Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 1 SC411046 Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. The manager overseeing the home has been registered with Ofsted since 2013.

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care for up to three children, irrespective of gender, who may have learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder and/or may display challenging behaviour.

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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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Inspection date: 4 January 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 4 January 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last full inspection, a requirement was restated under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. This has not been met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered provider and registered manager have failed to address four out of five requirements from the last full inspection. This indicates poor leadership and a lack of proactive response to ensure that improvements are made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management arrangements for the home are not effective in ensuring that there is suitable oversight. The manager does not have day-to-day oversight of the home. Rotas indicate that the manager is either completely absent from the home or only present sporadically. When present, the manager completes shift work. A compliance notice is issued in respect of this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, a requirement under regulation 12 was made. At this inspection, it was found that children’s plans did not offer staff advice or guidance on physical contact with children. The manager is unable to evidence how they have addressed staff competencies in the managing of allegations, and children’s plans relating to physical contact with staff have not been updated. A compliance notice is issued in respect of this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector found several discrepancies in the recording of medication. These discrepancies were not previously known to the manager and therefore no action had been taken in respect of these. Other medication discrepancies had not resulted in any action plan or response from managers or staff. It was found that company procedures had not been followed and regular audits of medication had not been completed. The records for administering medication were disorganised and lacked coherence. The manager and staff struggled to find previous records due to paperwork not being filed and being laid in boxes, drawers and on top of cabinets.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement made at the last inspection regarding care planning has not been met. Children’s plans fail to identify clear goals and measurable progress towards those goals. A compliance notice is issued in respect of this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement restated at the last inspection regarding securing local authority plans and key documentation has not been met. One child with complex care needs is due to leave the home in four weeks’ time but does not benefit from suitable planning for his future needs. A compliance notice is issued in respect of this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector found that children’s files had several documents missing, such as transition and pathway plans. In addition, local authority placement plans were out Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 3 of date and records of children looked after reviews and other planning meetings had not been secured from the local authority.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although the manager was able to evidence some challenge to local authorities with regards to securing information and planning for children, these efforts have not been effective. A requirement is made in respect of this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The regular absence of the manager in the home has significantly affected oversight of staff activities, planning for young people to leave the home and suitable follow- up with staff when omissions have been identified.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, a new independent visitor to the home has been appointed. Since that appointment, the timeliness of the reports being submitted to Ofsted has improved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there have not been any complaints, allegations or incidents requiring the restraint of children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children benefit from a range of home and community-based activities, such as baking, bowling, walks in parks and going to the cinema. They are given frequent opportunities to express their views and preferences.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children appear to be settled in the home. One social worker spoken to considered their child to have developed good relationships with staff and the child was observed to be happy and content. Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/02/2020 Full Good 20/09/2018 Full Good 18/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have adequate knowledge and understanding of procedures relating to physical contact with children and also that relate to allegations of abuse. In addition, ensure that staff understand the importance of clear and accurate medication records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 4 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

*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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 4 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 6 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;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the manager is visible in the home and has the capacity to adequately oversee, monitor and develop the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to ensuring that all plans for children are available, regularly reviewed and relevant to each child.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 4 February 2022

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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

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. 4 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 7 (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

supply HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)) 4 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 4 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC411046 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shona Wands Alderson

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Inspector

Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC411046 9 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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