Children's home run by Lincolnshire County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC043732 1 SC043732 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 by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to 11 children with physical disabilities and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spent time with all the children during this inspection. The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified and experienced. They were present throughout the inspection.

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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: 8 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A compliance notice was set under Regulation 12, The protection of children standard. This was judged to have been met during a monitoring visit on 22 December 2022. This report has been published on the Ofsted website. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043732 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2022 Full Inadequate 22/09/2021 Full Good 27/08/2019 Full Good 09/04/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC043732 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress and are happy and settled. Staff provide nurturing and consistent care and treat children with dignity and respect. Children have trusting and positive relationships with the adults caring for them. Children benefit from predictable routines and boundaries, and this helps them to feel secure. Professionals and parents gave positive feedback and are happy with the care and support given to them and to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have suitable education arrangements, have good attendance and are making progress. For some children, this has led to additional opportunities such as engaging in school clubs and building friendship groups. This is helping children to develop independence and improve social skills. One child is going to a friend’s party, and this is positive progress for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. The team works with a wide range of external professionals. There have been adaptations to children’s plans and to the physical environment, which has led to a reduction in incidents. Children are enrolled with local health professionals and are supported to attend appointments. New systems have been put in place to regularly audit medication, which reduces the risk of medication being missed or inappropriately administered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a range of activities in the home and the community. Activities are planned around children’s likes and dislikes such as going for walks, sensory activities, visiting historical buildings and swimming. Children have created artwork which is displayed around the home, and this helps children to feel connected to their environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to stay in touch with people who are important to them. A range of communication methods and aids are used to help children stay in touch and express their views. An independent advocate regularly visits the home and is creating a range of social stories to help in capturing children’s views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are clear, detailed and individual. They are regularly reviewed and updated. The manager consults with a multi-disciplinary team and parents when reviewing children’s care. This means that a holistic approach is used when looking at the child’s needs. Staff complete specific work with children, linked to their plans. This has supported children in developing communication skills and improving their independence.

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

The manager has good oversight of incidents and staff have benefited from reflective debriefs after incidents. Wherever possible, children’s views are also Inspection report for children’s home: SC043732 4 sought following incidents. The use of physical intervention to manage incidents is rare. Staff use de-escalation techniques to manage children’s behaviour.

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

When incidents have occurred, the manager has had clear oversight and has thoroughly debriefed with staff. The manager’s evaluation and analysis have led to additional support being requested from external agencies. Incidents have significantly reduced for most of the children due to improved behaviour management and strategies of support. One child’s incidents have increased recently, and the manager has used their experience and knowledge to analyse the reasons for this. The manager has shared their evaluation with external professionals, and a multi-agency team is now involved in risk management and in supporting the child.

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

Allegations have been well managed and there is improved oversight with more critical thinking and professional curiosity. The manager has been working with external safeguarding professionals in adapting and implementing risk assessments and plans. One allegation about staff was substantiated, and the manager has acted in response to this. They have implemented a development plan and additional supervision for the staff member involved.

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

Risk assessments are clear, detailed and individual to the child. They are kept under regular review and external agencies have been involved in informing some of these assessments. There are a range of strategies in place designed to support staff in their work with children.

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

The home provides children with a safe environment. A fire door that was damaged during a recent incident has yet to be mended. The manager has chased this up with the relevant department and a senior manager has now further escalated this concern. The manager has a risk assessment in place and children are not at immediate risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child-centred and passionate, and they have high expectations of the staff team in providing safe and consistent care to children. They know the children and the home well and have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses. A clear development plan is in place to continue to develop the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New systems and processes have led to improvements in the manager’s oversight of the home. The manager is supported by a dedicated and capable management team that has benefited from additional mentoring and support. This means that leadership and management in the home is stable and effective, and staff feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been notable improvements in the management analysis and evaluation of incidents, and this has led to effective care planning and risk assessment for the children. The manager is an integral and respected part of a multi-agency team around the child and has provided additional insight and information. They are part Inspection report for children’s home: SC043732 5 of a working group that provides peer reviews to other managers, and this has supported development and progress and the sharing of best practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported and are positive about their roles. The quality and frequency of supervision have improved, and staff are being encouraged to reflect on their practice which supports their development. There are some staffing shortages, but these are being well managed. There is minimal use of agency staff and, when they are used, they receive a comprehensive induction. The manager completes a range of safer recruitment checks to ensure that staff working in the home are safe adults to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have received additional training around the specific needs of children. This is developing their understanding of behaviour management and providing additional strategies on how best to support children. Staff are being given opportunities to share their specific skills in delivering workshops to the rest of the team to further develop knowledge. This supports staff to utilise their skills and with their own personal development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043732 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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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: SC043732 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: Lincolnshire County Council, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC043732 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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