Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC039248 1 SC039248 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of several operated by a local authority. The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the full inspection on 19 and 20 June 2018, Ofsted judged this home to be inadequate. Ofsted held an urgent internal case review. The outcome of this review was that Ofsted issued an emergency suspension notice.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a monitoring visit to the home on 31 October 2018, the suspension notice was removed due to the provider being able to demonstrate that sufficient improvements had been made. Inspection report children’s home: SC039248 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2018 Full Inadequate 26/07/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC039248 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 protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)) 15/03/2019

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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; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 15/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC039248 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should have clear expectations of children’s behaviour. Individualised strategies should be in place for each young person and staff should apply these when managing challenging behaviours. In particular, de-escalation techniques should be agreed and consistently implemented by staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  Records should demonstrate that the registered person and staff have reviewed the use of control, discipline or restraint to identify effective practice and provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child’s day to day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional

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Recommendations

health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. In particular, there should be clear guidance and agreements in place in relation to children who smoke. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  Care must be taken to ensure prescribed medicines are only administered as they are prescribed. Where a child is prescribed a medication on an ‘as and when required’ basis, there must be clear guidance in place for staff regarding how decisions to offer or administer the medication are to be made. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.15)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. This

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Recommendations

process should include obtaining children’s views wherever possible. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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improvement to be good

Since the home’s reopening in November 2018, two young people have been admitted. One young person has since left following a breakdown in her placement. During the young person’s stay, there were a number of concerns regarding her safety and well- being, and some significant incidents took place at the home. One young person remains at the home and has built some positive relationships with staff. However, since her admission, the young person’s engagement in education has declined. Inspection report children’s home: SC039248 5 There is evidence that staff attempt to build positive relationships with young people. Staff encourage young people to express their views and records demonstrate that some good-quality direct work takes place. Staff encourage young people to engage with external advocacy services to help ensure that they are enabled to express their views, wishes and feelings. Young people are provided with a good standard of accommodation. Extensive

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improvement to be good

improvements have taken place and the registered manager and staff have worked hard to create an environment that is comfortable and homely. Staff support young people to maintain good health. For example, they ensure that young people have access to routine services such as dentists and GPs and make referrals to specialist agencies, such as those that support young people with substance or alcohol misuse. Some aspects of individual guidance, for example in relation to smoking and medication, could be improved. This would provide greater clarity for staff and, as such, support consistent practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s response to some recent incidents was not sufficiently robust. This means that potential risks to a young person’s safety and well-being were not addressed as quickly or as effectively as they should have been. While there are some examples of well-detailed risk assessments and risk management plans, some lack clarity and fail to provide staff with clear guidance. For example, written guidance was unclear about how identified risks relating to internet use for one young person were to be managed. This means that staff may not have sufficient information to safeguard the young person effectively. Individualised guidance relating to young people going missing from home is in place. Where appropriate, this guidance has been developed in partnership with external agencies. Staff take appropriate action when young people are missing, including attempts to make regular contact by phone and locate them as soon as possible.

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improvement to be good

All staff receive training in behaviour management techniques. This training is regularly updated to help ensure that staff maintain their skills and knowledge. There is individualised guidance in place for young people, describing their behaviours and potential triggers. This guidance could be improved by including more information about strategies staff should use to de-escalate heightened situations. This would help to support consistent practice.

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

The manager of the home has been registered with Ofsted since May 2007. He demonstrates a child-centred approach and a clear desire to see young people experience good outcomes. At the last full inspection of the home, a number of significant concerns were identified. As a result, the home was temporarily suspended from operating. During this time, some Inspection report children’s home: SC039248 6 positive staff development took place, including team building, group supervision and refresher training. Staff are positive about the developments and express confidence in the service. It is apparent that staff have been closely involved in improving the environment, which demonstrates their sense of ownership and investment in the home. Processes for monitoring safety and quality across the home have been reviewed and enhanced. Additional monitoring exercises are carried out by senior managers from the local authority to help support the home’s sustained improvement.

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

It was identified during this inspection that a young person has been admitted to the home without the agreement of the registered manager or his line managers. This young person’s placement was short lived, as the home did not have the appropriate resources to manage her complex needs. In making the decision to admit the young person, the provider did not demonstrate effective leadership. The registered manager has a day-to- day understanding of the home, the skills of staff and young people’s needs. As such, he should be fully involved in admission decisions to help ensure that only young people who have needs that can be met effectively by the home are admitted.

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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: SC039248 7

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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

Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC039248 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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