Children's home run by North Lakes Children’s Service Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 1 SC457254 Registered provider: North Lakes Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four boys, aged between nine and 16, who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager took up post in October 2019 and was registered with Ofsted in November 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Full Outstanding 12/06/2018 Full Outstanding 24/05/2017 Full Outstanding 14/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 3

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outstanding

Children are extremely settled in this home and are continuing to make outstanding progress. Most have lived in the home for several years and all children were living at the home during Ofsted’s last inspection.

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outstanding

Children flourish in this home. The high level of care and support they receive from staff ensures that they thrive and have a strong sense of belonging in the home. Children have developed strong bonds with the manager and staff and speak fondly of staff and their relationships with them.

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outstanding

Children are thriving and growing in a highly nurturing environment, where staff know them well and know how to respond to their changing needs. Children enjoy healthy lifestyles. Their healthcare needs and progress are successfully promoted and monitored by the company’s registered nurse.

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outstanding

All children have benefited from being able to access the company’s therapeutic consultants. Some children have decided that they have come to the end of their direct therapy journey, while others continue to enjoy the process and recognise their progress.

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outstanding

Children attend and are making remarkable progress at an independent school run by the company. Children’s learning is strongly supported by staff. This was particularly evident during periods when children were unable to attend school due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Staff rose to the challenge of home schooling, finding creative ways to help children complete lessons, using the context of interests they already had. For one child, this resulted in a significant improvement in mathematics being identified on his return to school.

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outstanding

Staff understand the importance of making enjoyable memories that children can treasure. Some outdoor activities previously enjoyed by children were not available due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since restrictions were lifted, children have enjoyed a wide range of new and exciting activities. For instance, children enthused about an annual local challenge undertaken by them and staff as a team overcoming obstacles, climbing over and through mud and water. Such was the success that they have already entered the challenge for next year.

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outstanding

Children are again enjoying spending time with family and friends that was previously curtailed due to travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Family time is well supported by staff, who work alongside families with a view to children either moving to live with family members or moving to foster carers closer to home.

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outstanding

Parents speak highly of the home and the care their children receive. One parent commented, ‘He is settled and happy there. Staff work closely with me and I cannot fault them at all. They genuinely care about [child’s name]. It’s not just a job to Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 4 them, I can see how committed they are.’ Another parent said, ‘Staff make me feel more involved in his care. They keep me well informed, and they will often ring me to update me. I have no concerns. He is always happy there. Staff understand him.’

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outstanding

Children say they feel very safe at this home. Children know how staff plan to keep them safe, and know what is expected of them in staying safe in the home and when they are out in the community.

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outstanding

Staff have a thorough knowledge of good safeguarding practice and maintain this by keeping up to date with best practice and reflective discussion, including consultation with the company’s lead therapist. Consequently, staff are skilled and consistent in meeting children’s individual needs. One commented, ‘Staff give really good advice about our emotions, for example how to behave when we are in school.’

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outstanding

Staff were able to strike the right balance at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that children were well informed about the nature of the virus, and educated about how to keep safe and well without causing fear or panic. One child explained, ‘Staff have supported me throughout COVID and made me feel less worried and less cautious for what will happen next in the third wave of COVID-19.’

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outstanding

Care planning and risk management is thorough and well documented, ensuring that staff have a clear and shared understanding of the individual support required to keep children safe.

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outstanding

Children enjoy established routines and are familiar with and respect house rules and boundaries. The mutual respect shown, and the sustained improvement in the quality of relationships shared between children and staff, clearly influence their positive behaviour in this home. Consistency shown in applying rules and boundaries adds to the sense of safety children feel in this home.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from this home, nor has their behaviour ever necessitated physical intervention by staff. Children acknowledge those few occasions when their behaviour has fallen short of expectations and accept responsibility to make reparation. This is a massive achievement for each child compared to behaviours identified prior to moving to this home.

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outstanding

Recruitment arrangements remain robust, reducing the likelihood of children being cared for by adults that may harm them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has provided strong and consistent leadership and management of this home since the home’s last inspection. The manager has successfully continued with her own personal development, as well as ensuring that Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 5 her staff have received the training and support they require. She is respected by her staff team and seen to be a positive role model to all staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There has been minimal staff turnover since the last inspection. New staff recruited have fitted in well with the existing team and been warmly welcomed by the children. Staff show genuine interest in the children they care for, and are committed to maintaining a high standard of child-centred care that enables children to achieve excellent outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is operating in accordance with its statement of purpose. The therapeutic approach adopted and practised by the home is significantly influencing the excellent achievements that children are making. Staff see this as a real strength as it has informed their professional parenting practice, allowing them greater ability to adapt to deal with issues as they arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff say they feel very supported by their registered manager and senior managers. Good communication, regular supervision and opportunities for frequent consultation are identified by most staff to be the key supports they benefit from. These have clearly influenced the team members in their reflective practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Well-established internal monitoring arrangements ensure that the home is thoroughly scrutinised by both the registered manager and head of care. Information about the home’s performance is shared with staff and informs the continuous development of the home. A recent change in external monitoring arrangements has provided with more robust reporting. The home’s arrangements promote transparency and demonstrate that the manager is in no doubt of the home’s strengths and areas for future development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Social workers and other professionals confirm that children receive a high standard of care at this home and that they make very positive and marked progress from their starting points. One social worker commented, ‘I can only speak highly of [name of the home] and the whole service. I have seen a massive difference in [child’s name], he has made great progress. The staff take things in their stride. The therapeutic work is extremely positive.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Lakes Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malvern View, Saxon Business Park, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AD

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Inspector

Gillian Walters, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457254 8 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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