Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC063103 1 SC063103 Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities 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 operated by a privately owned company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who have learning disabilities. The home’s manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2012.

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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: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC063103 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Outstanding 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/11/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC063103 3

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Recommendations

 Whenever possible, staff in day to day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. Where the home’s Statement of Purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one sex only, clear guidance will need to be in place and followed as to how children are enabled to maintain relationships with people of a different gender. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, p.54, paragraph 10.22)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people at this home are happy and settled. From observations of young people and staff together, there are positive and trusting relationships that enable children to make progress. One young person who has only resided in the home for a short time is reported by his social worker to be like a different child. He has improved confidence and more verbal language and is less timid. Another young person has improved her behaviour to such an extent that her family reports it has transformed their family life when she goes home for weekends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are strong structures and routines in place. This helps young people who are either diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders or show autism-type behaviours. They understand what is expected of them and do not become distressed by change and unpredictability. Staff also help young people to understand their daily routines through a variety of communication tools including visual aids, weekly guides, Makaton and the Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) communication system.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

School attendance is promoted. Young people attend each day willingly and are making progress in line with their abilities. Young people also access community resources such as youth clubs, cinemas and restaurants. Young people achieve in a variety of areas, and staff celebrate their achievements, however big or small. One young person completed her bronze Duke of Edinburgh award as well as successfully developing her independence skills in preparation for moving on to an adult provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with young people takes place constantly. Staff are highly skilled in understanding young people’s cues and communication and use this understanding to interpret their views, wishes and feelings. Many records are written in the first person and clearly reflect the voice of the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff at the home consistently promote family contact, and two young people have most weekends at home with their families. Staff support young people by supervising their Inspection report children’s home: SC063103 4 family contact so that they can engage safely and happily with their family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people would benefit from a more diverse staff team in respect of gender balance. They are currently cared for by an entirely female staff team, and there is an absence of positive male role models. A recommendation is made to reflect this as being good practice.

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

Social workers and parents reported that their young people are safe and feel safe at the home. Young people are cared for on a one-to-one basis and so have constant supervision by trained staff. The young people living in the home currently are too vulnerable to go out unsupported in the community, so they are not exposed to risks from gangs, drugs, crime and child sexual exploitation.

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

Each young person has personalised keeping safe plans, which give staff clear details of what actions to take to keep young people safe. Staff follow these plans, and staff spoken to were confident in their ability to safeguard the young people in their care. Young people know what is expected of them and, in general, conform happily to the routines and boundaries in place. There is minimal use of sanctions, which evidences positive behaviour management by staff.

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

There have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home. Young people do have individualised missing from home protocols if they were to go missing.

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

Physical intervention levels are low for the nature of the disabilities of the children. Staff are highly attuned and recognise any small indication that behaviour may be escalating and know strategies that work to diffuse and re-direct young people. The interventions that do take place are low level and are well recorded and evaluated.

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

One young person, who has now been discharged, showed extremely heightened behaviours, which potentially put staff and other young people at risk. The unsuitability of the placement was identified, and he was moved to an alternative placement. There was no impact on the other young people who reside in the home, who were always kept safe.

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

Impact risk assessments are undertaken before any young person is admitted. Where risks change over time, the impact assessments are re-visited and updated to reflect the changing risks. This is an example of good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At the previous inspection, it was identified that the manager was doing care shifts on many occasions. This meant that there was an impact on the leadership and management of the home. At this inspection, the issue is not fully resolved, but recruitment has taken place, and the manager is now able to spend more time attending to her managerial duties. Positively, the amount of time that the manager spends with Inspection report children’s home: SC063103 5 the young people means that she has excellent relationships with them and understands their needs and their progress very well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Transitions into and out of the home are well planned. Young people have as much support as possible to have smooth transitions which do not cause them distress. Young people who are admitted to the home from the care of their parents cope with this remarkably well, which reflects the effort put in by staff and managers to prepare them as best they can.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External agencies and parents contacted as part of this inspection gave exceptionally positive feedback about the service. They feel that young people are thriving, that the home is fully meeting their needs and that the management is effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff reported that morale is improved and that they feel supported in their roles. They receive regular supervision and training to ensure that they can perform their roles to a high level. They also reported that, despite managing two homes, the manager is readily available to them and often in the home undertaking either care or managerial duties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal monitoring is of a good standard. The manager is well organised and has systems in place to ensure the smooth running of the home. Issues were identified with the quality of external monitoring, and a new independent visitor was recruited who has been a valuable source of support for the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is operating fully in line with its statement of purpose and is delivering a high- quality service that meets young people’s needs well. There are no requirements made at this inspection, which shows good progression from the previous inspection at which several requirements were made.

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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: SC063103 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Inspector

Charlie Bamber, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063103 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 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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