Children's Home run by Lonsdale Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1183605 1 Registered provider: Lonsdale Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children of either gender.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered by Ofsted in May 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 February 2020

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1183605 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2020 Full Outstanding 25/01/2019 Full Outstanding 21/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1183605 3

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outstanding

Children living in this home benefit from warm, nurturing and secure relationships with consistent and happy staff. Relationship building in the home is informed by research and has led to exceptional practice by staff. The strong, reciprocal relationships in the home strengthen children’s safety and ensure children are making exceptional progress.

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outstanding

Children’s education is a priority. One child has recently gained several GCSEs. Other children have excellent attendance and their attainment levels are increasing. If children have difficult periods at school, or individual struggles, leaders and managers work with education professionals to improve children’s learning and meet their current needs. Children have high aspirations and are helped by staff to complete additional learning in their spare time. This secures academic achievement and helps children to reach their full potential.

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outstanding

Children are healthy. They attend routine appointments and actively follow advice from medical professionals. Children are up to date with their immunisations and have no ongoing health needs. One child has been supported to reduce and then stop taking his medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He is now able to manage this condition without medication. This was done slowly and in line with advice from the general practitioner. Previous attempts to reduce this medication had failed. This child will now face fewer barriers in obtaining a role in his chosen career.

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outstanding

Children strive to be independent and this is fully supported. Younger children contribute to their home by completing small daily tasks like washing dishes and helping to prepare meals. They travel alone, complete independent tasks and are encouraged from an early age. This helps to prepare them for the future and ensures children have a good sense of responsibility and ownership of their own care.

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outstanding

One child has her own living space in the annex which is attached to the home. This child is working through a comprehensive independence plan to prepare her for the future. She is excelling at this and the local authority has plans to find her a home of her own. This child has also been accepted on an apprenticeship. She is earning money and actively saving up for her future while building a career and gaining higher qualifications. This child is well prepared for a positive future outside of the home.

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outstanding

Children have meaningful hobbies and interests. They are engaging in martial arts clubs and army cadets. They also like to go walking, ride bikes, play football and bake. The child who attends sea cadets and has recently received a promotion. He helps to mentor and support other children at the club and has gained several Inspection report for children’s home: 1183605 4 awards. He also earned a place on a residential trip away from the home. Because of activities like this, children have a sense of achievement and pride. Their interests are fully supported and encouraged by staff. They have improved aspirations and career goals for the future which they are proactively working towards.

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outstanding

Staff and managers make a considerable effort to help children spend time with those who are important to them. They support family members with additional needs, to ensure family time can take place and that it is positive for the child. The family-like environment created by staff ensures that those important to children feel welcome in the home and want to spent time there. It creates a sense of normality for children, and they do not feel different from their peers. This helps children to maintain important relationships outside of the home and increases their support networks for the future.

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outstanding

Children rarely display risk-taking or unsafe behaviours. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are clear, concise and comprehensive. They support preventative strategies to reduce children’s risk-taking behaviour. Strategies are individualised to children and are formed from in-depth knowledge of the child’s needs. Behaviours displayed by children are often predicted through observations by staff and therefore de-escalated quickly before these become unsafe.

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outstanding

On the occasions when children have displayed unsafe behaviours, they have been remorseful and empathetic towards the staff team. They have felt disappointed in themselves and want to do better. Children do not want to disappoint those who care for them. The strong, secure relationships in the home mean that children are less likely to want to engage in risky behaviours. This has resulted in children making better, safer choices and has improved positive behaviours inside and outside of the home.

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outstanding

Children are safe and secure in the home. Appropriate security measures are in place, such as house alarms and floodlights. On one occasion, a child told staff that they had left the home during the night. Staff and managers took immediate and robust action to increase safety measures in the home. Alarms were checked by a technician, additional alarms were fitted and procedures for staff to follow were further strengthened. This significantly reduces risk and prevents further concerns for children’s safety.

