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 with 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. A monitoring visit was undertaken on 8 July 2020 following concerns raised from notifications to Ofsted about the safeguarding of children in the home. Two compliance notices were served on regulation 40 (notifications) and regulation 14 (care planning). A monitoring visit on the 13 August 2020 to look at the actions taken by the provider on the notices found that the compliance notice under regulation 14 had not been met and it was reissued. A visit on the 29 September 2020 found this notice had been met.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last visit, Ofsted received a notification on 25 November 2020 relating to a serious incident in the home. This concern is what prompted the monitoring inspection.

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This monitoring visit

On the 23 November 2020, the responsible individual received a referral for a young person for an emergency admission. The manager and responsible individual completed an impact risk assessment and made the professional decision that the children’s home was not suitable for the young person in question. Therefore, they refused the referral. However, a directive was made by the head of service for Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 2 children’s social care to overrule the registered manager and responsible individual’s decision and the young person was admitted to the home that day.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and responsible individual had little information about the young person, but they were informed that the young person had taken a cocktail of prescribed medication and had shared his thoughts of suicide. Despite this information and concern, the young person was not assessed as being at immediate risk.

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This monitoring visit

When the young person arrived at the home, it became apparent very quickly that the young person had a previous relationship with a female child who was already living in the home. This child was at high risk of sexual exploitation and was vulnerable. The newly admitted young person also knew others from school and the local community. Despite the manager being aware of these concerns, a decision was taken not to put any additional staff in the home to mitigate potential risks to children and young people.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager stated to the inspector that they had been unable to source a waking night staff for the night. As a result, staff retired for the evening, after the children and young people had settled, leaving them without supervision.

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This monitoring visit

The next day, the young person was discharged from the home and taken to his new placement. The young person was overheard talking about having sex with the female child who was at risk of child sexual exploitation. All children were also talking about the previous night’s events. The female child approached staff to request a pregnancy test.

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This monitoring visit

The impact risk assessment for the emergency admission of the child contained insufficient information, and following consideration of all known risks, the placement was not deemed safe. However, the head of service did not support the decision-making about admittance and directed the manager to accept the referral. Given the presenting risk and relationship with children already resident in the home, strategies for staff to manage young people were inadequate. Consequently, children were not adequately safeguarded and a child was subject to sexual engagement that she was not of an age to give consent to. 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)) 15/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)) 15/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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)) 15/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC039248 5 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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Inspector

Elaine Clare, 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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