Children's home run by Lancashire County Council in Preston

Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689 SC039689

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Lancashire County Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number operated by the local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children. There is currently no registered manager for this service.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as requires improvement to be good at the full inspection on 24 April 2018.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted had received a number of notifications from the provider about incidents that had occurred in the home, so an unannounced monitoring visit took place on 11 September to assess the home‘s progress in meeting the requirements issued at the full inspection. The monitoring visit identified shortfalls that showed that requirements raised at the full inspection earlier in the year had not been addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Young people‘s risk assessments did not fully address areas of concern. Risk assessments are not consistently reviewed or updated following changes in children‘s behaviour. In addition, guidance for staff on how to manage risks associated with children‘s behaviour is unclear.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the monitoring visit, two compliance notices were issued to secure improvements at the home in relation to regulation 11, the positive behaviour standard; and regulation 12, the protection of children standard.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the compliance notice, the manager carried out a full staff meeting on 3 October 2018 to discuss and review the compliance notices, reflect on staff practice and identify how practice can be improved. Safeguarding scenarios were shared with the staff, which allowed staff and managers an opportunity to revisit child protection procedures and discuss expectations of staff. Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689 Managers have also made changes to the home‘s recording systems, such as the handover book. This now prompts staff when risk assessments for children have changed. Inspectors observed a handover session where staff gave detailed information on children and their whereabouts, and discussed plans for supporting children during the shift. Furthermore, senior managers have introduced an investigation and supervision tool to enable them to identify, and challenge with

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This monitoring visit

individual staff members, when risk assessments have not been followed or strategies have not been adhered to, to ensure the accountability of staff in their duty to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments have been revisited and updated by managers. However, concerns about the inappropriate sexualised thoughts and behaviour of a child, which were identified in the compliance notice, have not resulted in changes to his risk assessment, to keep him and other children safe. As a result of this shortfall being identified, a senior manager addressed this and made changes to his plan immediately.

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This monitoring visit

One child has recently suffered a significant bereavement and is being supported sensitively and proactively by the staff team, including regular checks on his well- being. Staff were able to tell inspectors what actions were being taken to keep this child safe. Despite this good work, plans and assessments have not been immediately updated to reflect these changes.

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This monitoring visit

During the previous monitoring visit, shortfalls were identified in the frequency and quality of direct work with children. Records did not reflect that staff address issues that are significant to children and encourage them to share their views, thoughts and wishes. Shortfalls were also identified in the staff‘s responses to behaviour. During the staff meeting on 3 October 2018, managers discussed and reflected on shortfalls identified in relation to managing the behaviour of children in the home. For example, staff reflected on their practice when a child was living away from the home, what impact this may have had on the child and reflected on what could have been done better.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have developed a procedure that encourages staff to consider what consequences are appropriate, and how effective these might be in trying to achieve the desired outcome. Individual key-work sessions have also been undertaken with young people to discuss consequences and gather their views on what consequences they feel are effective. However, one young person informed staff during a key-work session that the behaviour of and consequences for other young people had impacted on her, because the wi-fi was being turned off. While staff were able to show inspectors how she was compensated for this with a reward, there has been no management oversight of the direct work and response to the child in respect of her concern.

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This monitoring visit

Key-work sessions are taking place with children on a regular basis, and are addressing issues that are specific to the individual child. A psychological assessment Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689 of one child identified a need for the young person to have one-to-one time with staff. As a result, the manager has ensured that this is planned into the child‘s daily routine and staff are engaging with her and giving her the opportunity to share her wishes and feelings. The manager is reviewing this work weekly. The manager told inspectors that the child has been more settled in placement and incidents relating to this child have reduced in number since this work has been undertaken.

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This monitoring visit

The above findings show that the home has taken appropriate steps to ensure compliance with notices issued under regulation 11 and regulation 12.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/08/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689

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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 leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‘s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children‘s home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)) 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

Behaviour management policies and records The behaviour management policies and records regulation The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (―the behaviour management policy‖) which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‘s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control or discipline in relation to a child in the home, a record is made 26/10/2018 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689 which includes— the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the

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Requirement Due date

registered person to do so, has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) Notification of a serious event The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 26/10/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home‘s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. 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, page 14.4)  Staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. Staff should encourage children to express their views about whether they feel safe both in and outside the home. Staff should support children to understand how to ask for help to stay safe and that the home is an environment which supports this. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689 regulations including the quality standards‘, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  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 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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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children‘s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 78, County Hall, Fishergate, Preston PR1 8XJ

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Inspectors

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Louise Redfern, social care compliance inspector Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC039689 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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