Children's Home run by Lifeworks Charity Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 1 SC003792 Registered provider: Lifeworks Charity Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a charitable trust, providing care and accommodation for children both on a long-term basis and for a short break. The home provides six short-break placements and four residential placements for children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or a sensory impairment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and responsible individual continue to develop the service provided to children and their families. They monitor effectively the quality of care and help that the children receive from staff. They identify clearly where improvements can be made and prioritise these as areas for development. Good examples of this include providing core staff teams around the children to provide them with stability and consistency, and installing artificial intelligence systems that help the children to communicate their needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children continue to have good experiences when they visit this home, and those children who live here permanently are making good progress. A social worker for one of Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 2 the resident children reported, ‘[Name of child] has definitely thrived in this environment.’ Another social worker, who supports four children using the short-break service, stated, ‘It is a really positive experience for all four and their families.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children attend youth clubs, sports events, music festivals and other community events. The manager has encouraged closer ties with the local community centre, and he continues to review activities that can be developed with local arts and theatre groups. The manager works collaboratively with local community partners across South Devon and Torbay to enable the children to participate, enjoy and contribute to community life.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between children at the home are good. Children who live in the home mix well with the children who visit for a short break. Staff reported that the children help each other and that they have developed mutually beneficial friendships. The manager ensures that children already living/staying at the home are at the forefront of his decisions to admit new children. He will not accept children whose primary need relates to challenging behaviour, because of the possible negative impact on the children already at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A strength of the staff team is helping children and families to prepare for moving on from the home. The manager works closely with local authorities to help them to assess the children’s rights as they move into adulthood while still living at a children’s home. Staff also work well with families to help them to understand how their parental rights change as their children become young adults. One child has very recently completed a successful move into an adult care home. His father thanked staff for ‘all the love and care they have given to [name of child] over the past couple of years’.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff engage well with the children. They use a wide variety of ways to communicate with children to understand their wishes and feelings. All children have access to their own electronic tablet with a selection of communication tools, along with a touchscreen laptop computer. They also have communication aids to make sure that they can communicate in the way they choose to. The ‘My Voice Matters’ tool includes participation and engagement activities through which children regularly provide staff with ideas for activities and events.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager monitors and reviews what happens in the home very effectively. He can clearly demonstrate the positive outcomes and experiences that children have from being at this home. The manager shares this information with the children’s families, and includes examples in the quarterly monitoring report and statement of purpose. This is an effective use of time, it streamlines paperwork and is a transparent way of working.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children at this home are protected and their well-being is promoted. Restraint is not often used. The one restraint used since the last inspection was carried out safely and appropriately. Following any incident, staff evaluate what happened, to help them to identify what caused the child to get upset. Managers and staff take effective action to help children to calm down and feel safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three errors with regards to providing children with the correct medication at the Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 3 appropriate time have occurredsince the last inspection. In each case, staff took immediate action to safeguard the children and to resolve the situation. Leaders and managers reviewed why the mistakes occurred and took action to adapt practices to help reduce any further errors. Parents, social workers and Ofsted were notified of the incidents and actions taken.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The recommendation from the previous inspection has been addressed. Staff no longer use two-way radios throughout the home to communicate with each other. The home is decorated and maintained to a good standard, children have new furniture in their bedrooms and a refurbished kitchen to use. There are no requirements or recommendations made at this inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/11/2016 Full Requires improvement 17/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 differences 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

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

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: SC003792 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lifeworks Charity Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blacklers Park Road, Dartington Hall Estate, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EQ

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Inspector

Guy Mammatt, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 5 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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