an information passport which is shared with healthcare professionals when treatment is required. This provides them with relevant information that can be used to inform how they administer treatment. For example, when young people have anxieties around touch. The information passport has been effective in ensuring young people receive healthcare interventions such as dental treatment, and contributes significantly to their health needs being met.

p.7

Outstanding

Young people enjoy a very busy and active lifestyle, and their participation in a wide range of enjoyable and stimulating activities is supported effectively by the staff team. Staff are good at making activities purposeful and use these successfully to help young people keep healthy, improve their social awareness and develop improved levels of independence. A social worker said, ‘This is a really good staff team. They do a lot to keep [name] busy with purpose and focus. He does lots of activities which have helped him to develop and grow.’

p.7

Outstanding

There is a keen focus on helping young people prepare for adult life. They have plenty of opportunities to develop practical skills – such as cooking, shopping for groceries and completing various tasks in the home – which form part of their daily routine. Young people are making notable progress in this area and are showing greater levels of independence when completing basic tasks. This was evident during the inspection when a young person made a cup of tea for the inspector with minimal support from staff.

p.7

Outstanding

Transitions are effectively managed in a planned and child-centred way. There have been no young people admitted to the home since the last inspection because of the extent to which the manager prioritises the needs of the young people in her care. Two young people have been successfully supported to leave, one of whom had lived at the home for 11 years. The manager was extremely proactive in ensuring that the relevant professionals were fully involved and that good support networks were in place prior to them leaving. This was effective in helping one young person to return home to live with her mother and in helping the other to make a seamless transition to an adult provision closer to her parents. Recognition of the support offered by the home is clear in the thank-you cards received from the young people. One wrote, ‘Thankyou as a word seems too small to say what you have done for me. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for your help and

p.8

Outstanding

support. I will miss you because you have done a lot for me and helped me through my hard times and good times.’

p.8

Outstanding

There have been no safeguarding concerns or allegations since the last inspection and young people confirm that they feel safe. Safeguarding arrangements are highly effective and keeping young people safe is integral to all aspects of their care. Strategies for managing each young person’s behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities, including those brought about by their disability, are comprehensively outlined in their individual risk assessments and plans. These are frequently reviewed and updated, and relevant information is shared with parents and professionals to promote consistent responses to managing risk. Staff use these as working documents by consistently implementing effective strategies that give young people’s safety the utmost priority.

p.8

Outstanding

One-to-one staffing ratios ensure that young people receive the supervision and support that they need in order to feel safe and be kept safe. Some young people require this to be constant due to their high levels of vulnerability. The manager is fully involved in multi-agency planning to ensure that any legal parameters, such as those brought about by a ‘deprivation of liberty order’ (DOL), are fully understood and implemented in a caring and sensitive way. The social worker of one young person said, ‘The manager recently attended [name’s] best interest meeting, which included a review of his DOLs. She has a really good understanding of his needs and clearly understands issues around capacity and consent, and his right to make decisions. She always takes action to make sure he is kept safe without unnecessarily depriving him of his liberty. A quality of this home is that staff are risk sensible. They have done some really good work in reducing the use of his

p.8

Outstanding

harness when in the community. It is now used as a last resort only. This is significant progress and a testimony about how much he has progressed.’

p.9

Outstanding

Positive behaviour and achievements are celebrated and rewarded using a range of individualised rewards that are based upon young people’s individual interests. Young people benefit from clear and consistently applied routines that provide them with structure and the opportunity to plan ahead. They are well supported to manage transitions such as changing activities, getting ready for school and family contact. This approach has been effective in reducing feelings of anxiety and behavioural outbursts for some young people.

p.9

Outstanding

Every effort is made to maintain a calm and nurturing environment in the home. Staff make good use of a range of skills and attributes to keep young people positively focused, including trusting relationships, reassuring touch, positive praise and subtle reminders about expectations. As a result, oppositional behaviour is minimal and a calm environment is maintained most of the time.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff take a non-confrontational approach to negative behaviour and make every effort to help young people to understand what they have done wrong. When appropriate, a range of proportionate and individualised sanctions are used. A record of sanctions is maintained. However, a number of these records were found to be incomplete and did not include the manager’s evaluation of the measure. Also, some sanctions are not being recorded. For example, when activities are stopped due to behaviour. Neither of these shortfalls has had a detrimental impact on young people and those responses seen were both proportionate and fair.

p.9

Outstanding

All staff are trained in behaviour management, including the use of physical intervention. Individualised strategies which take into account each young person’s understanding, behaviour and health needs are fully recorded in their positive handling plans. The use of restraint has been necessary on a number of occasions to protect young people from the risk they pose to themselves and/or others. On all occasions it has been used sensitively and in the best interest of the young person.

p.9

leaders and managers

The manager is qualified, suitably experienced and has been registered with Ofsted since March 2013. She is highly motivated and is extremely committed to meeting the needs of the young people in her care. She drives a strong, child-focused approach across all aspects of care practice. Staff describe her as a good role model who provides sound leadership and consistent support to them. She is fully involved in shaping each young person’s care package and has exceedingly strong and warm relationships with them. A social worker said, ‘There are no negatives because [name] receives a first-class service. Key to his progress is the consistency in how staff support him, but also the strong relationships he has with staff in general, and in particular with the manager, who has been a real constant for him. They all know him inside out and I am really impressed with this place. It would be great if every home was like this.’

p.10

leaders and managers

Young people are cared for by a suitable number of staff, who provide one-to-one support for them. The staff team has decreased during recent months in line with the reduction in young people living at this home. All staff are positive about their job and demonstrate high levels of dedication to the young people in their care. They recognise the progress and achievements young people make and are proud of their individual and collective contributions in this respect.

p.10

leaders and managers

Staff bring to the home a wide range of experience and skills, and many have a strongackground in working with young people who have complex needs and learning disabilities. All staff are either qualified or are in the process of undertaking a relevant qualification. Staff confirm that they receive regular and purposeful supervision from the manager and that they have their performance appraised annually. They say that they are supported in their professional development and that, as well as undertaking a range of face-to-face and online mandatory training, they have opportunities to develop their skills through a range of needs-led training, such as managing epilepsy, child sexual exploitation and autism awareness.

p.10

leaders and managers

The manager has a comprehensive understanding of what the home does well, of its impact on young people’s progress and of what needs to be done to further improve the service. She maintains good oversight using a range of effective strategies for monitoring young people’s progress, staff practice and the general performance of the home. Decisive action is taken to address any identified shortfalls, demonstrating a strong commitment to an improvement agenda. For example, the requirement from the previous inspection has been fully addressed.

p.10

leaders and managers

Internal monitoring is further strengthened through regular scrutiny by the independent visitor who visits the home monthly. The visitor clearly assesses how effectively young people’s safety and well-being is promoted, and consistently reflects a high standard of care in the report that she prepares for the responsible individual. The format of the report has been recently amended in order to make clear when shortfalls are identified. This was not the case in the previous format, in which the recommendations for improvement often got lost in the narrative of the report. The effectiveness of this change cannot yet be evaluated as there have been no reports submitted to Ofsted in the new format.

p.10

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.12

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 children looked after 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.12

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.12

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 that 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.13

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.13

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.14

Information about this inspection

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

p.14

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.14

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.14