Children's home run by Lynstead Children’s Services Ltd in Cannock Chase

Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 1 SC405772 Registered provider: Lynstead Children’s Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager has built a strong team that is interested in the young people, and ambitious for them to do well and make progress.  The support of appropriate, positive relationships with staff enable young people to engage with education and therapeutic support, and to manage their emotional difficulties better.  Young people have a strong voice and are able to express their views, which the manager and staff value.  Staff adhere to well-established and regularly reviewed risk assessments and placement plans. Staff encourage young people to take risks within safe boundaries. Young people learn to take responsibility for their own safety.  The manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home. She uses external quality assurance systems effectively to continually improve and develop the service.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers work positively with professionals and parents. However, serious incidents require a more direct sharing of information to ensure that all involved have the information needed in a timely manner.  The recording of physical interventions has improved. On one occasion, the staff did not record the young person’s views. A more thorough evaluation of this incident was necessary, due to the manager being involved in the incident.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/08/2016 Full Good 14/03/2016 Full Requires improvement 05/11/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

(5) In order to meet the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff- (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, communicate serious incidents promptly to other involved professionals. 16/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

(c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(c)) 16/06/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the approach as out in the Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4). In particular, team meetings should be regular, as stated in the Statement of Purpose and records of the manager’s supervision should be available to evidence quality and regularity.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23) This should include monitoring processes, particularly in relation to reviewing incidents and ensuring timely feedback to parents. Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a stable, secure home for young people with emotional difficulties. No young people have moved into or out of the home since the last inspection. The staff know the young people well and have a thorough understanding of their support needs. They are committed to providing a high level of care for the young people. Staff achieve this through nurturing, consistency, clear routines and setting clear boundaries. Young people are aware that staff care about them, and form positive relationships with staff and each other as a result. One young person said, ‘All the staff are nice. I am happy here.’ Another young person said, ‘the home is good, 100%’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the staff is their use of different methods to ensure that the young people are able to express their views. The effective and creative use of house meetings means that young people have a say in the running of the home, as well as discussing specific issues such as how to make a complaint. Key-work sessions occur regularly and cover areas specific to each young person, for example self-harm, anger management issues, and contact with family and friends. Young people are encouraged to engage with independent advocates and this ensures that they have the time and space to engage with external professionals. Staff enable young people to contribute effectively to their placement plans and review of care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people have a place at the organisation’s school or access to tutoring, and have high levels of attendance. Staff’s communication and liaison with education providers are good. School staff inform the care staff if young people are struggling at school. The staff provide the young people with opportunities to discuss any concerns that they may have, and work closely with the school to ensure a consistent approach. Young people are making progress in school due to these close links and support for their education. A schoolteacher reported that ‘the young person’s speaking and listening skills are improving, and he is gaining in confidence’. She attributed this achievement to the support that he has from the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to work through their emotional difficulties. The close relationships with staff enable young people to explore their feelings and experiences. They seek out the staff to spend time with them and discuss issues which are important to them. Close professional working with a clinical psychologist means that staff have regular, helpful consultation. This equips them with the necessary knowledge and skills to help each young person best. One young person said, ‘they help you to manage your anger’. A social worker said: ‘the young person has gained more insight into his feelings. He knows that all the staff care about him and are committed to him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are met well. They attend regular health appointments and are encouraged to improve their health through a varied diet and exercise. Staff persevered with one young person who had concerns about an appointment. They helped to allay the young person’s fears by using a slow introduction and frequent Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 5 reassurance. The young person was able to attend a dental appointment through this patient approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people have positive contact with family and friends. They encourage young people to keep in contact with friends who move away. Young people feel confident to make their own decisions about contact with family in the knowledge that staff will listen to and support them. Relationships with parents are generally good, and one parent said: ‘I’m happy with the staff. They are really nice, and my child likes them.’ However, one parent fed back that the weekly reports are not sent regularly enough. This means that she is not always aware of what has happened for her child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate considerable pride in the young people’s individual achievements. They display the young people’s artwork on the walls of one of the rooms, including handprints of all the young people who have lived there. Any particular skills that young people have are immediately recognised and encouraged. For example, one young person regularly helps staff to cook the evening meal, and another young person has been encouraged to do an apprenticeship. He discussed with the inspector his plans for his future career choice, something that he did not consider previously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people gain the necessary skills to increase their independence in preparation for when they leave the home. The use of incentive charts helps young people to work on the areas needed to assist them in developing these skills. One young person has improved his social presentation. He previously wore a hood to cover his face, but he no longer does this.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people’s safety and welfare are central to staff’s learning and practice. Staff have excellent knowledge of safeguarding policies, including the missing from home policy, and practices. The registered manager has developed excellent relationships with the local police support officer and missing persons’ liaison officer. The local police provide training in relation to child sexual exploitation and gang-related crime. This ensures that the staff have local knowledge about real risk and are able to encourage young people away from areas of concern. They are able to anticipate issues which might occur and agree measures to keep the young people safe. The incidence of young people going missing from the home has been significantly reduced.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff demonstrate a high level of concern for young people’s safety. One young person said, ‘This is the safest place that I have lived.’ Another young person sought the support of the staff to prevent a self-harming incident. Staff’s knowledge, vigilance and quick response prevented the young person from coming to harm. The registered manager did not report this incident verbally to professionals at the time. An opportunity for shared professional evaluation of the incident was delayed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

