Children's home run by Lioncare Ltd Operating as The Lioncare Group in Epping Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 1 SC068067 Registered provider: Lioncare Ltd operating as The Lioncare Group

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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 children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties. The manager was registered with Ofsted on 27 March 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

Date of last inspection: 6 December 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/12/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/01/2017 Full Inadequate 20/07/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 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 meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c)) 31/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d)) 30/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(3)(d)) 30/09/2018

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Recommendations

 Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 4 worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming, with modern decor and furnishings throughout. Staff develop positive relationships with young people. This reflects the relationship-based approach that is underpinned by the chosen therapeutic model of care. Young people are helped by staff to develop a positive sense of self and are supported to explore their identity. Staff apply the learning from their therapeutic training in their day-to-day work with young people, helping them to understand life from each young person’s perspective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of young people’s needs upon arrival and this is strengthened by an assessment that is undertaken as they settle into the home. Staff encourage young people to personalise their own bedrooms. Individualised support plans for young people are detailed and reflect all young people’s support needs, including therapeutic, education and health needs. Staff fully understand these plans and use them to ensure consistency of care for young people .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Restorative approaches are used well by the staff team, and young people are helped to develop skills for life, including how to repair relationships with others. This facilitated process is particularly helpful in providing young people with skills in building relationships with others. This helps young people to manage their own responses and communication. The process also promotes open and honest day-to-day interactions between staff and young people, underpinned by clear expectations for young people’s behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions for young people are planned well and ongoing outreach support is provided, where appropriate, as young people move on to independence. The importance of ongoing support is recognised by staff and young people, due to the supportive relationships that have been developed between them. Pathway planning for young people is detailed and staff work well with placing local authorities to achieve this. Staff and managers appropriately challenge placing authorities where there is a delay in care planning for young people. However, this challenge is not used as effectively in relation to pathway planning for young people’s independence.

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

The registered manager provides clear leadership to the members of the staff team, who understand what is expected of them. Staff are provided with extensive training to meet the needs of the young people in their care, including specific trauma training. Staff access appropriate external safeguarding training. Their competency is assessed by Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 5 managers, who scrutinise their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues.

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

Young people’s individual needs and risks are thoroughly assessed, with appropriate strategies put in place to address these risks. Staff follow these strategies and, working in partnership with police and other relevant agencies, they demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding issues relating to the young people. Staff are proactive in their approach to young people who go missing from care and understand the risks that are associated with this behaviour.

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

The registered manager shares all known and potential safeguarding risks with the relevant local authority. However, information relating to these risks is not always well evaluated and this limits the staff team members’ learning and their ability to respond to missing incidents in an informed way.

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

Recruitment checks are undertaken for new staff. This includes two verified references for all new appointments, however, explanations have not always been sought for the reasons for leaving all previous childcare employment. The registered manager recognised this minor oversight during the inspection and has updated the procedure to ensure compliance.

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

Where young people have made allegations against staff, the internal investigations that have been undertaken have been thorough and, where appropriate, disciplinary procedures have followed. These allegations have been reported to the local authority, and managers in the home followed relevant child protection procedures. The registered manager’s robust approach is a strength, resulting in appropriate outcomes when young people raise concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is passionate and committed in her leadership of the home. She demonstrates a very detailed understanding of each young person’s needs and the risks that they face. Effective monitoring systems are now in place; these enable the registered manager to maintain a monthly overview of the quality of care that is provided to children. This monitoring includes effective systems for administering medication. This followed a review triggered by the registered manager’s concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The systems that are in place for fire safety include regular fire drills. However, these systems do not include drills being undertaken during the night. This is particularly significant considering the physical layout of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and they are well supported by the management team with their learning and development. Staff apply this learning to their work with the young people. The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the staff team, including how the stability of the staff team has provided consistency of care and support for the young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 6 The registered manager has a clear vision for developing the home. This includes a planned move to a new site which will meet the needs of the young people better. The registered manager and the new manager have planned this development together and a comprehensive handover period is planned. The registered manager and the new manager share the same vision for the new home. The planned move to a new site incorporates a planned transition of responsibilities that will transfer to the new manager

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

incrementally. This is designed to ensure continuity of care for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the new manager are working with the staff team to plan the move to new premises. Young people have been fully consulted in these plans and have been involved in choosing the decor for the new home. Young people’s views are sought, on a day-to-day basis, including in relation to the appraisal of staff. This approach has contributed to the low level of complaints made by young people. The last complaint was external and was addressed immediately by the registered manager.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lioncare Ltd operating as The Lioncare Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 58a Livingstone Road, Hove, Sussex BN3 3WL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Vince Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 7 Registered manager: Jane Rayner

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Inspector

Maria Lonergan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC068067 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 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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