Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 1 SC039248

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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 several operated by a local authority. The home offers accommodation for six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home also has two self-contained flats to give young people an experience of independence. These young people are included in the registered numbers for the home. The current manager has been in post since 2014 but has resigned from post. His last working day was 4 November 2019.

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This monitoring visit

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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This monitoring visit

An emergency suspension notice was issued to the provider on 21 June 2018. After a monitoring visit to the home on 8 September 2018, the suspension notice was extended further due to insufficient improvements at the home. A further full inspection in February 2019 led to a judgement of requires improvement to be good.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection on 24 and 25 July 2019, Ofsted judged the home as requiring improvement to be good.

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This monitoring visit

On 28 October 2019, Ofsted received a complaint from a relative of a child living at the home. An unannounced visit was made to the home to monitor the progress made by the home since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The visit found that concerns that had been raised by the family of the child were legitimate. The child had been involved in high risk situations within the home and out in the community. However, the acting manager of the home had put in place robust risk assessments and intense key-working sessions to build positive Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 2 relationships with staff and despite these measures the child still engaged in negative behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager had called multi-professional meetings and had chased these when she had received no response. Strategy meetings with the police, missing from home coordinators and health professionals formulated plans to keep this child safe. Ongoing key-work sessions around keeping safe from home were noted.

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This monitoring visit

The child was spoken to about the home and she was happy with the care she was receiving. The social worker also passes on positive praise about the acting manager and staff at the home.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, it was noted that a new child placed at the home had caused some unsettlement to the other children placed there. This child was missing at the time of the inspection. His previous placement had been terminated by the local authority. They gave a 28-day notice period to the private provider. At the end of the 28-day period, the local authority had not secured a bed in a children’s home and so placed him for three nights in an unregistered provision on a holiday park with the local authority outreach team. The child was moved to the local authority’s s home after this period.

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This monitoring visit

The information within the placement plan was poor and did not contain sufficient information on which a sound judgement could be made in order to ensure that this child was best matched with the children already placed in the home. The referral paperwork did have a little more information but did have gaps.

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This monitoring visit

Because of poor matching and a period of unsettlement, the child is moving on from the home after four weeks. This is the child’s third placement in eight weeks. This is not a positive outcome for the child.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted is satisfied that enough measures have been taken to address the shortfalls identified in the complaint raised by the relative. Concerns raised about the second child have been passed to the local authority to address. No further enforcement action is being taken following this monitoring inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/06/2018 Full Inadequate 26/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: 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

12: 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i–iv)(vii)) 30/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

13: 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; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

30/08/2019 Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 4 14: 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)) 30/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered

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Requirement Due date

person to do so (“the authorised person”)— 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 (3)(a)(i–viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 30/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

40: 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; 30/08/2019 Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 5 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 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a–d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 The use of external agency staff can be a positive choice to complement the skills and experiences of the permanent workforce. The use of agency staff should be carefully monitored and reviewed to ensure children receive continuity of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child’s day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. Children’s internal care plans should clearly reflect their needs, to enable staff to support children’s s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be

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Recommendations

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. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC039248 6

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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

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Mandy Williams, social care inspector Inspection report for children‘s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 7 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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