Children's Home run by Guidance Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 1 Registered provider: Guidance Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties. One child is currently being cared for in this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and has been in post since the home opened on 15 September 2023. The registered manager was absent 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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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: 27 February 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 3

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improvement to be good

Staff relationships with children are varied. One child has positive relationships of trust with the adults who care for them. However, a child who has moved out of the home had poor relationships with staff. There were no strategies in place for staff to build their relationships with this child. As a result, the child was isolated in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress is inconsistent. One child is settled and has grown in confidence. However, another child has experienced regression and deterioration in their well-being.

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improvement to be good

The child living at the home does not have a school place. Staff have challenged professionals to ensure that a suitable school place is identified. Staff have taken the child to visit a potential school. Staff create weekly timetables and support the child to learn in the home. Staff encourage a routine that will support the child’s transition to school.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the child’s health needs. They teach the child about the importance of their health and facilitate outstanding appointments. As a result, the child has received treatment for long-standing issues, and these have now been resolved. Staff encourage and take part in physical activity with the child. Staff have adjusted the home routines to ensure that the child has a healthy sleeping pattern. The child’s health and routine have improved.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and well decorated. Staff support children to personalise their bedrooms according to their tastes and interests, such as with items relating to their favourite football team. Some repair work has been delayed. However, managers and leaders have made efforts to identify and resolve the issues.

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improvement to be good

Staff regularly ask children to share their views about the home. Staff have additional discussions with children about specific queries they may have, such as room searches. Therefore, children understand the reasons for room searches, and they are carried out sensitively with the child’s views in mind.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are updated regularly and contain the relevant risks for children. The level of risk is accurately assessed using the available information. However, risk assessments lack strategies for staff to follow. Therefore, staff are not supported to respond consistently to children.

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improvement to be good

Although children rarely make complaints, staff supported one child to make a complaint. Managers and leaders prioritised the child’s safety and ensured that the child understood Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 4 the process. The responsible individual had prompt oversight of the complaint. However, the child did not receive a formal response as per the organisation’s procedure, and no further support was identified for the child. Additionally, one other complaint was not recorded as a complaint, which meant that it lacked appropriate management oversight and review.

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improvement to be good

Children are not held by staff. All staff have been trained to hold children safely in the event this is necessary. On one occasion, a child was physically guided by staff but this was not recorded as a physical intervention. Staff’s response was proportionate to the risk faced by the child and was the least restrictive. However, the managers and leaders did not speak to the child or staff following the event or review staff practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff have discussions with children about risk. When staff carry out work with children, it is purposeful and thorough. However, staff do not discuss all presenting risks with children, such as alcohol misuse and travelling in the car safely. Opportunities are missed to teach children how to keep themselves safe. When further support is directed, it is not consistently followed up.

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improvement to be good

Children do not often go missing from the home. When they do, staff make every effort to locate them and return them safely to the home. Children have individual missing- from-home plans, and staff know the contents of these. However, following a missing- from-home incident, plans are not updated with learning from that event. Therefore, plans do not contain all the details that would help staff to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is currently absent from the home. The home has lacked consistent management oversight and direction. The responsible indivdual has recently implemented interim management arrangements to provide stability for staff and the child. The interim manager and deputy manager have prioritised building relationships with the child and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been a lack of effective management oversight of practice and records. Managers and leaders have not identified all the shortfalls in the home. However, where shortfalls have been identified, they have taken effective action to address them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager and responsible individual carried out a timely review of the quality of care. However, the review lacked evaluation and direction for the next period in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Agency staff are not used in the home and there are few vacancies on the staff team. However, there have been permanent and temporary staff changes between homes in the organisation. This has had an impact on continuity of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have completed all of the training required of them. The training offered prepares staff to meet the needs of the children they care for. New staff receive a thorough induction which prepares them for their role. Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 5 Staff feel supported by the interim management arrangements. Supervision is held regularly for all staff, and more frequently for new staff. Managers and leaders hold regular team meetings. Recently, these meetings have included reflection on practice. Managers and leaders have sought staff feedback to make improvements in the home. Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that risk assessments contain strategies for staff to follow to prevent harm to children and that they are updated with learning from previous events. Also, ensure that children are taught about relevant risks so that they understand how to keep safe. 10 July 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

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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 7 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 7 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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the home is staffed to enable children to experience consistent care. Also, ensure that managers and leaders use monitoring systems to identify and address shortfalls in practice and recording.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(vii)(ix)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staff understand children’s emotional needs and how these present. Ensure that there are strategies in place to assist children to form relationships when they are struggling to. 10 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 8 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 10 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. 30 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 9 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; 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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(c))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on, particularly in relation to complaints. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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 for 2739597 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8 Sovereign Court, Wyrefields, Poulton-le-Fylde FY6 8JX

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home for 2739597 11 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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