Children's Home run by Frances House Ltd in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 1 SC403462

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Registered provider: Frances House Limited

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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 private children’s home registered for up to five children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2016. She is suitably experienced and qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Children are happy and settled living in their home. They have positive and respectful relationships with the staff team. They feel supported and valued. One social worker said, ‘This is the most stable and secure [Name] has been. The staff show that they care about her and love her.’

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The care of children

Since the last visit, there has been an improvement in the staff team’s approach to promoting children’s education. Consequently, most children have made progress in their education. They have obtained work placements, apprenticeships or are in the middle of phased returns into a school suited to their needs.

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The care of children

For one child, there are still some barriers to support her to obtain full engagement in her education. However, there is evidence of close partnership working between the staff team and the child’s school to help the child work towards returning to full- time education.

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The care of children

Children are provided with the opportunity to access support from external mental health agencies. Children’s child-led safety plans provide staff with clear guidance to support children with positive mental health. Children regularly use their trusting relationships with staff to talk about how they are feeling. This has improved their overall confidence and their ability to seek out additional medical support and treatment when required.

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The care of children

The quality of children’s meetings has improved. Children’s views and feelings about living in the home are listened to. The manager now provides feedback to children in response to the requests they have made at the meetings, including explanations of any requests that can’t be fully agreed and the reasons for this.

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The care of children

Children have not felt the need to complain. This evidences that children can talk to staff and resolve any grumbles or concerns they have informally.

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The safety of children

Children feel safe living in their home. This is because the staff team provides them with consistent support and guidance. Staff are respectful of children’s need to be involved in changes to their safety plans and risk assessments. Children are spoken to about any safeguarding decisions that have been made, so that they understand why a certain action has been taken. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 3 The matching process for children moving into the home has been improved. Impact risk assessments consider all children’s shared risks, the impact of them living together and preventative strategies to reduce risks. The manager has a clear vision about who she can match with the current children living in the home.

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The safety of children

The staff team understands the procedures it should follow to keep children safe. This is because children’s risk assessments are up to date and provide staff with clear and concise guidance on the action they should take if children are engaging in behaviour that compromises their safety.

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The safety of children

Comprehensive records show that serious incidents and incidents of missing from home have been managed well and responded to appropriately by the staff team. The consistent communication with professionals and multi-agency approach mean that children have access to suitable external safeguarding professionals, such as child sexual exploitation and substance misuse agencies.

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The safety of children

The staff team is proactive in undertaking direct work with the children specific to their risk-taking behaviour. This has helped them to make safer choices and, consequently, some children’s risks have reduced. For example, one child is supported to talk about her feelings and emotions openly with staff to reduce the need for self-injurious behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager is organised, and she is supported by a skilled deputy manager. Together, they have taken action to address all the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager’s oversight of both the operation of the home and quality of care provided to children has improved. The manager is more rigorous in her evaluation of all serious incidents. She makes recommendations to improve the management of incidents, such as new training courses for staff and additional focused direct work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager’s monthly monitoring identifies the progress that children make. It is effective in identifying patterns and trends in children’s behaviour and recognising changes that need to be made to support the children to manage their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The staff team is more settled. The core staff team is more stable and, because of this, there has been improved continuity of care for the children. Staff say they are supported by the management team. They receive regular practice-related supervisions and up-to-date training that is specific to the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager’s review of the quality-of-care report is not effective in its analysis. It does not include feedback from children, parents, staff, or social workers to provide a full assessment of the quality of care. The report fails to identify action that is required in the coming months to support further progress for children. Additionally, the latest report has not been sent to Ofsted within suitable timescales. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 4 The independent person’s last three reports have not been received by Ofsted. This means that the regulator has been unable to effectively monitor the home’s progress. This is an error by the company that provides the reports for the home. However, the manager requires a system to ensure that all reports have been sent to Ofsted without significant delay. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/04/2021 Full Good 10/12/2019 Full Inadequate 17/04/2018 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 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 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

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person should provide Ofsted with their independent person’s report at suitable timescales and without delay. This is to enable the regulator to monitor the home effectively. 16 December

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality-of-care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality-of-care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. 16 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 7 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a) (5))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they connect with and be part of the wider support system for each child in their care. It is crucial that the staff team works in close partnership with all those who play a role in caring for the child. This specifically relates to working effectively with all children’s schools, to identify children’s barriers to education and enable each child to access full-time education. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Frances House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Albert Road, COLNE, Lancashire BB8 0BP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pamela Forrester

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Inspector

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403462 9 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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