Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065067 1 SC035428

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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 is a local authority home. The provider states in its statement of purpose that short-term care is provided for one child with social and emotional difficulties. In many cases, children have complex needs and have experienced multiple placement breakdowns prior to coming to the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to review progress made against three compliance notices served at the previous monitoring visit on 19 October 2021. These relate to regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 14 (the care planning standard).

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This monitoring visit

Currently, there are no children living in the home. The home was restricted after the inspection on 17 August 2021. The provider has adhered to the restriction.

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This monitoring visit

Since the visit on 19 October 2021, several steps have been taken to meet the compliance notices served. Inspectors visited the home and spoke to staff and managers about the improvement plans in place.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been meeting regularly as a team to participate in development days. Group discussions around care planning and risk management are improving the staff’s knowledge on how to keep children safe. A detailed procedure has been put in place to support children moving into and out of the home. As a result, children are more likely to feel supported with difficult change in their lives.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have worked closely with managers to review information about children who may move in. Staff and managers are now considering the location of the home Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035428 2 when making decisions. This has helped to build the team’s skills in identifying where the gaps are in background information and staff’s skills and experience.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has completed a skills analysis of the team. A review of staff’s previous experience has helped to identify where further training is necessary. As a result, the manager has taken a back-to-basics approach. The whole team has completed the induction programme again. Staff have valued this time to refresh and learn new skills.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed a range of training to help them meet the needs of children when they move in. This has included training in de-escalation and physical intervention, self-harm and ligatures, and mental health. This means that staff are more likely to work consistently to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Although there are no children currently living in the home, huge efforts have been made to improve the management monitoring systems in place. The new manager is evaluating previous documentation in order to find patterns and trends to inform the learning within the team.

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This monitoring visit

Further efforts have been made to improve the home environment. For example, there is now a comfortable room for children to be able to study. However, further efforts are required to make the home look less institutional. Signs and locks on internal doors do not appear homely and prevent children from having access to all areas of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices have been met. The requirements made at the previous inspection will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/08/2021 Full Inadequate 22/06/2021 Full Inadequate 21/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035428 3

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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, the 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 registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 12 December 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035428 4 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to making the home environment less institutional.

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to removing internal locks on the doors of communal areas. 12 December 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035428 5

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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

Sylvia Eboigbe, Social Care Inspector Carly Quinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035428 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: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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