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

Ofsted last completed a monitoring visit to the home on 8 July 2020. Following this visit, the decision was made to issue two compliance notices under regulation 14 and regulation 40. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider to meet these two compliance notices. The actions taken by the provider to meet all the remaining requirements, and one recommendation, were not assessed as part of this inspection, so some requirements are repeated for further exploration at the next routine inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Some progress has been made since the last inspection. A requirement made about sending an updated statement of purpose to Ofsted has been addressed. Similarly, the manager has attempted to submit her Ofsted registration application. However, due to a dispute with another agency regarding accurate information, a completed application is still outstanding. This requirement is repeated pending receipt of this.

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This monitoring visit

At the last monitoring visit, concerns were evident relating to a failure to notify Ofsted about all serious incidents in the home, as well as a delay in submitting notifications and submitting them in the correct manner. These concerns were subject to a compliance notice under regulation 40. The manager has acted to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 2 address these shortfalls. In this interim period, notifications have been made promptly and using the correct channel. Training has also been completed with senior staff in the home, so that they are clear about the procedure they must follow if the manager is away from the home for any reason. A helpful flowchart has been developed that makes the process clear for staff. Inspectors were not concerned at this inspection about serious incidents not being notified as required. Consequently, this compliance notice is assessed to have been met.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no children discharged or new children admitted since the last visit. This has helped to stabilise the situation in the home. Disputes between young people are still evident on occasion, but the number of serious safeguarding matters and incidents of young people going missing from the home has reduced. Young people’s engagement with staff has improved and one young person inspectors spoke with said he was happy at the home, although he didn’t always get on with the other young people.

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This monitoring visit

At the last monitoring visit, concerns were evident in relation to children’s care planning, and this was subject to a compliance notice under regulation 14. While some action has been taken, such as some reflection on historic impact risk assessments, concerns remain in relation to care planning.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s records do not always cross reference, and they contain conflicting information. This is of particular significance as the home has no internal placement plan to ensure that up-to-date information is all in one place. Staff spoken to during the inspection were unclear or confused about children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s views and wishes remain unclear as documents in the home do not reflect these. Records of direct work sessions completed with children simply consist of the plan for the session but do not include detail about how the child responded; what they had to contribute; and what future work is required. This does not help other staff understand the current position or help to monitor children’s progress.

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This monitoring visit

Consequently, shortfalls remain in relation to children’s care planning. This has a negative impact on children’s experiences.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, Ofsted held a case review discussion to consider the findings. The review concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support that the regulation 14 compliance notice has been met. Consequently, a further notice is to be issued under regulation 14 to ensure that all identified shortfalls are fully addressed. 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 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)) 27/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

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)) 27/09/2020 *

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Requirement Due date

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)) 27/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is 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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 5 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.

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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 Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 6 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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