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

Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 1 SC014235 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 seven children who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 26 February 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 14 September 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children‘s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2017 Monitoring Not applicable 13/11/2017 Monitoring Not applicable 02/10/2017 Full Good 19/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children‘s home‘s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‘s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to— ensure that staff provide personalised care that meets each child‘s needs, as recorded in the child‘s relevant plans, taking account of the child‘s background. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The children‘s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‘s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7(1)(c)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand how children‘s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ix)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered 31/10/2018 Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 4 person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‘s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that the home‘s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation (13)(1)(a)(b)(2)(e)(f))

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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

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‘s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (―the Level 3 Diploma‖). (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(b)(4)(a)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee‘s responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(1)(a)(b)(c)(4)(a)(b)(c)) 31/10/2018 Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 5

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Recommendations

 Staff should seek to meet the child‘s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, ensure that maintenance issues within individual children‘s bedrooms are addressed in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

The home provides a welcoming environment for children to live in. There are photographs of the children on the walls, together with their achievements and creative work on display. Children have lots of space, both communally and in their own individual bedrooms, which they personalise to reflect their own interests. However, there is some remedial work needed to the paint and woodwork in some of their rooms. Staff have developed positive relationships with the children, who respond well to them overall. The staff team supports children to engage in the daily group meetings, where they can talk about their day and how they are feeling. Children are able to speak to staff or the registered manager about any worries they might have.

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improvement to be good

Staff advocate for children and promote access to independent advocacy support if needed. Children are supported by the staff team to express their own views in respect of their individual placement plans. However, their views are not fully understood regarding all aspects of their day-to-day care and in particular, the routine of ‗quiet time‘ on non-school days, which is facilitated over the course of the staff handover meeting. This has been reflected upon by some staff and questioned in terms of the impact of this routine on children‘s behaviour as they may struggle spending time in their bedrooms. Although they continue to be supported by staff during this short period, the impact of this established routine is not fully understood from the children‘s perspective and their views have not been formally sought in relation to this.

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improvement to be good

Children‘s support needs are understood well by staff and these are, in most cases, reflected in their individual support plans. However, in the case of one child, their plans had not been updated to reflect their changing needs and new strategies used to support them. This is important due to the learning from the impact of previous approaches to their care and how the new approach would more effectively meet their identified needs. Staff have supported children to transition on to new placements effectively. However, this has been less effective in instances in which the staff were Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 6 given less time to prepare children.

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improvement to be good

The educational plans are well understood by staff and all children attend school regularly. Children talked positively about their learning experiences. Children‘s health needs are understood well by staff, who engage well with their wider network to meet their individual needs. This includes ensuring that the physical and emotional needs of the children are met by working with the specialist support services. However, the specialist health needs for one child were not fully understood in the context of specialist services available to help meet these. This impacted on the staff team‘s ability to provide the best support based on informed practice. The registered manager acknowledged this and planned to access the relevant support for the child following this inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the individual identified risks for each child and implement strategies which help to minimise these. Children are included in the process of assessing risk, which helps them to understand how they are kept safe. When staff have used physical intervention in response to a child‘s escalating behaviour, this has been proportionate to the concern. When there has been an increase in restraints, the home has worked with the relevant placing authority to jointly ensure that these have been appropriately used to safeguard the individual child.

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improvement to be good

There have been several allegations following physical interventions in respect of an individual child. These have been discussed with the designated officer, together with the child‘s placing authority. Internal investigations have been commissioned by the responsible individual to fully explore these. These have been undertaken by an independent consultant, which provides further scrutiny. There has been no further action required following the outcome of the allegations and no concerns identified in relation to children‘s safety within the home.

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improvement to be good

However, there have been recommendations made following investigations in relation to staff practice. The same reflections on practice have been made by the independent visitor. These are fully understood by the registered manager, who has clearly identified learning and development needs of the staff team. This relates to staff responses to behaviour presented by the child. The registered manager has identified how the verbal and non-verbal communication within the staff team impacts on their behaviour. They have worked hard with the specialist behaviour support trainer to develop practice within the staff team. However, this continues to be a practice issue which is yet to be fully addressed and thus continues to affect children‘s experiences of care.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of staff reflects safer recruitment practice and care staff are provided with practice-based supervision. The registered manager is clear in her expectations of the staff team and manages performance-related issues through individual supervision. However, a member of non-care staff had been undertaking some direct work with children without the appropriate knowledge, skills or experience. They were not receiving supervision in respect of their role as a named worker for two children. It is not Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 7 possible to determine the impact of this on the children‘s experiences, due to this having not been monitored through specific practice-based supervision. The registered manager confirmed that this role is discontinuing following this inspection.

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

Following the previous full inspection and subsequent two monitoring visits, the registered manager and responsible individual have ensured that all requirements and recommendations have been met. This includes the registered manager receiving further training in safeguarding and completion of her level 5 diploma. She is supported well by the responsible individual through practice-based, reflective supervision, with ongoing monitoring. The registered manager feels well supported in her role.

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

Staff feel supported by the registered manager, who leads by example. This helpful managerial support enables staff to deliver good care. The staff team is welcoming and supportive to new members of staff. Staff are willing to commit to additional shifts when needed, which means that the use of agency staff is minimal. This commitment reflects the commitment shown by the registered manager, who overall understands the capabilities of the staff well. However, deploying a non-care staff member to work directly with children is concerning. This is in terms of both the potential impact on the children and the staff member not receiving the appropriate induction to their role. The registered manager is reflective and able to identify areas of development for the home and the practice within it. However, there have been significant changes in the staff team, with 11 staff members leaving since the last inspection. The reasons for this

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

are varied, with five of those leaving in an unplanned way. This has impacted on the children‘s experiences, as highlighted by the independent visitor during a monitoring visit. Reflection on the impact of this staff turnover, in terms of the quality of care provided, has not been undertaken by the registered manager.

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

There have been two complaints made directly to Ofsted following the last full inspection. This included one anonymous complaint related to the quality of care provided at the home. Following a provider-led investigation into this complaint, there was no further action taken. The concerns raised in the complaint were not evident during this inspection. The second complaint related to the practice of the registered manager, which was fully investigated and addressed by Ofsted. Again, there were no further examples of poor practice evident during this inspection.

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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 Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 8 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: SC014235 9

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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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Inspector

Maria Lonergan, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC014235 10 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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