Children's Home run by North Lakes Children’s Service Limited in Cumbria

Inspection report children’s home: SC356907 1 SC356907 Registered provider: North Lakes Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight boys, who have social and/or emotional difficulties. The home specialises in providing therapeutic care for children who have experienced early childhood trauma and disruptions in their care.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 December 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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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: 13 December 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC356907 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2017 Full Outstanding 27/02/2017 Full Good 31/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC356907 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make remarkable progress from their starting points and thoroughly enjoy the experience they gain from living at this home. One young person, leaving the home during this inspection, commented, ‘They are all brilliant. I gained trust. That is the biggest thing in my life. I also found out that I just need to be me. They are my second family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager and staff team possess a tremendous knowledge and thorough understanding of young people’s individual and complex needs. Their approach is highly nurturing and guided by a therapeutic parenting model, PACE (Playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy). This approach helps young people become more trusting and secure with staff and encourages them to reflect more upon themselves, their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Young people develop a greater sense of their own worth and strive to do the best they can, voicing pride in their achievements. This successfully promotes young people’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Placement planning is child-centred and highly individualised. Young people are included in the process to set their own targets and goals and work out with staff what help they may need to achieve them. Because of this, young people invest in their personal planning and review activity, knowing that their views and wishes are important and will be listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s healthcare needs, including their emotional well-being, are prioritised effectively. The home’s nurse practitioner coordinates and oversees all healthcare arrangements, regularly monitoring young people’s individual progress. She works in close partnership with a wide range of health professionals who provide routine and specialist healthcare, as well as with care staff and contracted therapeutic services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are also encouraged by staff to participate in a range of activities and hobbies that are of interest to them, such as football and army cadets. As well as benefiting from some healthy exercise, this also provides opportunities for young people to socialise and make friendships away from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people regularly attend and make sustained progress at the company’s independent school, which is adjacent to the children’s home. Daily communication between the home and school ensures that young people are consistently supported throughout the school day. Staff are familiar with young people’s educational progress and celebrate their achievements. Staff eagerly support young people’s learning, encouraging their interest in reading with bedtime stories and games that will encourage development of their numeracy and literacy skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are currently very settled and have achieved a strong sense of belonging at this home. They share excellent relationships with staff and clearly enjoy spending time with them. Staff are nurturing and make every effort to ensure that young people Inspection report children’s home: SC356907 4 enjoy a variety of childhood experiences that they may have missed. One young person commented, ‘I feel grateful for what I have. I don’t expect or want presents. I like everything here. I would like to stay here forever.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Family members speak highly of staff, impressed with the care and support provided. One family member said, ‘They fully supported him, and they supported me 100%. I couldn’t recommend them enough. The emotional care was really good. I visited [name of home] and thought it was very homely and well looked after. Staff were fantastic, so confident with all the young people. They would always answer all of my questions.’

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

The safety and protection of young people living at this home are paramount. Staff are trained and experienced in child protection and have considerable knowledge of good safeguarding practice.

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

Young people’s risks and vulnerabilities are clearly understood by staff and are well documented. Risk assessments provide clear guidance to staff and are underpinned by research-informed practice that encourages staff to understand underlying trauma rather than simply focusing on their behaviours.

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

Young people say that they feel safe and well cared for. They are trusting of staff and say that staff always listen to them. Consequently, they feel able to talk to any staff member should they have a worry or concern.

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

Young people thrive on having clear and consistent boundaries. They know what is expected of them and understand what is unacceptable. Young people sometimes struggle to accept praise, but this is commonplace in this home. Staff know that it helps young people rebuild their confidence and self-esteem.

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

Bullying is not identified as an issue within this home. Staff take a restorative approach to deal with unacceptable behaviour and resolve any disputes. In this way, young people are encouraged to understand the consequences of their actions. This helps them to develop empathy for others who may have suffered.

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

During their time at this home, young people’s risks significantly reduce. Although young people may feel frustration about being in care, there have not been any incidents of children going missing from the home or absent without permission. However, staff are fully trained and familiar with the procedures should a child or young person go missing.

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

Because of the early trauma some young people have suffered, there are times when their frustration and anger can only be de-escalated by physical intervention. Staff make sure that this only ever occurs when it is essential to keep young people safe and that the minimum intervention necessary is used. All incidents are closely reviewed and monitored by the registered manager to ensure that safe care practice is maintained. Staff routinely reflect on such incidents to help them better understand young people’s early experiences. Inspection report children’s home: SC356907 5 The home provides children with a safe and nurturing environment. Care is taken to regularly review and update location, environmental and activity risk assessments. This allows the staff to make sure that the home is free of hazards and operates in a way to keep young people safe.

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

Safer recruitment practice is rigorously followed to make sure that young people are only cared for by adults who are thoroughly checked and deemed suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home’s registered manager is both passionate about and committed to providing young people with a high standard of care. She is ambitious for all the boys in her care and strives for them to reach their full potential. The registered manager has a good track record of achieving excellent outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff have an excellent knowledge of the young people. They share the registered manager’s energy and enthusiasm and demonstrate their commitment to young people by consistently providing a high level of care and support. One social worker commented, ‘They go above and beyond and don’t give up on him. Staff let him know they care.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people’s histories and needs are well understood. Both the registered manager and staff can identify the measurable progress young people have made since coming to the home. Their progress is regularly reviewed and highly detailed in young people’s individual records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff say that they feel very well supported in their role. They value regular staff meetings and supervision as part of this support. In addition, staff receive a wide range of training opportunities, including comprehensive in-house support and guidance on the therapeutic parenting model the home promotes. This enhances their understanding of early childhood trauma and the quality of support young people receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work in close cooperation with professionals and family members to make sure that young people receive the additional services they require. Identifying the pressures on local children’s mental health support services, the home has developed its own internal therapeutic service to ensure that young people can access timely support. One professional commented, ‘Staff really care. They are compassionate and young people can really trust them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring arrangements for the home are robust. The registered manager carefully scrutinises practice and activity within the home and is proactive in responding to any recommendations made by the home’s independent person. Ofsted regularly receives monthly reports from the home’s independent person and six-monthly review reports from the registered manager. These demonstrate transparency of practice with Ofsted and provide clear evaluation of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The registered Inspection report children’s home: SC356907 6 manager uses these mechanisms successfully to inform the home’s development planning.

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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: SC356907 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Lakes Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rayrigg Showrooms, Rayrigg Road, Windermere LA23 3DN

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Inspector

Gillian Walters, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC356907 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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