Children's Home run by Lonsdale Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children's home: 1274089 1 Registered provider: Lonsdale Care Ltd

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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 home is registered to take up to four young people from 8 to 17 years of age of either gender, who usually display anti-social behaviours and/or emotional difficulties and moderate Learning disabilities. The home can offer both planned and emergency placements.

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Information about this children's home

Inspection dates: 21 to 22 November 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: 1274089 2

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans; support each child's learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; maintain regular contact with each child's education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child's education and training and to maximise the child's achievement; raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child's

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Requirement Due date

education or training provider and the child's placing authority; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child's relevant plans and that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child's learning. (Regulation 8 (1) and (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(b). 31/12/2018 Inspection report children's home: 1274089 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child needs additional health or well-being support, that staff work with the child's local authority and other agencies to enable proper and immediate access to any specialist service and that specialist advice is used to inform practice ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards, page 34, paragraph 7.14).

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually, and actively assess the risks to each child and make sure that the plans in place to manage these risks are clear. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5).

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Recommendations

 Ensure any sanction used to address poor behaviour is restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community (Guide to the Children's Home Regulations including the Quality Standards, page 46 para 9.38).

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and that the training available meets the needs of the children in their care. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards, page 53, paragraph 10.11).

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Recommendations

 Effective care planning and strong working relationships between the staff of the home and the placing authority are essential to the success of placements. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that care plans are clear and understood by the child. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards, page 56, paragraph 11.2).

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress living here. When children arrive, they settle well. They live in a caring and nurturing environment. Children quickly establish trusting relationships with staff. Children say that are happy living here and can identify with the progress that they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work very well together. They are consentient in their approach and respect each child’s individuality. They support children to take responsibility for their behaviours and choices. As a result, children learn to control their emotions and incidents reduce. Children say that this makes them feel better about themselves. Inspection report children's home: 1274089 4 Children’s records are to a very good standard. They are child focused and the reader has a good insight into the child’s journey. Furthermore, records reflect the child’s voice and any work undertaken is meaningful to the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not always understand their care plans and what this means for them. In these instances, they begin to disengage with their placement. Although staff advocate on behalf of the child, there is an element of drift and delay in the care planning arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support to establish and maintain positive relationships. Relationships improve with their families. Children enjoy having regular contact with their families which increases over time. One parent said that their child was a ‘completely different child’. They went on to say how they are now not anxious about taking their child out and that they feel confident with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When some children arrive, they are not engaged in education. Staff work with the relevant professionals to ensure that children access educational provision. However, there is a delay in securing education. Consequently, children start to disengage with their placement. In addition, children who have a reduced time-table do not have a structured daily educational routine.

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

Staff provide the children with a safe place to live. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Children have access to good levels of support, which is in line with their individual assessments and plans.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and risks. However, not all safeguarding assessments and plans are up to date or clear enough. In some instances, they are ambiguous and open to interpretation.

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

Children receive the help that they need to address their health needs. However, in some instances specialist health care support is not always considered and accessed in a timely way.

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

Staff record incidents to a good standard. Staff explore incidents thoroughly, and they identify clear actions. As a result, staff learn from the incidents and safeguarding practice is further enhanced.

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

Children receive support and incentives to take responsibility for their own behaviour and make good choices. Sanctions are not often used. However, when they are used, they are not restorative in nature and do not always achieve the desired outcome. Inspection report children's home: 1274089 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current manager was registered to manage this home on 4 May 2018 and holds a relevant qualification. He has previous experience of being a registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a wealth of experience. They lead by example and demonstrate good leadership, management, knowledge and skills. The manager and staff provide a safe and nurturing environment for the children and the children respond well to this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff provide good quality care practice. Managers and staff strive to promote positive outcomes for children. They recognise that each child is different, and they support them to achieve their goals; however small.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to mandatory training and complete this in a timely way. However, staff have not undertaken training that is specific and focused in meeting the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are complimentary about the home. One social worker said ‘I am really impressed by the quality of the home and work completed with a very complex child. There has been a vast reduction in episodes of children missing from home and this is a reflection of the hard work of the staff and the relationship with [name of the child].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff are committed to the development of the home and enhancing their practice. They take the time to reflect and learn from their experiences. This provides them with the opportunity to further enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities.

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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: 1274089 6

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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: 1274089 7 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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