Children's Home run by Lighthouse Southwest Ltd in Torbay

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534589 1

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Lighthouse Southwest Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by an independent provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home registered in September 2019. The previous full inspection of this home took place on 28 January 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The purpose of this visit was to examine safeguarding concerns in relation to the matching of children’s needs as part of the admission process, and staff responses to incidents of children going missing from care, following Ofsted’s review of notifications and the independent visitor’s report.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, the inspector undertook virtual interviews with senior staff and external professionals and reviewed required records. The inspector visited the home to meet the children and staff.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff carry out checks with all visitors, based on current public health guidance, to ensure children’s safety. This does not detract from the welcoming and warm environment.

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Information about this children’s home

Before children come to live in this home, the manager carefully considers their needs to ensure that the staff team has the right skills to meet these needs. The manager also assesses children’s compatibility with the other children already living in the home. Since the previous inspection, the manager has had to ask the local authority to move one child to another home for safety reasons. On this occasion, the manager implemented the admissions procedure thoroughly. Events that followed would have been extremely difficult to predict. Despite this, the manager was reflective and learned from this experience. The management team reviews Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534589 2 practice with the staff regularly to adjust some of its own internal processes to better safeguard children.

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Information about this children’s home

Following a settled start for one child, there was a rapid change in their behaviours, which included substance misuse, going missing from care and being at risk of exploitation. At this point, both children living in the home went missing from care at separate times. In response, staff took the necessary action, such as remaining in the area and searching for the children, to try to locate them and keep them safe. The manager ensured that the children were offered timely independent return home interviews to try to understand why they went missing and help prevent further missing-from-care incidents. Since then, incidents of children going missing from the home have ceased.

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Information about this children’s home

Children have positive relationships with staff. Behaviour support strategies and direct work undertaken by staff are effective in helping children learn how to respond when they feel challenged. There has been no recourse to physical restraint. This is a testament to the skills of the staff team in de-escalating challenging behaviours and helping children to regulate their emotions.

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Information about this children’s home

Despite the negative consequences for the child who left the home, they had made progress in many aspects of their life.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff monitor children’s targets and achievements effectively. They use written guidance based on a standard model to evidence a child’s progress and adjust their plan accordingly. Children report that they are fully involved in the review of their plans and describe a well-balanced set of physical activities that help them through the periods of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Information about this children’s home

When children come to live in this home, the manager and staff fully consider their unique needs. One child chose to have various pets to look after, including daily dog walking, which has been highly effective in supporting them into a positive daily routine. Children state that they love living in this home, feel safe, and report that staff always listen and help them. Children fully contribute to decisions about the daily running of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff encourage children to re-enter education, after long breaks in school attendance, by providing a good range of supportive learning opportunities. Staff work closely with other professionals, including the virtual head and local school staff, so that children have the best opportunity to achieve their educational potential. The manager advocates for children and is not afraid to challenge educational providers if children’s plans are not progressing as they should be.

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Information about this children’s home

Partnership working is effective. Professionals spoken to as part of this visit were unanimously positive about the work of the staff in the home, describing them as ‘always going that extra mile’. One professional summed the view of others up by saying, ‘Staff let you know immediately of any issues, especially safeguarding, so communication is at the right level.’ This effective partnership working helps to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534589 3 ensure that children’s plans develop, and children make good progress. Staff also work closely with family members to help children maintain and enhance relationships with those important to them. The manager is vigilant about arrangements to ensure that family time is a safe and positive experience for the child.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff receive regular supervision from their manager and morale is high. They have undertaken a range of mandatory and specific training to equip them to support children well. Staff have found this helpful and say that they are able to apply their learning in practice, to best meet the needs of the children in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

No recommendations or requirements have been raised as a result of this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 28/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534589 4

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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: Lighthouse Southwest Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 7 St Pauls Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 2HP

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Inspector

Joy Howick, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534589 5 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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