Children's Home run by Lincolnshire County Council in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 1 SC042967 Registered provider: Lincolnshire County Council

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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

There is a new manager in post since the last inspection. She has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/05/2023 Full Outstanding 05/04/2022 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/04/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team experienced a difficult period. This led to some disruption for children. Leaders and managers recognised this. They took effective action to stabilise the home for children. Despite these challenges, children have continued to make progress. Children have been safe and supported to have positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have exceptionally positive and nurturing relationships with children. They have an in-depth knowledge of children’s needs. A professional said, ‘Staff are fantastic at understanding children’s needs, and the staff team really support the children’. A social worker said, ‘You can see the care and love that is so genuine from staff to children.’ Children told the inspectors that they have positive relationships with staff and are relaxed in their company.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made significant progress in their educational attendance. For some children, this has been following a significant period of not attending an educational setting. The manager has forged excellent and timely relationships with education colleagues. This has contributed to positive working relationships with educational providers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported positively with plans to move on from the home. Leaders understand the importance of continually reviewing care plans. As a result, where appropriate, children are given opportunities to resume family life. For one child, this meant a successful move to a bespoke foster placement. An independent advocate was in place to support the move and to ensure that the voice of the child was at the heart of care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked hard to promote a homely environment for children. For example, it was raised at the last inspection that the locking of some communal areas was institutionalised. Leaders have taken this on board, and all communal areas are now accessible to children. In addition, children are spoken to about their living environment and have a say in it. This helps children to feel more invested in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a proactive approach to independent advocacy for children. Staff ensure that children are offered this support while they live at the home.

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

Children are supported to be safe. Staff use their knowledge and experience to recognise risks and take immediate action to reduce them. There is a strong multi-agency safeguarding response to any incidents of concern. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. They know what action to take if they have any concerns about a child. Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 4 When children make allegations against adults who work at the home, there is a robust response. Managers work well with other agencies in such instances. Managers are persistent in ensuring that other agencies are responsive in a timely manner. Allegations have been reduced over time for children as they feel safer and more stable in the home and in their relationships with staff.

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

Children are supported to reduce online risks. Children talk to staff about online safety. Staff support and educate children through direct work sessions to understand online risks. These discussions help to formulate safety plans for when children are online.

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

When physical interventions have taken place, this has been a last resort to keep children safe. There are appropriate discussions with children and management oversight after each restraint. Social workers are notified. Staff are offered support and reflection. For one child, there has been a reduction in physical interventions and the intensity of incidents. A social worker said, ‘The use of restrictive practice has been reduced. Staff have sought help from an advocate, and a plan has been put in place for the child to help him to understand a plan moving forwards to reduce the use of physical interventions.’

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

Missing-from-home incidents have been significantly reduced. Discussions with children and developing positive relationships with staff have contributed to this. There is a strong multi-agency response to missing-from-home incidents, which helps children become safer over time. However, on some occasions, not all missing-from-home incidents have been followed up with independent return interviews. This limits the provider’s understanding of why children go missing from home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is new in post and has submitted her application for registration without delay. She is passionate and ambitious for children in her care. The manager and assistant manager are implementing development plans for all staff. They are upskilling staff through role modelling. They have a clear vision to develop the workforce. The manager recognises when the home is not the best placement for a child. She recognised the impact this was having on other children in the home and took steps to reduce presenting risks. This ensured more positive experiences for all children living in the home and enabled one child to access a more bespoke and suitable smaller living arrangement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about providing children with love and nurture. Leaders and managers have created a culture of safe and caring relationships. This has filtered through the staff team and has had a positive impact on children. There is a support network for leaders and managers. There is an emphasis on continual professional development throughout the service. There has been one complaint made since the last inspection. The child’s concerns were listened to and responded to effectively. Restorative conversations took place through children’s meetings, which ensured children’s voices about their care were heard. Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 5 Staff are well supported by the manager in their day-to-day practice. Managers are visible and approachable, which has helped create a stable staff team. Supervision discussions focus on reflective practice and learning opportunities for staff. However,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

they do not always take place during busy periods in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are gaps in staff training. Bespoke training is needed to support children’s individual needs. Leaders and managers have a development plan in place to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children who need specialist therapeutic assessment support are not always receiving it. Referrals are made to child and adolescent mental health services, but there is not a timely response to this. Leaders and managers do not always escalate or challenge such delays.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing challenges have resulted in occasions where minimum staffing levels have occurred. This has led to a lack of contingency plans for shifts. During such challenges, staff have shown commitment, resilience, and tenacity to the children. The quality of care has not been impacted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care report, as required by regulation, has not been submitted in a timely manner. There has been a clear focus by the new manager on stabilising the home and prioritising meeting the children’s needs. A plan is in place to rectify this shortfall. Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 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 ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 31 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 7 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3)(4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is related to one child who is in need of specialist intervention. This needs to be escalated to ensure that an appropriate assessment and interventions are accessed for the child in a timely manner. 31 August 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. The home should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that the home has sufficient staff to care for children. Sufficient staff means a home having enough suitably trained staff (including someone in a management role) on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home, including assessed staffing ratios and contingency plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 51 paragraph

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Recommendations

10.1’) Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 8

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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 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lincolnshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL

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Inspectors

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Eleanor Quanbrough, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC042967 10 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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