Children's Home run by Lonsdale Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1274089 1 Registered provider: Lonsdale Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children, irrespective of gender. Children living in this home may have social and emotional difficulties, and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted on 1 December 2020.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1274089 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Full Outstanding 22/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1274089 3

p.2

outstanding

The individualised, high-quality care provided in this home ensures that children are making exceptional progress and have improved, positive experiences while living in the home.

p.3

outstanding

Education attendance and achievement levels for children are excellent. Children attend facilities that are appropriate for their individual needs. Staff have helped one child work through and manage an existing anxiety disorder to ensure that he is able to engage. These well-thought-through plans have helped the child to transition to full-time education and make extraordinary progress. Prior to living in the home, he had not engaged in education for several years. Another child recently obtained several GCSEs, which has enabled them to attend college.

p.3

outstanding

Children engage in a variety of activities and are supported to explore hobbies and interests. For example, children frequently engage in physical activities such as football, climbing, hiking and cycling. One child has been helped to build confidence and self-esteem to begin regular boxing classes. Furthermore, children have opportunities for fun, exploration and relaxation, such as sight-seeing in London, visiting Blackpool Tower and theme parks, baking and doing jigsaws.

p.3

outstanding

Children are in good health and their health needs are met. They attend routine appointments, access external support, and adhere to advice and guidance provided by health professionals. One child has been helped to stop smoking through the smoking cessation service. Importantly, children want to be healthy, and they take on board the advice and guidance provided by staff in regular direct-work sessions.

p.3

outstanding

One child was suffering with a specific anxiety disorder on moving into the home. This had a huge impact on several aspects of this child’s life. Staff and managers sought to understand the condition through research and consultation to provide the child with the most effective help. Adaptions were made to the child’s education, self-care and routines to reintroduce anxiety-provoking items. Methods used have been successful, enabling the child to live a normal life in line with their peers.

p.3

outstanding

Children are encouraged to try new things. At the time of the inspection, children spoke about trying new foods they had never experienced before, such as octopus and food from other countries and cultures. One child also spoke about being encouraged and helped by staff to step out of their comfort zone and engage in new experiences which they would have otherwise avoided. Children are benefiting from these experiences and are building skills and confidence.

p.3

outstanding

Children are rarely reprimanded. Staff maintain consistent routines and boundaries in the home through positive relationships and reinforcement. Children have clear Inspection report for children’s home: 1274089 4 targets and goals and are consulted about rewards. This means children are engaged and are keen to achieve.

p.3

outstanding

Children are helped to be independent and work towards their individual goals and aspirations for the future. One child’s local authority is currently searching for an appropriate foster placement due to his significant progress and positive engagement in the home. Another child is ready to move to more independent living and is due to undertake a trial day for a potential apprenticeship. Another child had a part-time job before leaving to concentrate on their education. Children have high aspirations for the future and are keen to achieve these.

p.4

outstanding

Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are comprehensive and individual to the child. They include preventative strategies formed from a deep understanding of children’s behaviours, personalities and potential triggers. Because of this, children do not display negative behaviour in the home and there has been no need for restrictive physical intervention.

p.4

outstanding

One child has made significant progress in respect of self-harming behaviours. Prior to living in this home, there were serious concerns for this child’s safety and emotional and mental well-being. Incidents of self-harm have reduced in frequency and severity since living here. The child attributes this to staff knowing them well and being able to identify their emotions. As a result, staff can provide early intervention, distraction and guidance. This prevents incidents and helps the child to manage their own emotions and behaviours before a crisis develops.

p.4

outstanding

There have been incidents of children going missing from home. During these incidents, staff have been proactive in searching for and attempting to locate children. Unfortunately, the policies and procedures that relate to children going missing from home do not make clear the expectations of staff should children remain missing overnight. This has resulted in an inconsistent approach. Senior leaders and managers agree that these polices do not currently reflect the nurturing, caring and child-focused ethos of the home.

p.4

outstanding

Relationships between children in the home are positive. When potential issues arise, managers and staff take immediate action to prevent potential conflict or disagreements between children. As a result, issues are quickly resolved and relationships between children are maintained. There is no bullying in the home and children are respectful towards each other. This contributes to children’s overall feelings and perceptions of being safe in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a well-established, knowledgeable and experienced manager. He is supported by a consistent and long-standing core staff team. Staff feel well supported by the manager and colleagues in their roles. Staff enjoy Inspection report for children’s home: 1274089 5 working in this home and are rarely absent. Consequently, children receive excellent continuity of care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders provide a good level of support to staff and the manager through reflective practice and learning. A learning session was held to discuss the current work of Ofsted. Leaders, managers and staff discussed poor and outstanding areas of practice witnessed in other homes using lessons learned to identify shortfalls and improved practice in this home. This demonstrates a desire to continue to improve the service, maintain standards and adhere to regulations. This serves to improve the protection of children and the overall quality of care they receive.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review in the home are robust. Staff meetings are detailed and identified tasks are actioned quickly and effectively. However, the manager had failed to identify that some local authority plans were not in place for children. This means that it is not clear whether plans for children are in line with those provided by the local authority. Action was taken at the time of the inspection to obtain these missing local authority plans.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation is working towards reducing its overall carbon footprint through investing in more renewable energy. This information has been shared and discussed with children to educate them on more economical ways of living. This is important because it develops children’s knowledge of the world and helps them to make positive, informed choices now and in the future.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Relationships between staff and children are warm, affectionate and reciprocal. Because of this, children enjoy being around staff and feel safe, loved and secure. The inspector spoke to all four children currently living in the home. Children attribute their progress and success to the opportunities, support and care provided to them by staff. When asked to rate the home, one child said, ‘I would give them one thousand out of ten. I don’t want to ever move out.’ Another child said, ‘They care for me as much as their own children; I know they do, I can tell.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1274089 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 17 (2))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should seek to ensure access to all necessary local authority plans for children. Plans should be up to date and relevant. 30 April 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 34 (6))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that missing-from-home policies consider the procedures to be taken when children are missing overnight. 30 April 2022

p.6

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: 1274089 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lonsdale Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Natalie Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1274089 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8