Children's home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Lancaster

Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 1 SC479632 Registered provider: Hopscotch Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider’s statement of purpose states that the staff care for up to five children, aged 12 to 17 years old, with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers comprehensive facilities and a service of care geared to promoting each child’s comfort, safety and well-being.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was appointed by Ofsted in August 2021.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 6 October 2021, to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 4 September 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/09/2019 Full Good 09/07/2019 Full Inadequate 22/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in stable placements. Some children have lived in the home for up to three years. Children have maintained secure and positive relationships with a core group of staff. The inspector observed warm and nurturing interaction and communication between staff and children. Children told the inspector that overall, they were happy, and said that the staff were ‘nice’ and the home was ‘good’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Internally, the home is suitably decorated to create a homely and tidy environment that children can enjoy bedrooms are decorated to reflect the individual personality of each child. One child has requested a replacement of his bedroom carpet as it is worn in places. Another child has a damaged bathroom door. Upkeep and maintenance are required in children’s bedrooms.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

On the first day of inspection, the inspector noted that staff were wearing their company lanyards. This seemed out of character with the homely atmosphere in the home, and is unnecessary unless staff are required their identification badges for external appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The back garden is not currently functional as a suitable space for children to sit in and enjoy. This could be significantly improved by management to ensure that children can actively enjoy their external space, along with the internal space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in therapy to support their mental and emotional needs. Therapy is provided by external sources, such as the child and adolescent mental health services team. Children can talk about difficult feelings and gain a better understanding of their behaviours. Although there has been a reduction in some children smoking illegal substances, such a marijuana, this is still an ongoing issue. Some children are reluctant to give up smoking tobacco. An integrative approach is required, to ensure that children have healthy attitudes to their health and well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making steady progress with their education. The children’s education attendance is sporadic and differs for each child. Some children are currently not in any education and/or training or have stopped attending. One child was not previously attending education, but is now keen to complete his education with a view to pursuing a future career as a chef. Another child is on target to complete summer exams but has struggled to attend school every day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children in the home are now progressing towards an independence plan. Children are provided with a budget to shop for food. Children are encouraged to cook for themselves. This can mean that children eat at different times, and there are no shared mealtimes in the home for children to interact together. However, children will engage in joint trips and activities with one another. Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 4 Independence plans lack some creativity and do not cover wider subject areas, to ensure that children are fully prepared for their transition to independence. Some children will engage with their independence plans and others are still reluctant to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Previously, there has been some conflict between peers and some children have felt bullied by their peers. Staff have conducted discussions with children after incidents, to ensure that a respectful living environment is maintained. This could be improved by revisiting the house rules of positive relationships as a shared understanding for all children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live a significant distance away from family are transported by staff to ensure that family relationships are maintained, and children have positive experiences with family members.

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improvement to be good

The home recently implemented a new electronic system in order to move towards a paperless system of recording information on children’s records. The current format for recording risk assessments and behaviour support strategies is difficult to follow. The provider has acknowledged this.

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improvement to be good

The electronic system requires improvement to ensure that there is a clear process that differentiates between current risk factors and historical risks. Further analysis would help to identify whether current risks are low or high, to ensure that risks are managed effectively.

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improvement to be good

Children with complex mental health needs who have a history of self-injurious behaviours require a multi-agency safety plan. This will ensure that staff are consistent in following the safety plans after children have been discharged from health services. This will also ensure that a safety plan is in place in the home, to help manage risks.

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improvement to be good

Children who are not in any education and/or training require structure to their day. This will ensure that they continue to engage in an area of interest to help their future career prospects. This is important for those children who are at risk of criminal exploitation and who are now beginning to engage in antisocial behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Children have received a high number of sanctions for incidents. However, the sanctions do not have the desired impact. For example, financial restriction for smoking cannabis and/or non-attendance at school, has little impact because the children continue to smoke cannabis and/or not attend education.

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improvement to be good

Children have refused to attend necessary health appointments and/or engage in smoking cessation programmes. During the inspection, a child was seen smoking in the back garden. Staff have an important role in making sure that children engage with health practitioners, to ensure overall improvements in the children’s health. Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 5 The inspector spoke with the local authority designated officer, who reported that areas requiring improvement have been identified and agreed between the provider and the local authority. The discussion did not highlight any serious safeguarding concerns.

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improvement to be good

The back garden includes an exposed area that gives access to an open space. The open space contains an entrance to a recreational club that is used by members of the public. This has been reviewed in the local area risk assessment. However, this area could be improved further to ensure that children have a secure and private area to sit and relax in at the rear of the property.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2021. This is the manager’s first inspection as registered manager. The manager can positively reflect on the progress that each child has made. The manager and his deputy have the children’s best interest at heart, and provide a nurturing and supportive environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff informed the inspector that they enjoy coming to work and feel supported by their managers and their colleagues. Staff have completed relevant training to develop their knowledge and experience. The home has seen a high turnover of staff over the past year. A small number of staff team members have continued to work at the home and provide continuity of care for children. Staff changes can have a negative impact on children’s ability to form positive and secure relationships with adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A small number of staff are suitably qualified with the relevant health and social care qualification and some staff are working towards this or, nearing completion. There have been two incidents of inappropriate conduct by staff that have been reported to the local authority designated officer. The provider is required to ensure that staff have the relevant experience to care for vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff conduct spot checks in the community and conduct welfare phone calls when children are on unrestricted free time. However, this is not routinely recorded. Therefore, the manager was unable to provide evidence that children are safeguarded in the community effectively. This is relevant for children who are at risk of criminal exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is required to have a good understanding of the local area risk assessment. The manager was unable to speedily clarify whether a local sports venue had been assessed in the area risk assessment. New visitors to the home would benefit from being briefed on the fire exit plan, in case immediate evacuation is required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The local authority designated officer made several recommendations to improve the professional working relationship between the local authority designated officer and Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 6 the provider. One suggestion is additional training for managers that specifically identifies the role of the officer. This may prevent future delays in the submission of referrals when complaints come from children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Independent scrutiny of the home is required to obtain an independent overview of the home. Recent reports have not highlighted any shortfalls or areas that could be improved with set recommendations. The inspector was informed that a new company is now in place to ensure that the quality of scrutiny is improved. This will be monitored by Ofsted. Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 7

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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, 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 31 May 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 31 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 8 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and 31 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 9 the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities, and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; 31 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 10 take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Recommendation

 The registered manager must ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children. Any repairs or maintenance to children’s bedrooms should be carried out promptly. The back garden should be developed to provide a private garden area for children to enjoy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC479632 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hopscotch Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Lancaster Road, Carnforth LA5 9LD

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Inspector

Kamal Bhamra, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479632 12 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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