Children's home run by Lincolnshire County Council in Lincoln

Inspection report for children’s home: SC042994 1 SC042994 Registered provider: Lincolnshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a local authority. It provides a short-break service to children with emotional and social difficulties, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health difficulties and sensory impairments. Currently, 54 children access this service.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC042994 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/01/2020 Full Outstanding 03/09/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC042994 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences during their short breaks. Staff carefully consider children’s individual needs. The staff team is skilled at matching groups of children for each break. This careful matching of children provides opportunities for children to develop friendships and enjoy activities with other children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children get to have opportunities and experiences that they may not ordinarily be able to engage in due to their complex needs. Children have been able to participate in activities in the community, such as swimming and attending a funfair, which were positive experiences. External agencies work with the home and provide additional activities that provide sensory and stimulating experiences, for example African drumming.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped and supported to develop their independence, social skills and communication. Staff aspire highly for the children. They work very well with parents and other professionals in setting realistic targets designed to help children make progress. Children’s achievements are celebrated, shared and captured in photos and artwork throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team provides nurturing care. Children are treated with respect and dignity. Staff are responsive to children’s needs and are skilled at adapting how they communicate to meet the needs of children. Children are provided with safe and consistent routines which help to reduce their anxieties. As a result, children are happy and settled during their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are clear and detailed. They provide the staff with the necessary guidance and understanding of the children’s needs. Plans set out how the children can be supported during their stay. There is a strong emphasis on working with parents and involved professionals to inform care plans that are consistent and reflect parents’ and children’s views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given options and choices. This provides them with a voice in how the home is operated and meets their needs. Staff look at a range of ways to ensure that children’s views are captured and responded to. Parents and external professionals are also kept informed via regular newsletters. These illustrate the events and activities that children have been involved in and developments in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s risks are carefully considered and inform detailed risk assessments and support plans. Staff have a good understanding of risk and how best to support children with complex needs. Staff are skilled at ensuring that children are provided with a safe environment that protects them from harm. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042994 4 Staff have received additional training and guidance in the reporting and recording of safeguarding concerns. A new system now means that any safeguarding concerns are reported in a timely way to the management team and external agencies. When there have been concerns, these have been managed appropriately. The manager has worked with other professionals to ensure that children are safeguarded and concerns are responded to immediately.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Any concerning incidents involving children are well managed. There have been no recent incidents that have involved the staff restraining children. Following any incidents, the staff have reflective debriefs which allow them opportunities to discuss their practice and identify any learning. As a result, some children’s support plans have been reviewed and updated to reflect this learning. Children, wherever possible, are also given the opportunity to talk about incidents. This enables them to understand the actions taken by staff to keep them safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff know the children very well and have a good understanding of how children can communicate in different ways. Staff are attuned to the children and use this knowledge to observe children for any signs of behaviour that may indicate something is wrong. Any concerns are documented and shared with relevant people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Medication administration has been reviewed following an error. Staff have received additional training, including competency assessments. The new protocol gives staff clear guidance and a step-by-step guide designed to minimise the risks of medication errors occurring. As a result, there have been no further errors in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new management team has been appointed. Its members provide strong leadership. A new development plan has been implemented and as a result there have been improvements throughout the home and in working practices. The manager has high aspirations for the staff. She has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a clear emphasis placed on staff development and support. Staff have benefited from regular supervision and clear training plans that reflect their needs and those of the children. Some staff have had annual appraisals, where they discuss practice and are set targets and goals for further growth. Not all staff have had appraisals. This is an area for ongoing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well with a multidisciplinary team. This includes colleagues from health, social care and education. They have strong and positive relationships with families and work closely with parents and carers in implementing care plans for the children. Parents describe the home as a ‘lifeline’ and say that they ‘trust’ the staff in providing safe care to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042994 5 The children’s identified key workers are being supported and encouraged to take a more active role in meetings to provide their views and ideas regarding the children’s care needs. This empowers staff to contribute their first-hand knowledge of the children in developing children’s plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented a range of systems for auditing and monitoring of the home. These are in the process of becoming embedded in practice. Senior staff are being given more responsibility and are taking lead roles in key areas, with oversight from the management team. This is supporting professional development and shared ownership about practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042994 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC042994 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lincolnshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Offices, Newland, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN1 1YL

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC042994 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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