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outstanding

There has been one occasion when children have been missing from home. Three children left the home together during the night. Staff immediately searched for children, which led to them being found quickly. There were no concerns for children’s safety or well-being, and they returned to the home. The children were remorseful for their actions and were upset that they had worried staff. This natural consequence, as a result of the strong relationships in the home, has reduced the likelihood of further incidents and helps to maintain children’s welfare and protect them from harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183605 5 It has been necessary for staff to use restrictive physical intervention on one occasion. This hold was proportionate and necessary. Staff understand that children may display challenging behaviours on occasions. Staff are excellent at identifying when children are facing times of difficulty and are therefore able to help them to

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outstanding

regulate their own emotions. Because of this, incident where physical intervention is required are rare.

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outstanding

There are no instances of bullying in the home. Children’s relationships with each other are positive. Regardless, staff speak to children about bullying to ensure they understand the signs and effects of these behaviours and how they may have an impact on others. This proactive work helps children to consider their actions towards others and helps to ensure a safe home environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is described by staff as a role model and active team member. He has high expectations of staff and higher aspirations for children. The manager believes positive relationships are key to children’s success and ensures that staff employed are child focused, caring and nurturing. To further support this, the manager is learning from existing research and is working to improve the language used by staff. Staff are making positive changes and are moving away from all institutionalised terms when speaking to children and in documentation. This serves to improve children’s positive experiences further and reinforces the nurturing and child-focused ethos already observed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Senior leaders also play an active role in the home. They have good oversight and maintain relationships with staff and children. This provides an additional layer of guidance and support for staff and children and helps to protect children. Senior leaders also actively monitor and review the care given to children in the home. This means that any shortfalls are quickly identified and rectified, ensuring that the care provided remains at an exceptionally high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Robust internal monitoring completed by the manager ensures there is regular and comprehensive review of the quality of care provided to children. Monitoring is detailed and focuses on what is important to children. The manager has excellent evaluation skills. He reviews all documents in the home and has broad oversight. This ensures that staff are working towards consistent goals and targets to meet the needs of children as outlined in their relevant plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s views, feelings and wishes are routinely sought. Children are encouraged to provide feedback about their care, the home and individual staff. Feedback received demonstrates that children are happy, and they feel valued and well cared for. Children are fully aware of the home’s complaints procedures, although they have not used them. Children believe they can talk to staff about concerns and are confident that these would be addressed. Children are listened to and their opinions Inspection report for children’s home: 1183605 6 matter. Care provided in this home is extremely child centred and fully informed by children’s views and wishes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have access to a wide variety of training. The manager sources specialised and specific training to meet the individual needs of children and staff. For example, one team member has been identified as the home’s mental health first aider. This training has been sought to improve the experiences of, and support to, team members. This is because the manager recognises that staff well-being is important to children and the care staff can provide. This contributes to the positive and nurturing ethos already demonstrated in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children are also supported with training and have access to the home’s online training system. They use this to learn about topics relevant to them such as food hygiene, bullying, healthy relationships, alcohol misuse, online safety and leaving care. This means that children have access to the same opportunities for personal development as staff and also serves to provide children with more detailed understanding of staff’s responsibilities when caring for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has plans to develop the home further. He has begun to focus on new systems and processes in the home which are more environmentally friendly. This has been started by making children aware of their carbon footprint and what this means. He aims to educate children and model more economical ways of living. This develops children’s knowledge of the world and their own impact. It also helps children to make positive, informed choices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals speak highly of the home and the care provided to children. One social worker said, ‘My child receives exceptional care and has made excellent progress. The manager is a proactive role model, and my child feels safe and loved.’ One child said about staff, ‘They love me like they love their own children.’ The strong relationships between those in the home and those external professionals who are responsible for children positively influence children’s security, safety and success.

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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 for children’s home: 1183605 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 34 Broadacre, Caton, Lancaster, Lancashire LA2 9NH

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Inspector

Natalie Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1183605 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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