Children's home run by Lancashire County Council in Preston

Inspection report for children’s home: SC039673 1 SC039673 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. This home is registered to provide care for up to six children. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home registered with Ofsted in December 2019.

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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

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 25 January 2022. Following that inspection, three compliance notices were issued in respect of regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 14 (the care planning standard).

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the monitoring visit on 7 March 2022, inspectors found that these notices had not been met. Three further notices were issued in respect of the same regulations.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the monitoring visit on the 27 April 2022, the inspector found that all three compliance notices had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC039673 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2022 Full Inadequate 07/01/2020 Full Outstanding 11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 11/12/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC039673 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress academically since the last monitoring visit. One child’s education attendance has improved since they moved to the home. Another child has attended an interview at a college and has now been offered a place on their chosen course.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have struggled to engage with education or exams, the staff have offered practical and emotional support and worked effectively with schools to ensure that children have had appropriate help and guidance. One professional spoken to commended the staff for how they have helped one child to overcome their anxieties and enabled them to sit some of their GCSE exams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are being met by the staff at the home and children are supported to attend routine health appointments. When appointments are missed, the staff encourage children to understand the importance of addressing their own health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff ask children about their hobbies and interests and encourage them to choose activities that they enjoy. Children are encouraged to make use of the art room and they enjoy various arts and crafts. Children’s artwork is proudly displayed around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaging in meaningful direct work with staff, which is supporting children’s development and the development of positive relationships. However, children are not yet being consulted on a regular basis about all aspects of their lives. This is a missed opportunity for staff to understand, and take action, in response to children’s views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions for children into and out of the home have been well planned. Staff have developed a creative life-story book, which they use to chart children’s progress and time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have reflected on previous shortfalls relating to admissions of children to the home. Processes have been significantly improved, which has resulted in a positive transition for one child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, they receive a children’s guide. This guide has recently been reviewed and is now more child-centred. However, the complaints procedure is not written in an accessible format for children. Furthermore, children have not received information about advocacy or how they can access this support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a home that is maintained to a good standard. The recent improvements to the home’s exterior and gardens provide children with a comfortable and welcoming environment. Inspection report for children’s home: SC039673 4

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

Children have individualised risk-management plans that clearly identify risks and the actions that staff must take to reduce these risks. Staff are taking effective action, in line with these plans, which is promoting children’s safety and welfare.

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

Staff support children’s awareness of risks and help them to develop their understanding of how to keep safe. There have been risks for some children who have been missing from the home. However, the plans to minimise these risks and support children are robust. Staff are consistent in how they manage these risks and give appropriate advice and guidance to children.

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

There have not been any incidents of restraint in this home since the last inspection. Children are supported to develop effective coping strategies to manage their behaviour and feelings safely.

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

Positive behaviour is being promoted consistently by the staff team. There is a new rewards scheme, which children are invested in. Through praise and positive reinforcement, children’s behaviour has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified. Managers and leaders have driven improvements in the quality of care provided to children by implementing additional staff meetings. These meetings provide the staff with opportunities for informal learning as well as time to reflect on their practice. Staff spoken to said that they value these meetings, and that they provide them with clearer guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent staff team, and the manager does not use agency staff. This means that children are always cared for by staff that know them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are receiving supervision that is practice-related and regular. However, not all staff have received an annual appraisal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional relationships are strong because the manager and staff work proactively with external agencies. These effective working relationships are ensuring good standards of care and promoting positive outcomes for the children that live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has sent consultation forms to professionals to gather feedback on the home. Most of the responses are positive; however, one professional provided an opinion on an area for improvement. The manager has not yet addressed this, which means that they have not made the best use of information from independent sources. Inspection report for children’s home: SC039673 5

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. 17 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC039673 6 (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(c)(d)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 17 August 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8).  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC039673 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 78, County Hall, Fishergate, Preston PR1 8XJ

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Inspector

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC039673 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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