Children's Home run by Northridge Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 1 Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a private provider and provides care for up to three children who may have learning disabilities and social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has dual registration for this home and another home. They were registered for this home in September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the home’s first inspection since registration in September 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 2

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improvement to be good

Both children living at the home moved in recently. They have started to develop positive relationships with the manager and staff team. Staff listen to them and spend time with them. Children are aware of who will be caring for them each day as photos of the members of staff who will be on duty are on display. This provides stability and consistency of care for children.

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improvement to be good

Children are provided with opportunities to participate in activities outside their home, such as spa days, movie nights and going ice skating. Significant events for each child are celebrated and moments captured so that children are provided with a lasting record of their experiences. This is important for children and will allow them to understand their journey to adulthood.

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improvement to be good

One child was attending school full time, however, they have recently been excluded. The manager has liaised with school so that alternative activities, such as horse riding, to meet the child’s needs are in place. Another child has access to online learning sessions, however, has not accessed this since coming to the home. There has been insufficient challenge by the home to education services and the placing authority, meaning that the child does not have opportunities to learn and is not making progress.

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improvement to be good

The manager has challenged the local authority when concerns have been raised about the future plan for one child. However, this has not been escalated and, as a result, the child is unclear about the timing and plan for them when leaving care. The manager has recently drawn up an independence plan. This delay means there have been missed opportunities to prepare the child for their move to independence.

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improvement to be good

Care planning for one child moving into the home was not thorough. The child did not have an up-to-date local authority placement or care plan for several weeks. The manager had not put in place their own plan to reflect the child’s needs. This means that staff were not fully aware of the child’s risks and needs when they moved into the home. Furthermore, there was a lack of challenge to the local authority when statutory visits had not been completed. This does not allow children the opportunity to discuss their plans or ensure they are safe.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments for each child are individualised and set out strategies for staff to use to support children to understand how they can be safe. However, they are not reviewed or updated following serious incidents or emerging concerns. Ineffective monitoring and a lack of response to these incidents and concerns mean that children continue to potentially be at risk. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 3 Incidents of self-harm are recorded. However, records lack sufficient detail and do not include preventative measures used by staff in accordance with the child’s risk assessment. There is no evidence of the manager being professionally curious about what actions staff have taken to manage the incident. Staff and children are not always provided with an opportunity to discuss the incident afterwards. This is a missed opportunity for children and staff to learn from incidents and for staff to

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improvement to be good

Discussions with children take place in planned and ad hoc ways. Children have discussed their feelings and past experiences in addition to any current issues they have. However, managers and staff have not used these discussions as an opportunity to consider what further support the children need.

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improvement to be good

Children do not go missing from the home. Managers have ensured that children have plans in place, should they go missing from the home. Children’s plans include details of people they know. Staff have developed positive relationships with children’s families and known friends.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are in place. This means that when staff come to work at the home, all safeguarding checks have been completed to ensure their suitability to work with children.

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good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. The staff team is new to the home and individual staff are in their probation period. The team has remained consistent and one new senior member of staff has been recruited. New staff have completed a full induction and training programme. They have also been provided with the opportunity to shadow more experienced members of staff.

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good

Staff said that they feel supported by the manager, who is developing the team. They enjoy working at the home and are committed to ensuring that children receive the best possible care.

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good

The manager’s oversight of practice in the home remains inconsistent. Although the manager has an audit process in place to review incidents, risk assessments have not been updated to reflect changes and emerging risks. This is a missed opportunity to identify areas for improvement.

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good

Staff practice in relation to the recording of incidents and any preventative measures taken are not detailed. This does not provide an opportunity to consider and review the quality of care provided.

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good

Team meetings and supervision take place regularly and are well attended. The provider’s therapist attends the team meetings, which are used as an opportunity for Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 4 staff to discuss their understanding of supporting children and how this can be developed to support children’s experiences.

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good

Children are encouraged to personalise communal areas and their own bedrooms. However, damage to a child’s bedroom has not been repaired in a timely manner. This does not support children to feel valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 5

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, children should have an education provision and be encouraged to attend. Children should be supported to be ready to engage in education and be provided with suitable structured activities to support learning opportunities. 6 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 6 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 6 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that staff understand the risks for children and record each incident accurately, including any actions leading up to and following the incident. This applies to all significant events, including when children have self-harmed.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the manager has systems in place to ensure the effective oversight of all aspects of children’s care. 6 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive and meets children’s basic day-to-day needs. In particular, damage to the property should be repaired in a timely manner, specifically the damage to children’s bedroom walls. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should challenge (under regulation 5(c)) any placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan, as the expectation that a placement of a child without the necessary information would go ahead (in circumstances other than an emergency) is inadequate in relation to their role. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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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: 2738398 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Richard House, 9 Winckley Square, Preston, Lancashire PR1 3HP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Donaghey

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Inspector

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2738398 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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