Children's Home run by Lincolnshire County Council in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC042967 1 SC042967

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Lincolnshire 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 owned by a local authority and provides care for up to six children with emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been absent from the home since September 2020. Since that time, there have been three interim managers. The most recent interim manager started working in the home in June 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

This monitoring visit was carried out to check progress against a compliance notice which was set following the full inspection on 8 June 2021. The compliance notice was issued to address shortfalls in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

Children have benefited from a period of stability in the home. Incidents have significantly reduced, and children have been more settled. This has enabled children to spend more time with the care team and to engage in positive activities in the home and the community.

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This monitoring visit

The content of risk assessments has improved. All known risks are now recorded; however, the documents are lengthy and confusing. When assessing risks, not all known risk is contained in one document. Risks can be recorded across several different risk assessment documents. Chronologies are not consistently in date order and risks are not assessed in order of priority. This makes it more difficult for staff working with children to have a clear picture of current risks and strategies for managing these. Staff have undertaken work with the children around bullying, and there have been no recent concerns in the home in this area.

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This monitoring visit

A new system has been put in place for auditing and reviewing children’s files. Information is easier to locate, and old information has been removed. There are still some shortfalls around updating and recording information. Care plans are not Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC042967 2 regularly updated and, in some cases, do not contain all relevant information. Robust reviewing and auditing of files is yet to be completely embedded in practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff morale is good, and the care team has benefited from a strong leadership and management presence in the home. Staff feel supported and feel that they are being equipped to develop their skills and knowledge. Regular supervision and additional training have given staff additional opportunities to reflect on and to develop their practice. Not all staff have completed the training courses relating to the specific needs of the children in the home. This limits staff developing additional skills and knowledge in these areas.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made in the recording and the reporting of incidents, allegations, and restraints in the home. However, new systems for management oversight and quality assurance are not yet fully embedded. There has been a lack of management oversight regarding an allegation made against a member of staff following a restraint. Further to this, the child was given several consequences following the incident. It was not clear whether action was taken in response to the concerns raised. This lack of clear oversight could lead to potential safeguarding matters not being adequately reported and addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Two new children are due to move into the home. Robust matching and impact risk assessments have been completed. Transition planning has included scheduled visits and an introduction to the children living at the home. This has supported the children to feel included in decision-making about their home.

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This monitoring visit

Sufficient progress has been made in relation to the compliance notice, and this will be removed. Where shortfalls have been identified, requirements have been made in response. One previous requirement was not reviewed due to the scope of the visit, and this will be reset and considered at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC042967 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/04/2021 Full Inadequate 12/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC042967 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 9 September 2021

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to children’s risk assessments being maintained and updated to reflect current risk factors and robust management oversight of incidents and events in the home. 9 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC042967 5 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h)) 9 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC042967 6

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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: Lincolnshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Offices, Newland, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN1 1YL

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Debra Moger-Gurupira

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC042967 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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