All young people are encouraged to manage themselves safely in the community. Risk assessments inform staff of potential risks and are subject to regular review, which ensures that they remain effective. Staff contact young people regularly while they are Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 6 away from the home, to ensure that they are safe. The positive relationships that staff have with young people mean that they respond, knowing that staff care about them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Experienced behaviour management trainers teach staff behaviour management practice. Staff successfully use de-escalation techniques, and use physical intervention only as a last resort. The recording of incidents has improved. However, on one occasion, the young person’s views on a physical intervention were not recorded. The opportunity for the young person to reflect on the use of this measure was missed. The registered manager was involved in the intervention, and was not able to analyse the success of the intervention from the young person’s perspective.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The physical environment is safe and well maintained. The home is being redecorated and refurbished. All health and safety checks have been undertaken and recorded. The location’s risk assessment provides adequate information on the risks to young people in the local area. The registered manager consults a wide range of professionals to inform this assessment, including the police and Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a level 5 diploma in leadership for health and social care, children’s and young people’s services. She has developed an effective team. Staff are well trained and experienced. They have the skills to look after the young people. She is proactive in accessing additional learning for herself and the staff to ensure that they have the necessary experience and skills. Staff are trained in specific issues in response to the young people’s needs, for example self-harm and ligature training. The staff and young people benefit from having a consistent, experienced manager in place. All staff spoken to describe the manager as supportive. A member of staff said, ‘the manager is very experienced and knowledgeable. Everyone has been very helpful.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff induction is thorough, and staff access five days’ training at the organisation’s head office to ensure that they receive intensive training in mandatory subjects such as safeguarding and health and safety. Staff then access online training at the home and have shadowing opportunities to work alongside more experienced staff. Newly recruited staff are enthusiastic about the work, and one new member of staff said: ‘I love my work. It is fantastic.’ Another new member of staff reported, ‘I was well prepared for the post and how to meet any challenges’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a robust complaints system in place. The registered manager records complaints formally and ensures that they are fully investigated. One such occasion was when a neighbour complained about the behaviour of a young person and the lack of response from the manager, who was absent from the home at the time. The senior in charge dealt with the matter. The registered manager subsequently spoke to the neighbour to discuss the concerns. The young person involved brought flowers for the neighbour, in line with the staff’s restorative justice approach. The neighbour confirmed that she was happy with the outcome and pleased with the response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision for staff is regular and evaluative. However, the registered manager is Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 7 unable to evidence records of supervisions from her line manager. The registered manager recognises the importance of sharing knowledge during debriefings and handovers, and communication between the manager and staff is good. However, team meetings are not regular, limiting opportunities to collectively share practice matters. These issues are contrary to the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s guide is informative and appropriate for the young people placed. Young people have the necessary information to know what to expect upon moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good-quality external monitoring aids the ongoing development of the service. An independent visitor makes clear and relevant recommendations, which the registered manager acts upon immediately. However, internal monitoring processes failed to detect some areas of improvement that were needed in relation to an incident. She recognised this and made plans to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed competent processes in recording and monitoring the finances of the home, including the young people’s personal money. She has fully met the requirement and recommendations from the last inspections. She is an enthusiastic leader who is aware of the strengths and areas to develop at the home, and is committed to providing the best outcomes for the young people.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lynstead Childrens Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Venture House, 12 Prospect Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspector(s)

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC405772 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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