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 care and accommodation for up to 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.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since November 2019, as there has been a delay in the new manager submitting her application for registration.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged to be requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection in July 2019. An interim inspection in March 2020 judged it to have improved in effectiveness.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, Ofsted has received several notifications relating to serious safeguarding incidents in the home. Some of these have not been notified to Ofsted in the required way. There has also been a delay in submitting some notifications. Consequently, this hinders Ofsted’s ability to review the information in a timely way, to ensure that the provider has taken the necessary action. These concerns prompted this monitoring inspection.

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This monitoring visit

During the inspection, it also became apparent that there had been a recent incident when a child had been taken to hospital for assessment after becoming ill, stating that she had used cocaine. Although staff took the appropriate action, this incident was not deemed as serious, and a notification was not made to Ofsted. This raises concern about what staff consider to be serious incidents in the home and their Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 2 understanding of regulations. Furthermore, this prevents Ofsted from being clear about serious incidents that have taken place at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The increase in serious incidents, along with concerns about group dynamics, led to a review of matching and placement decision-making at this inspection. Inspectors found that due consideration is not being given to the needs of children and risks relating to their care, prior to agreeing to admit them to the home. Insufficient emphasis is given to the potential impact that proceeding with the placement of a child is likely to have on existing residents.

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This monitoring visit

Impact risk assessments lack sufficient information and consideration of all known risks. They do not support the decision-making about admittance. These documents lack sufficient analysis of the potential risk and conflict with children already resident in the home. When risks are acknowledged, the strategies for staff to manage these are unclear. Consequently, these behaviours escalate.

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This monitoring visit

There have been problems with the group dynamics over recent months. This culminated in a serious safeguarding incident, involving two children, that required police intervention. Following a meeting of professionals, the decision was made to expediate the placement of one child with a family member, to alleviate the situation in the home. Although staff provided some outreach support initially, this was not part of the child’s original care plan.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls were also identified in children’s individual risk assessments. Risks have not always been recognised or assessed. One child’s bullying risk assessment stated that there were no known risks, despite there being at least three incidents in the home in which he had been targeted by the other children, with one of these incidents being recorded as a hate crime by the police. If risks are not identified and preventative strategies agreed, this compromises children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

There has been no registered manager in the home since November 2019, although the current manager was in the acting manager post prior to November and appointed permanently a short time later. However, at the time of this inspection she had still not submitted a completed application for registration. It is a concern that this this has not been prioritised.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose outlines the functions of the home. However, despite the document being updated since the new manager took up post, an updated document has not been sent to Ofsted since October 2019, as required by regulation.

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This monitoring visit

A recommendation relating to clearly recording why a restraint is required was made at the last interim inspection of the home. This matter was not given due consideration at this monitoring inspection, so is repeated for consideration at the next routine inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/06/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 4

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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 the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b)) 07/08/2020

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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)(2)(a)) 07/08/2020 *

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Requirement Due date

Statement of purpose The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 07/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

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; 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 — 07/08/2020 * Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 5 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. A notification made under this regulation— must include details of: the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or

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Requirement Due date

which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40(4)(5)) Care Standards Act 2000 Requirement to register. Any person who carries on or manages an establishment or agency of any description without being registered under this Part in respect of it (as an establishment or, as the case may be, agency of that description) shall be guilty of an offence. (Regulation 11(1)) 20/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should 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) This specifically relates to the need to demonstrate whether other behaviour management strategies were tried before staff felt it necessary to use physical restraint, particularly when the reason why a restraint was needed is not clearly recorded.

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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

Mandy Williams, social care inspector Maire Cordingley, 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 children looked after, 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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