Children's home run by Life Change Care Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 1 Registered provider: Life Change Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home registered for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023, when the home became operational.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke with all of the children.

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Inspection date: 26 March 2024

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2023

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Inspection date: 26 March 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 26 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have positive and trusting relationships with staff. They feel cared for, and they are comfortable expressing their views, worries and feelings to staff. Children’s families are complimentary about the therapeutic support that their children receive and the progress their children make while living at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have used lessons learned to implement positive changes to the process for new children moving into the home. This followed a child’s placement ending after only a brief period of living in the home. An assessment of risk relating to admissions demonstrates that leaders and managers now carefully consider any shared risks that children may have. Leaders and managers also speak to a range of additional professionals and carers to enable them to effectively explore the suitability of a new child moving into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a more proactive approach in supporting children to access education. The manager has worked closely with virtual schools and social workers to secure school placements or specifically tailored education for all children in the home. Children have clear, daily routines that they engage in. Rewards systems and individual targets also promote children’s routines and engagement in education.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers collaborate with placing authorities to agree children’s care plans for their futures. They escalate their concerns with the appropriate professionals when clear plans are not in place for children, and this is having a positive impact on children’s well-being. This approach has proven effective in supporting one child’s move back to their family, with the staff team continuing to provide support to the family in the initial stages of the child’s return home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children know how to raise a complaint, and they feel confident that their complaint will be taken seriously. Leaders and managers have updated the complaints policy so that a designated communication lead is responsible for the entirety of the complaint. This is to ensure that the process is followed appropriately. Children are also provided with advocates when this is suitable, to provide them with additional support to ensure that their views are heard.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers do not demonstrate that they have effective oversight of children’s records to ensure that all relevant risk management plans have been implemented. One child’s individual risk management plans were not in place for managing risks such as incidents of going missing from the home, specific vulnerabilities including e-safety and safe allegation management. Consequently, this means that staff have not been provided with clear strategies about how to safeguard the child or minimise risks. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 3 There has been one incident of a child being reported missing from the home. Staff took initial appropriate steps to try to safeguard the child. However, staff did not report the child missing to the police within safe timescales or in line with the provider’s policy. In addition, staff spoken to during the inspection were unsure about the agreed timescales for reporting children who are missing to the police.

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Findings from the inspection

During the inspection, the child’s missing-from-home protocol was implemented, and the manager took steps to ensure that the staff on duty understood it.

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Findings from the inspection

Incident reports are not consistently of good quality. They do not always capture a clear chronology of events or evidence discussions with professionals about decisions made to safeguard the child. Furthermore, leaders and managers have failed to identify these shortfalls in their oversight and evaluation of the incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Following on from the last inspection, the provider has reviewed their whistle- blowing policy and notifications to the designated officer policy. Leaders and managers have taken appropriate action in line with these policies when a concern has been raised about staff’s practice post-employment. The manager has revisited the importance of professional boundaries in a team meeting, and staff spoken to during the inspection were clear about their roles and responsibilities in relation to reporting any safeguarding concerns without delay.

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Findings from the inspection

On one occasion, the provider failed to notify Ofsted of a child’s admission to hospital to assess their mental well-being. This means the inspector is unable to consistently monitor any safeguarding concerns in the home. This was a requirement at the last inspection and so it has been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 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 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

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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that all children have clear missing-from-home protocols in place and that the staff team understands and implements the appropriate timescales for reporting children who are missing to the police. 8 May 2024

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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 8 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 6 promotes their welfare.

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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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that incident reports capture a clear chronology of events and evidence discussions with professionals about decisions made to safeguard the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that children’s individual risk management plans are in place for managing risks, such as incidents of going missing from home and children’s specific vulnerabilities, including e-safety and safe allegation management.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 8 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Life Change Care Limited

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Inspector

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2720360 8 regulates and inspects 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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