Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC359836 1 SC359836 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. This home is registered to provide care for up to six children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were six children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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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: 14 September 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC359836 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2022 Full Good 19/04/2022 Full Inadequate 09/11/2021 Full Good 08/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC359836 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable and the manager and staff are welcoming and friendly. Children say they are happy and that they like the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with children’s families to support family time. The staff team builds positive relationships with children’s families. This helps children to maintain important relationships. This supports children’s sense of self and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are effective in managing children’s behaviours. The stable, experienced staff team ensures that children have clear boundaries. Staff offer incentives to encourage children to behave positively. This helps children to learn to make good choices for themselves as they grow up.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are in employment or education. Some children are supported to access additional support. This includes extra tuition or school clubs. This means children have enhanced learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children lots of activities to do outside of school hours. This includes going to the gym or days out with staff. Staff help the children plan for holidays and festivals such as Christmas. Children have fun and enjoy their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children said that they didn’t understand the reason for some of the home’s rules. This left them feeling confused.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a purpose-built children’s home. Some elements of the home have an institutional impression. The internal doors that lead to communal areas have locks on them. If used, this would prevent children from having access to all areas of their home.

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

All children have detailed individual risk management plans. Staff regularly update the plans. Staff have good knowledge and show that they understand children’s risks. This helps to keep children safe.

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

Each child has a missing-from-home risk management plan. Records prove that when children go missing, staff respond. Staff look for children and work with the wider system of professionals to help to locate them. This ensures that children are safely returned to the home.

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

Managers ensure a thorough analysis of incidents when children have been at risk of harm. This helps staff to understand children’s patterns of behaviour. This means staff learn from the incidents and introduce strategies that reduce future risks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC359836 4 Staff complete regular health and safety checks and fire drills. This ensures that the children live in a safe environment.

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

The provider ensures safe recruitment practice. This means new staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team works well together. This is because of effective communication. Managers offer staff regular supportive supervision. This enables managers and staff to discuss the children in their care. This benefits the children, as staff can reflect on how they are caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have annual appraisals, which helps to support their development. Children are invited to contribute to staff appraisals. This helps children to feel part of this process and that their opinion is important.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are all qualified or are training for the relevant qualification. Managers offer staff training to help them to provide care tailored to the children’s needs. The home has a strong learning culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a stable staff team. Staff say that they love their job. Children benefit from a staff team that communicates well and offers them consistency of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff take the time to understand children’s backgrounds and cultures. Children’s rights are understood and respected. Inspection report for children’s home: SC359836 5

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Recommendations

 The responsible person should ensure that when adults reach decisions that conflict with children’s wishes and feelings, it is important that children are helped to understand the reasons for the decision-making. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 4.9 page 22)  The responsible person should ensure that the home the children live in conveys a homely rather than an institutional impression. The presence of locks on doors to communal rooms should be reviewed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 3.9 page 15)

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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: SC359836 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 78, Preston PR1 8XJ

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC359836 7 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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