Children's Home run by Lincolnshire County Council in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC042967 1 SC042967 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 and provides care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 2 December 2022. The responsible individual has been in post since 3 October 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC042967 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/04/2022 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/04/2021 Full Inadequate 12/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC042967 3

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outstanding

Children are cherished by staff. The manager has supported the team to recognise that the children need lots of nurture, consistency, praise and understanding. Staff comment how this approach has ‘worked wonders’ for the children, who, as a result, are thriving. From their starting points, children are making exceptional progress.

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outstanding

All children have education placements. Children sometimes have issues with attendance. However, when there are setbacks, staff work hard to re-engage children and get to the root cause of what the children are anxious about. There are examples of the manager strongly advocating on a child’s behalf in relation to their education.

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outstanding

Children have individualised routines that support their hobbies and interests. Staff are aspirational for children and work hard to support them in all their extra- curricular activities. Children are supported to become more independent, for example by keeping their own bedrooms tidy. However, some children struggle with this.

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outstanding

Where children have disability needs or health conditions, the manager ensures that staff have the relevant training to understand their health needs better. Although there have been some minor medication errors made by staff, processes have now been strengthened to prevent these from happening again. Where children have had changes to their medication, the manager is not yet reviewing these changes effectively. This is necessary to ensure that children are only taking medication that they need.

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outstanding

Although the home is clean and tidy overall, some children’s bedrooms would benefit from modernisation. Furthermore, some children would benefit from further support to manage clutter. There are certain areas of the home that are locked unnecessarily. Although these areas are unlocked if children want to access them, there is no need to have this system in place.

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outstanding

Although behavioural incidents for children have significantly reduced, children are still involved in behavioural incidents. During these incidents, staff are patient with children, and they remain focused on supporting each child to stay safe. Staff reflect on why children may be struggling, and they think of ways to help them. During these challenging times, children are sometimes recognising that they are feeling sad, rejected or frustrated. One child, who previously hurt staff on a regular basis, has now not done this in a long time. This is because they have been shown by staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC042967 4 how to communicate when they are feeling overloaded and unable to cope. Instead of hitting out, the child can instead ask for help. This is excellent progress.

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outstanding

Children cared for in this home have not always had positive relationships with the police. Despite this, the manager has endeavoured to work alongside the police to change this perception. The manager has delivered training to the police to support them to better understand the needs of looked after children. The manager also supported a police officer to visit the home in plain clothing to make the children feel more comfortable. The police were then invited to bring a riot van to the home for the children to play inside. This has had positive results because the children engaged and enjoyed spending time with the police. This progress has lifelong results because children are now starting to view the police in a positive way.

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outstanding

The manager has supported her staff team to recognise the signs of child exploitation. Staff have used this knowledge to protect a child who was at risk of being exploited. Although the child was not always appreciative of staff interventions to keep them safe, staff persevered and showed the child that they cared about them and their safety. It is the quality of these relationships that has reduced the likelihood of this child being involved in exploitation again. Although efforts taken to protect this child have been well recorded, there is one record that is inaccurate. The manager has not yet challenged this or asked for this document to be amended. This is important to ensure that children’s records are accurate.

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outstanding

During this inspection period, children have made allegations against staff. During these times, staff have responded consistently, followed safeguarding processes and showed children that they are listened to and that their views are taken seriously. Although some children are known to make unfounded allegations that they quickly retract, this same process is followed for every child. Staff teach children that they matter and that staff are there to protect them. When children make unfounded allegations, staff are curious as to why they do this, and they focus on repairing and rebuilding relationships with staff.

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outstanding

Some children struggle to sleep at night and need consistent, calm bedtime routines. However, due to the dynamics between the children, one child can occasionally disrupt the other children. The children then feel unsettled. This is something that staff are working through; however, the situation is not yet resolved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since being in post, the manager has needed to rebuild the home’s reputation in the local area. It was recognised that this reputation was having a negative impact on the children. This has not been an easy process; however, the manager has worked hard to achieve this. This has involved inviting local activity groups into the home to carry out activities with the children. The manager asked the fire service to put up the home’s Christmas lights. This helped to rebuild the relationship between the children and the fire service. Efforts to improve the home’s reputation have been successful. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042967 5 The manager has a clear mission to show staff how to care for children in a way that involves a high level of nurture. Many of the staff have worked in the home for several years and they like the changes that the new manager has introduced. One staff member described the changes in behaviour management as being like ‘chalk

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

and cheese’. Children recognise these changes too. Children are supported by staff to contribute their ideas to the home. Children’s viewpoints are valued and acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager described how some staff initially felt worried about whether they were allowed to hug the children or show appropriate affection. This has now changed. Staff will hug the children and regularly tell them how much they care about them. This good modelling by staff helps children to seek out comfort and affection. For example, when one child returns from school, they give staff a hug. Other children will hold hands with staff or rest their head on their shoulders when relaxing in the lounge. This helps children to build healthy, nurturing attachments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is very positive about her staff team. She recognises that caring for children with often complex and challenging needs is a skilled role. She ensures that staff receive regular supervision and are provided with necessary training. Staff recruitment has remained a challenge. However, there are enough staff and those available are fully committed to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Some staff are given the opportunity to lead on certain areas. For example, one staff member has helped to create a nature garden for the children to use. Children have been taught how to safely light fires in the garden and to carve animal prints into a totem pole. It is positive that children have been trusted to take measured risks in starting fires and using sharp tools.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Although the manager has introduced lots of positive changes to remove institutionalised language in care practice, this is still a work in progress. This has formed part of the home’s development plan. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042967 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children can access all shared areas of the home, unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21 (c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that child’s needs, be properly recorded and kept under regular review. Information on restraint and deprivation of liberty is contained in the protection of children section of the guide from paragraph 9.41. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that staff respect children’s privacy and

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Recommendations

support the other children living in the home to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.17)  The registered person should assess children’s health at regular intervals. The child’s care plan must include an individual health plan which sets out the approach that the placing authority will follow, and the desired outcomes required, to meet the child’s health needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.4)  The registered person should lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them to record significant life events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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: SC042967 7

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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

Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC042967 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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