Children's Home run by Connect Care Solutions Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 1 Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned by a private provider and can provide care for one child with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in May 2023. There is an interim manager in post who has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of 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: 15 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. Staff continually tried to encourage the child to engage in activities and break the cycle of anti-social behaviours and criminality. However, this work was not successful. The child’s placement ended with immediate effect due to significant safeguarding concerns in the community. Feedback provided by professionals confirmed that the staff team had tried hard to protect and support the child throughout their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move into the home are supported to have a gradual transition, with opportunities to visit the home and meet staff before moving in. This helps children to settle more quickly as they have a choice and are involved in the decision-making process about coming to live in their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in this home is starting to make good progress in all aspects of their development. Staff have spent time getting to know the child and have developed positive relationships with them. Consistent care is helping the child to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem. The child said, ‘I like it here and the staff are OK. I have been out and tried new things and I like my bedroom.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise that routine and boundaries provide stability and security. This has been vital in helping the child to manage their emotional well-being and anxieties in a calmer way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff enable the child to influence their day-to-day care experiences. Staff spend time listening to the child and provide opportunities to talk about their care, and recreational activities and food choices. The child was observed helping the staff to prepare the evening meal. This is helping the child to develop the skills and techniques that will benefit them in their adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of education is promoted in the home. Staff find out the barriers to learning. They work with education staff and devise plans that take into account the child’s interests. This has enhanced their experiences, making education goals fun and achievable. However, when children are not in education, there is not always a clear structured plan in place to promote formal learning. One child spent long periods in their bedroom during school hours. Although staff tried to encourage learning, there was no structured plan to follow to promote a consistent approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage in a range of new activities and to access activities in their local community. The current child has enjoyed playing out in the rain, climbing a mountain and taking trips to areas of interest. These experiences have given them a sense of belonging in the community and have helped to increase their self-confidence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 4 The staff help children to have positive experiences and improved outcomes. The current child is enjoying a healthier diet and lifestyle. Children are encouraged to see the important people in their lives and are building safe and positive relationships with them.

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

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities and any concerns about their safety. Staff are vigilant and recognise signs that indicate that a child may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Staff work well with a wide range of professionals, who are all complimentary about the staff team and their commitment to keeping children safe.

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

Staff continually assess the risks for each child and take every necessary step to make sure that children are protected. Written assessments and plans provide clear information and guidance for staff. However, when amendments are made, these are not always dated or signed by the author to allow for accountability and clarity.

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

Staff help children to be aware of risks and to manage their safety. Staff spend time talking to the children about important aspects of their lives, including healthy friendships, exploitation and managing their emotional well-being. This work has helped the child who recently moved in to make good choices about their safety and lifestyle, which has resulted in a reduction in their self-injurious behaviours.

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

The manager and staff take decisive action when they have concerns about children’s welfare, such as them going missing from home or if they have worries about their safety in the community. They actively look for children and welcome them back to the home, ensuring they do not require any medical intervention. Staff work effectively with local authorities and the police to follow safety plans that manage and reduce risks to children.

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

Staff make sure that each child has clear and appropriate boundaries and expectations for their standards of behaviour. Staff deal with negative behaviour constructively and reinforce each child’s positive behaviour through praise and rewards. Staff find the least intrusive way possible to help children to manage their feelings and to control their behaviour. This has supported a reduction in significant incidents and physical intervention has not been used.

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

The child said that they feel safe and live in a calm home. They have staff who will listen to them and help them manage their anxieties and worries. Staff’s professional practice and the safeguarding arrangements protect children from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager is experienced and child-focused. She is well organised and has high aspirations for the children in her care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 5 The interim manager provides clear and effective leadership. She is ambitious for children to live in a safe and supportive home where they can achieve better outcomes and lead happy and fulfilling lives. The staff share these high expectations and work hard to provide each child with the support and guidance that they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has helped develop a consistent and systematic way of working, which is having a positive impact on children’s lives. For example, staff are now using a clear and structured approach to supporting the child in all areas of their lives. However, children’s records are not always written in a way that is helpful for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager provides each member of staff with good support, guidance and encouragement. The staffing arrangements make sure that children receive continuity of care and build safe and stable relationships with the staff looking after them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Before the interim manager started work in the home, staff did not spend enough time in supervision or team meetings reflecting critically on their work with children. They did not consistently talk about the training that they have completed, what they have learned and the impact that this is having on children. However, since the interim manager has been in place this has significantly improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have had training to develop their knowledge and understanding of helping children to recover from attachment difficulties, trauma, abuse and neglect, and the best ways to build child’s emotional well-being and resilience. The home offers children support through a commissioned therapy service. However, this support is not detailed in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager continually reviews the quality of care. She has devised detailed action plans to show how any weaknesses that she has found. The interim manager takes the staff on a journey of development and reflection to ensure that children in their care receive a good quality of care and are supported and encouraged to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring reports completed by an independent visitor are sent to Ofsted. These reports are important because they show how effectively the manager is working to improve the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 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, The 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 compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that details of therapy provided by any commissioned service are clear. Details of the experience, qualifications and supervision arrangements for the commissioned therapist need to be included in the statement of purpose. 29 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when documents are updated, they are signed and dated. 29 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children who are not attending full-time education are provided with suitable structured activities to sustain or regain their confidence in education. The registered person should work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that records are written for the child in a way that will be helpful to the child. Records should be written in a clear and careful way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2606135 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Victoria Road East, Thornton Cleveleys FY5 5HT

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector, Social Care Jennifer Gadsby, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2606135 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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