Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC359836 1 SC359836 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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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. It is registered to provide care for up to six children. At the time of the inspection, there were three children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 19 and 20 April 2022. Following this inspection, three compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to 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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This monitoring visit

At the monitoring visit on 8 June 2022, the inspector found that the compliance notices had not been met. Three further 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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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding practice in the home has improved since the last inspection. There are risks to children who have been missing from the home. However, staff are taking effective action in response to these incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The clarity of children’s risk assessments has improved. Risk assessments clearly identify individual risks for children and the strategies that staff should follow to reduce these risks. Risk assessments are current and are reviewed regularly by staff, who update these as soon as a risk changes or a new risk occurs. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC359836 2 Staff follow children’s risk assessments consistently and take effective action in response to significant incidents. Staff understand children’s individual risks and help children to reflect on incidents and understand how to keep safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have now received training in subjects that are relevant to the needs of children that live in the home. The manager has provided opportunities for the staff to reflect on this training, to ensure that this is implemented in practice.

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This monitoring visit

No children have moved in to the home since the last inspection. To support learning and improvements in the admission process, the manager and staff team have undertaken theoretical exercises. Managers and staff have reflected on previous shortfalls and implemented an improved system for assessing the suitability of future placements.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has made improvements in the quality of their monitoring arrangements. The manager has greater oversight of significant events, including the actions taken following these.

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This monitoring visit

Following this inspection, a case review was held. It was the decision of the case review that the home had made sufficient progress to evidence that all three compliance notices had been met. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC359836 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2022 Full Inadequate 09/11/2021 Full Good 08/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/11/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC359836 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC359836 5

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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 - monitoring visit: SC359836 6 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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