Children's home run by Lavender Group Homes

Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 1 SC450701 Registered provider:

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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 provides care and accommodation for up to six children and young people with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 to 29 November 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2018 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding 28/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 3

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Recommendations

 All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16) This relates to considering access to advocacy for one young person in the service.  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: − detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any

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Recommendations

further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s Statement of Purpose; − detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications) − detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; − detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33(4)(b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) This is with reference to keeping the development plan up to date and current.

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3) The record could not be located on the day of the inspection, but the manager was clear that supervisions were up to date and staff confirmed this.  The policy for the protection of children from abuse of neglect should be available and explained to children and their families as well as to all staff, whatever their role. The registered person must make sure that all staff are familiar with this Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 4 policy and act in accordance with it, in particular how to use it to report a concern. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.21)

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Recommendations

This is with reference to following up the outcome for one social care referral.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The progress that children make is exceptional. Staff are trained and supported in understanding positive and consistent models of care. Children make significant progress from their starting points. This is evidenced in the following aspects of their lives:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

 speech and language  healthy weight gain management  reduced levels of behaviours that challenge  toileting  family interactions/contact  education attendance and engagement  engagement with peers  engagement with the wider community  sleep routines  reductions in self-harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s progress is assessed and charted at regular intervals. The team is experienced in setting and maintaining routines and structure. Staff are skilled in quickly developing positive relationships with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have positive and constructive communication with other agencies. Stakeholder feedback is very positive. All agencies have made positive comments about the children’s achievements and the significant progress that children make. A social worker said, ‘Everything has been really positive. The child has made incredible steps since being here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to engage in a number of fun and rewarding activities, both inside and outside of the home. This promotes children’s self-esteem and social skills. All children are supported to engage in community-based activities, and for some children this is a new and rewarding experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide stability to children and, as a result, children generally have longer-term placements at this home. Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 5 Staff assess and understand each child’s needs and they pride themselves on offering highly individualised care. This is evident in the different communication methods used for children at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children engage in structured educational opportunities that lead to the progress in their overall development. Attendance in education has improved significantly for all children. A deputy headteacher said, ‘The home has been fantastic. The child’s keyworker has been very supportive. We know the home and we all felt very confident about the child coming here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Transitions are exceptionally well planned and child focused. Leaders and managers are proactive in planning for transitions. Staff are freed up to support the child’s transition and address any teething problems in the new provision. This promotes excellent longer- term outcomes for children and reflects the staff’s understanding of a child’s care journey.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Parents were unanimous about the progress their children have made. Communication with families is excellent and family contact is well supported, wherever this is in the child’s best interests. A parent said, ‘[The child] has made a lot of progress, especially with talking. She never used to like being around other people. I would absolutely recommend it for another child. I can’t fault them.’

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

Staff are experienced in implementing plans to keep children safe. Effective risk assessment and planning contribute to a reduction in risky behaviours. Staff work hard to respond to known risks, and incidents of concern reduce. Leaders and managers track incidents and have a good overview of the progress made to reduce risk-taking behaviour.

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

Children have not been missing from this home.

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

Staffing levels are high, and staff are able to offer one-to-one support to children. This enables staff to have a good level of supervision.

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

Staff understand the safeguarding processes in the home and make appropriate referrals to other agencies when necessary. However, despite one incident being appropriately reported, there was a lack of follow-up to ensure that the matter was concluded and appropriately recorded. A recommendation is made in respect of this.

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

Any potential child sexual exploitation risks are known and well understood. There is evidence of ongoing direct work with children to support them in understanding and reducing risks. Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has managed the home for over six years. She is careful in matching considerations and puts the children’s needs at the centre of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The three requirements made at the last inspection have been fully met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong emphasis on communication, consistency and positive routines and structures for children. Staff echoed this as being central to their induction processes. Other agencies and parents commented that children quickly benefit from the positive behaviour management strategies used by the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are either qualified to the appropriate level, or they are currently undertaking the relevant qualifications. The staff team is stable and children benefit from consistency of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is accessible and is supportive to staff. She provides clear boundaries and expectations. Team meetings take place regularly and cover relevant topics. Staff have spoken about there being positive management support, including regular supervisions. Unfortunately, at the time of the inspection, the log of supervisions could not be located. A recommendation is made in respect of this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The development plan is detailed. However, it needs to be kept up to date and relevant. A recommendation is made to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One child has an advocate. Other children could benefit from advocacy support. A recommendation is made in relation to this.

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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: SC450701 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lavender Group Homes, Office 7 and 9, 10 The Headlands, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN15 7HP

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Inspector:

Bev Allison, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC450701 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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