Children's home run by Life Change Care Limited in Burnley

Inspection report children‟s home: SC486114 1 SC486114 Registered provider: Life Change Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 20 September 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children‟s home: SC486114 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2017 Full Good 12/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/05/2016 Full Good 02/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC486114 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience (Regulation 33(4)(b)). 31/12/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure ─ that staff ─ understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)). In particular, risk assessments should be consistent and clear especially with regards to the use of physical restraint. 30/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children ─ (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure ─ that arrangements are in place to ─ (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child‟s placing authority (Regulation 14(1)(a)(2)(b)(iii)). In particular, each eligible child should have a suitable pathway plan in place. 30/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which ─ (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; (b) are kept up to date. 30/06/2018

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Recommendations

 For children‟s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic Inspection report children‟s home: SC486114 4 environments („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9). In particular, the areas in the home that are scuffed and damaged should be repainted, worn or stained carpets should be renewed and young people‟s rooms should be regularly deep cleaned.  The child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 28, paragraph 5.15).  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes

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Recommendations

should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.30).

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who live at this home benefit from the attentive and nurturing care that staff offer to them. As a result, young people become emotionally resilient, make good progress in managing their emotions and are more able to engage with education. Young people therefore enjoy better life opportunities and positive outcomes because of the holistic care that they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The majority of young people are in full-time education and have begun to develop aspirations for their futures. Young people new to the home, who are not yet benefiting from a comprehensive timetable, are fully supported by staff to engage with their education plan. Although staff keep these young people engaged when not in education, there is no formal structure to their day when they should be in education, nor are education plans linked to preparing young people for full-time attendance in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Being healthy is actively promoted by the staff. Young people benefit from personal trainers in physical exercise and outdoor activities, such as walking and days out in the countryside. One young person, who is new to the home, described a recent trip to the Lake District as „amazing‟.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good emotional and psychological progress. Young people are provided with immediate access to individual therapeutic work that complements the care that staff offer to young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people new to the home are offered a warm welcome from staff, and this enables them to quickly feel valued and settled. One young person said: „It feels like I have been here for ever.‟ Inspection report children‟s home: SC486114 5 Young people are encouraged by staff to develop self-care and independence skills with appropriate expectations in relation to everyday tasks, such as keeping their personal space tidy. However, some young people‟s bedrooms would benefit from thorough cleaning by staff in order to maintain good levels of cleanliness. In addition, there are areas of the home that require repainting and carpets renewing.

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

Young people do not engage in drug or alcohol use and rarely go missing from home. When young people have been missing, staff follow them and search for them, liaising with other agencies in order to ensure the young people‟s safe return. There is then a prompt follow up by staff and the therapeutic team in reviewing and addressing any causes that may have led to the incident. However, not all young people have benefited from being offered an independent return home interview, nor is there a system in place to monitor and track when these have taken place.

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

Staff offer high levels of support to young people, listening to how they feel and helping them to resolve disagreements and conflicts positively. Young people trust staff, and this enables them to be open to the advice given to them by staff. As a result, there has not been any incident that has required physical intervention by staff since the last inspection. Young people, consequently, benefit from a calm and nurturing environment.

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

A recommendation made at the last inspection has not been met. This recommendation was with regards to individualising de-escalation and physical intervention documents. Risk assessments are still not consistent, and some staff are therefore unclear about the use of physical intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced and was registered to manage the home in July 2015. She was not available for this inspection, but the acting deputy manager was present throughout.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, not all the requirements and recommendations have been met. As a result, one young person who is due to become 16 years of age within days of this inspection does not benefit from a Pathway Plan that outlines her needs and future plans. In addition, staff have not received practice-related supervision according to the company‟s own timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people are welcomed into the home, and staff quickly establish good rapport with them. However, their admission has not been accompanied with up-to-date documentation from the local authority. This limits staff‟s insight into young people‟s histories and plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are supported in their role through access to a wide-ranging training programme. Individualised support is offered via the company‟s therapeutic clinicians and there is a team approach among all the staff, ensuring that young people are given timely care Inspection report children‟s home: SC486114 6 based on their needs. One young person commented: „I get help when I most need it.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Professionals speak highly of the staff team. Positive relationships with other agencies are forged and maintained and this offers young people care that covers all aspects of their lives.

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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

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: SC486114 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Life Change Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Room 119, B1 Business Centre, Empire Way, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 6HA

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Inspector

Pauline Yates, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC486114 8 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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