Children's home run by Lavender Group Homes

Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 1 SC450701 Registered provider: Lavender Group Homes

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to six children and young people with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 February 2018

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are making good progress in a number of areas of their lives.  Young people are safeguarded in the home.  Staff are motivated and committed.  Robust risk assessments underpin young people’s safety and protection. Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 2  All young people are in full-time education and are making good progress.  Communication with partner agencies, and inter-agency working, is good.  Managers and staff work hard to develop good relationships with parents and carers. Contact plans are specific to young people’s individual needs and circumstances.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding 28/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 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

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must –

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (2) (c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that maintenance issues in the home are addressed. 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The children’s, views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to –

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Requirement Due date

help each child express views, wishes and feelings.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1) (a)(b)(c) (2) (a)(ii)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure –

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 30/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 4 (Regulation 12 (2) (b)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the netting around the trampoline is appropriately maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people say that they are happy and settled. One young person said: ‘I think it’s amazing here. The staff are respectful and they understand me.’ Young people have positive relationships with staff and they make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A parent made the following comments about her child: ‘When she lived at home she was often violent. However, since she has been at this home, she has settled and her behaviours have become much more stable. I can see the difference it has made. She is happy. If the staff had a rating I would give them the top one. They are absolutely fantastic.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that they communicate well with young people’s parents, carers and with other agencies. A social worker said: ‘They provide weekly reports so I know what is happening. They make my life so much easier as a social worker, because they know young people well and they keep me fully updated.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are in full-time education and they are doing well. Staff support young people to understand the importance of education. One young person will be moving on to further education at the end of the academic year. More could be done by staff to ensure that relevant college places are explored and that the young person knows the option that are available to him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to become healthier, both physically and emotionally. They are supported to access health appointments and the dentist. This enables young people to develop an understanding of the importance of looking after their health. Specialist help is accessed as necessary, such as child and adolescent mental health services and disability services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The local authority learning disability team offers ongoing support, advice and guidance to staff to ensure that young people are worked with in the most effective way. This, in part, ensures that effective progress is being made. A learning disability worker said: ‘Staff are open to discussion and exploring alternative ways of dealing with young people’s complex behaviours. This really helps young people to move forward.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote good-quality contact between young people and their parents and carers. Contact arrangements are specific to each young person’s needs. Parents and carers are invited into the home to spend time with young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in ensuring that the unique needs of young people are addressed. Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 5 Staff know the young people well. A parent said, ‘The staff are marvellous. They understand her needs and manage her complex behaviours.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are respected and valued by staff. Young people personalise their bedrooms by picking their own decor. This provides young people with a sense of responsibility and control over their lives and helps to raise their confidence and self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are integrated well into the community. A strength of the home is that leisure activities are actively promoted. For example, young people go to youth clubs and go horse riding. One young person said, ‘We sometimes get asked what we want to do and what activities we enjoy.’ However, it is not clear how young people’s views are being ascertained and responded to by the staff. Consultation is an area of development in the home.

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

Young people are safe in the home. One young person said: ‘It feels like a family here. It’s just amazing and I know that I am safe. Even though they are not family, they make you feel like they are.’ Young people are respected in the home.

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

Comprehensive risk assessments are updated regularly and are integral in ensuring young people’s safety and protection. Although young people have a number of disabilities and vulnerabilities this does not stop them from participating in everyday activities. Young people are encouraged to take reasonable risks as part of their growth and development.

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

Staff have a positive and proactive approach to managing difficult behaviour. Positive relationships between staff and young people, and consistent boundaries and routines, are effective in managing behaviour. This provides a sense of stability and continuity for young people. A parent said: ‘Her behaviour has improved so much. She is speaking much more since being there. The staff communicate really well with her. I cannot fault them on anything.’

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

Restraint is only used to manage behaviour as a last resort. A learning disability team manager said: ‘When this young person was in another placement, he frequently needed to be restrained but this is not the case now. Staff use appropriate interventions and they know him very well. He smiles and seems content in the placement. They have really invested in him.’

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

The outdoor area of the home provides a spacious environment for young people to enjoy. The inspection found that the net on the trampoline was ripped and therefore did not ensure young people’s safety when playing on it.

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

All staff have a good understanding of the home’s safeguarding policy and procedures. Recruitment practices are thorough and ensure, as far as possible, that only suitable people are employed to work in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She is a dedicated manager who is passionate about young people. She is committed to developing the staff group and provide them with training opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager said: ‘I am passionate about what I do and I create enthusiasm within the team. I thank my staff and acknowledge their achievements.’ This creates a cohesive staff team who feel valued. A staff member said: ‘It’s not like being at work because it feels like my extended family. She is a good manager.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff describe an ‘open-door policy’ in relation to discussing matters with the manager. They have confidence in the manager’s abilities and they feel supported. A staff member said: ‘If I’m not sure what to do with a young person, I will ask the manager. I know that she will generally have the answers.’ Staff are well trained. They have the relevant qualifications for working with children in residential care or are working towards them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

As well as mandatory training, more specialist training is also provided for staff. An example of this is that some staff are trained in working with attachment disorder and in sign language. Staff development is also promoted through supervision and team meetings. Team development days, staff bonuses and ‘employee of the month’ awards are all used to maintain staff morale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff monitor the progress that young people make. Weekly and monthly progress reports are provided to parents, carers and to the placing authorities. The progress made by young people is fully considered by staff. One staff member said: ‘The difference that we make here is that we make young people feel safe and secure. I treat them like I would my own children. We try and make it a home rather than an institution.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are a number of outstanding maintenance issues in the home. The manager has a plan to complete this work, but at present work remains outstanding.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 7 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

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Information about this inspection

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: SC450701 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 135 Powell Lane, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, Northants NN15 6TE

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Inspector

Davinia Lawton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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