Children's Home run by Lonsdale Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children‟s home: 1183605 1 Registered provider: Lonsdale Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged to be good at the last full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A suitably experienced registered manager manages the home. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience of residential childcare, and demonstrates good leadership and management skills. Three experienced team leaders support the registered manager. Together, they lead a caring and nurturing team of practitioners. The young people speak highly of the staff. Staff are focused on achieving positive outcomes for young people. This is evident in the relationships that they have with young people and the positive progress that young people make while living here.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One requirement and one recommendation were made at the last inspection. The registered manager has addressed these and, as a result, practice in these areas has improved. Inspection report children‟s home: 1183605 2 There has been one new resident since the last inspection. The young person has settled well into their new home and they are making good progress. One young person has left the home since the last inspection. This was a positive move for the young person, who returned home to live with his mother. During their time living at the home, the young person‟s risk-taking behaviours reduced considerably. He re-engaged with education and successfully achieved GCSEs. Gaining these qualifications enabled the young person to secure a place at college to study a subject that he wanted to. The feedback from the young person, his mother and the social worker is extremely positive. Staff received a „thank you‟ card from the young person and his mother. In it, the young person thanked

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

staff for all that they had done for him. The mother said, „I just want to thank every single one of you for helping myself and (name of young person).‟ She went on to say that (name of young person) was not in a good place when he arrived at the home, but that she had seen a massive change in him „and this is because of all the love and support from you all‟.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from good support as they make the transition back home or onto independent living. One young person is currently exploring independent options. In preparation for this, staff are working with the young person to ensure that they develop the practical independent skills that they will need. In addition to this, they are supporting the young person to manage their own risks and providing them with opportunities to develop strategies to help to keep themselves safe. The young person spoke positively about the support that the staff have offered them. The young person said that they had been on a rollercoaster since arriving at the home. They went on to say that the staff had really supported them in this, and that this had really helped them. In addition, that said that they „feel happy‟ and „want to do something with their life‟.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are making very good progress and they say that they like living here. One young person said that they „love it‟ and feel „lucky to live here‟. The care that young people receive is in line with their care plans. When young people arrive at the home, they are not always fully engaged with their education. Soon after arriving, young people receive the support that they need to re-engage with their education. As a result, young people are attending education and are making good progress. Staff work in partnership with schools and colleges. Together, they ensure that young people make use of the opportunities available to them to reach their full potential, and that they feel safe and happy.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff know the young people well. Young people have positive and trusting relationships with staff, and they feel safe. Relationships between the young people are also good. It is evident that young people care about each other. One young person said that it was like living in a family, and that the other young people were like brothers and sisters. Relationships between staff and young people are a key strength of the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from effective behaviour management practice. Good, positive and respectful relationships between young people and staff support this. Young people are encouraged to manage their own behaviours and make good choices. Should young people receive a sanction for their behaviour, it is proportionate and restorative in nature. Staff work proactively to understand the root causes of young people‟s Inspection report children‟s home: 1183605 3 behaviours, and how to manage them more effectively. One example is that a decision was recently made, after consultation with a doctor, to reduce a young person‟s medication, which is taken to supress behaviours, to see whether staff could manage the behaviours without the medication. However, a medical care plan to support this decision was not in place, thus the staff were managing this decision with limited advice and guidance from medical professionals. As a result, the management and monitoring

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

of this decision were not robust enough.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people receive the support that they need to understand and manage their own risk-taking behaviour. When risk assessments and plans are clear and accurate, they are to a good standard. Staff identify key risks, and grade them to show the level of risk. The rationale for the grading is clear, as are any changes to the grades. However, this practice is not consistent and, on occasion, the records are inaccurate. Subsequently, the grade and the level of risk-taking behaviour are not clear. In addition, the rationale is contradictory, on occasion, and does not provide the reader with a clear explanation of the risk and how to manage it.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff safeguard young people effectively. Furthermore, young people are empowered to safeguard themselves. Staff work together with the young people and partner agencies to ensure that everyone understands the risks, and that these are managed both sensitively and appropriately. They follow procedures well and ensure that all relevant people have the required information in a timely way. They provide continuous support to the young people, and show empathy and understanding. This gives young people the reassurance that they need to feel safe and supported. For example, a young person went missing while they were on contact with their family. This missing from home episode was for a number of days. Staff ensured that they kept in regular contact with the young person. Staff provided them with the reassurance and support that they needed to make the right decision and return home. Once the young person returned,

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

they received the support that they needed. There have been no further instances of this behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of recording is good, overall. However, there are occasions when it is not clear who the author of a document is or when it was written This means that it is not always clear who has written the document and which version it is. Furthermore, when decisions are made about the care of a young person, this information is not always visible in the young people‟s assessments and plans. Consequently, on occasion, the information available is ambiguous.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have access to a range of activities. Staff support young people to try new experiences and to have fun. Young people went on holiday abroad in the summer holidays. This was a positive experience and the young people spoke very fondly about this. There are plans to do the same this year. Young people are very excited about this. For some young people, it will be the first time that they have been abroad.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people receive support to have regular contact with their families and friends. Young people regularly have friends over for tea. Young people also benefit from having overnight contact with their friends and families. This helps young people to develop and Inspection report children‟s home: 1183605 4 establish relationships. It gives them the opportunity to develop social and independence skills. When contact arrangements are not working well, staff explore alternative ways to facilitate contact and ensure that young people are benefiting from it and that they are safe.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/06/2017 Full Good 24/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/06/2016 Full Requires improvement

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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

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. In particular, the registered person must ensure that medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. In this regulation, “prescribed” means ordered for a patient, for provision to the patient, under or by virtue of the National Health Service Act 2006 or section 176(3) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (Regulation 23(1), (2)(a)(b), (3)(a)) 06/04/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

Specifically, that all records contain accurate, up to date and sufficient detail. Inspection report children‟s home: 1183605 5

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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

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‟.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 14 Meadowbarn Close, Cottam, Preston, Lancashire PR4 0AG

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Inspector

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1183605 6 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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