Children's Home run by Lily Residential Services Ltd in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 1 Registered provider: Lily Residential Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a private provider. The home provides care for two children with social and emotional needs. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2022 when this home was registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 3

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improvement to be good

Children have had mixed experiences living at this home. One child settled well, engaged in lots of activities and responded well to the support provided. After seven weeks, this child left the home as planned. The other child has lived alone in this home since.

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improvement to be good

Before this inspection, there was a significant rise in incidents over a period of a week, involving self-harm, the use of restraint, police involvement and damage to the home. The manager and the team advocated for the child by liaising with social care professionals and calling for meetings to review the child’s care plan. In the meantime, the team is committed to supporting the child and providing activities of interest for a positive focus.

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improvement to be good

Children’s bedrooms provide a pleasant personal space, with items of their choice. Damage has occurred on the ground floor of the home. Hazards and broken items are repaired and replaced quickly, ensuing that the home is safe. Due to the serious risk of self-harm, drinking glasses and crockery have been temporarily removed and replaced with plastic items. The kitchen looks bare as items that could harm have been removed. The manager is clear that such restrictive practice is necessary at times but has a plan to replace these temporary items as soon as possible.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported with their education. One child has successfully returned to school after a period of absence before living in this home. This inspection took place during the school holiday, when activities were being arranged, such as trips to the beach, walks, shopping and cooking.

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improvement to be good

Community mental health services support children with their emotional well-being through regular meetings. In addition, the staff team receives clinical supervision each month from a child psychologist to help them to develop their understanding of trauma-informed practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff take action to respond to the immediate safeguarding risks. However, on occasions, this has meant calling the police to the home for assistance. Leaders and managers recognise that on some occasions calling the police was not necessary and could have been avoided.

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improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention ensures that a child is prevented from harming themselves or others. On five occasions, one child has been guided away from a risk, been physically removed to prevent serious damage in the home and has been restrained to remove sharp objects. Records provide a clear account as to what Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 4 happened and why. The manager has good oversight of these records and ensures that children have an opportunity to reflect after an incident. However, after one physical intervention that the manager was involved in, it was not appropriate that the manager completed the reflection. Children need the opportunity to discuss such incidents with adults who were not directly involved.

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improvement to be good

The staff team appropriately searches the local area and follows protocols when a child is missing from home. One child has been missing from home on three occasions for short periods; each time a return home interview has been provided by the local authority.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. The simple use of different colours highlights any changes in the written documents. Staff say that they find this easy to read and are therefore informed of current risks and any changes, to assist them in their support of children.

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good

Staff talk very positively about the manager and the support that they receive from him. Regular supervision is valued by the team. This provides an opportunity to talk about their work and review their practice with the manager or responsible individual.

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good

The staff team currently has two vacancies and there are no senior staff. In the absence of a senior, the manager is unable to delegate some of his tasks and therefore manages the home while also covering the rota when required. The responsible individual reports that recruitment has been difficult, and they are struggling to attract someone to a senior post. Another difficulty with staffing has been the absence of female staff on four occasions. The presence of exclusively male staff is not appropriate for the child and should be avoided. Leaders and managers took action to address this by recruiting a female member of staff from an agency to be available during the summer holiday period.

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good

Training is available to all staff. The current team completed all mandatory training in preparation for the home opening in May 2022 and a new training programme is being compiled for September. Training on the principles of therapeutic parenting has been delivered, however, the managers wish to see this further embedded into daily practice. Some examples of this approach are evident in daily records but not from all staff members.

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good

Overall, recording and reporting is of good quality. An information management system is in use that enables managers to access records remotely, create reports to check the quality and look for patterns and trends. One omission is the absence of a register of children, as required by the regulations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 5 An independent person visits the home monthly and provides a comprehensive report of their findings. However, the reports do not include the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are safeguarded effectively or not. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This refers to ensuring that any restrictions in the home for safety, such as the removal of drinking glasses, cutlery and crockery, are temporary and that usual items are reinstated as soon as possible. 5 September 2022

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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— that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; and 5 September 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 7 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review the policy on when to call the police for assistance and ensure that all staff understand and adhere to the policy.

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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

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)) 5 September 2022

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, maintain a register of children. 5 September 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and 5 September 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 8 to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when children are restrained, the child is able to discuss their feelings about their experience of the restraint with someone who was not involved in the restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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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: 2679463 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lily Residential Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Spirare Ltd, Mey House, Bridport Road, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3QY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Felstead

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Inspector

Clare Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2679463 10 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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