Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 1 SC440309 Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority and is registered to provide care for up to six children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were six children living at the home at the time of this 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: 28 November 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

An assurance inspection took place on 26 March 2024, when Ofsted found widespread concerns. Compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. At a monitoring visit on 30 April 2024, Ofsted deemed that these notices were met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/08/2023 Full Inadequate 21/03/2023 Full Good 30/11/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences in this home are not always positive. One of the children says that they have experienced racism in the home from the other children. Staff have partly addressed this through working with those concerned. However, staff have not supported children to develop an understanding of other cultures and respecting diversity and difference.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress is variable. Some children are meeting their educational targets and have taken their GCSE exams. However, some children have refused education or do not have the right education placement for their needs. Staff are flexible in their approach to trying to find solutions for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide a variety of activities for children, including trips out, doing artwork and baking. Children have been able to choose where they would like to go on holiday.

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improvement to be good

The home is well decorated, comfortable and bright. Children have individualised their bedrooms. One child has a talent for interior design and has made some suggestions to help improve the home environment. There is a homely feel, and children make decisions about the home’s decor.

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improvement to be good

Staff have struggled to meet children’s competing needs and manage their risks. At times, this has been challenging for staff and has led to an increase in safeguarding incidents.

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improvement to be good

There was an incident when some children drank alcohol in the home and then went missing. As a result, some children said that they did not feel safe. They said they were kept awake until late in the night and they were too tired to go to school or work the following day.

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improvement to be good

Staff have physically held children to keep them safe. On occasion, this has not been appropriate. Records of incidents are not always detailed or reviewed and evaluated by the manager. Staff have had extra physical intervention training and now understand that restraint should only be used as a last resort.

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improvement to be good

Staff are effective in managing incidents when children are missing from the home. Risk management plans support staff with clear strategies. Staff follow and search for children. As a result, children are missing for a shorter period of time. Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 4 All health and safety measures are in place. The home has a detailed and useful location risk assessment. This is a helpful guide for staff to understand the risks to children in the area.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment is in place to ensure that only staff who have been thoroughly vetted care for children. When concerns are raised about staff practice, the manager acts to ensure children are kept safe.

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

The manager is experienced and has a strong drive for meeting the children’s individual needs to a high standard. This is echoed through the staff team, who show genuine commitment and desire in supporting children to have positive outcomes. However, this practice needs to be improved to be effective in improving outcomes for children.

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

The manager escalates any concerns to children’s placing authorities. However, this is not always effective and has had a limited impact on care planning for children. There are not always sufficient staff, and staff do not always have the skills to meet children’s needs. On occasion, this has led to increased risk for children.

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

The manager is involved in the children’s care and leads by example. There is a strong relationship between the manager and the two deputies. As a team, they have worked hard to support new staff with a thorough induction and training programme.

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

The staff say that they feel highly supported by the management team. Supervisions take place regularly and staff morale is boosted by team development days and work to improve practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 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

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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to the use of restraint. Leaders and managers must ensure that they review the effectiveness of the restraint used. 16 August 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

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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(h)) 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 6 In particular, ensure that staff have the skills to meet children’s needs when they move into the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that managers challenge the local authority effectively to prevent harm to children.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 7 have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that proactive work is done to educate each child, based on their presenting needs and feelings.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that any incidents of bullying, racism or homophobia are followed up with consistent and targeted direct work.

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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: SC440309 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lancashire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Preston PR1 8XJ

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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Angeline Clark, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC440309 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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