Children's home run by Lancashire County Council in Preston

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 1 SC035439 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

This home is operated by a local authority and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this visit, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a full inspection on 11 and 12 June 2024 and judged the home to be inadequate. Serious and widespread failures were identified. Children have not been protected and their welfare has not been promoted or safeguarded. As a result, Ofsted issued compliance notices in relation Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the progress made to meet the requirements of the compliance notices. This visit identified that leaders and managers have failed to take sufficient action to protect children from harm. As a result, Ofsted has reissued compliance notices in relation to regulations 12 and 13.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have put in place some new safeguarding systems to support managers and staff to respond to safeguarding concerns. However, the response to a recent safeguarding incident was not effective. This shows that staff do not follow safeguarding procedures, which places children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Repairs have been made to the home and it looks more homely. However, children’s bedrooms are still uncared for, with piles of dirty plates and junk food wrappers on the floor of one child’s bedroom. This is not safe or hygienic. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 2 Staff have received training that is specific to children’s needs. Team meetings have taken place, and the time is used to learn lessons from safeguarding incidents. Work is ongoing with staff to support them to work cohesively.

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This monitoring visit

Routines have been put in place for children, but children do not always engage with them. Children do not yet feel that they have trusted relationships with staff.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, the requirements raised at the last inspection were not considered. These will be assessed at the next full inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Inadequate 06/06/2023 Full Good 13/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 3

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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 with the given timescales.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is sufficient staff to manage the children’s behaviour and promote daily routines.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that staff: work together as a team and provide consistency of care for children; have the skills and experience to meet the children’s needs, including promoting routine. 11 October 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— 11 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 4 that staff—

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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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the children’s individual risk management plans provide staff with clear strategies to manage and reduce risk.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that managers and staff follow safeguarding procedures in response to children going missing from home and children at risk of sexual exploitation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that repairs to the home are addressed quickly, particularly where the damage could compromise fire safety.

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and 11 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 5 training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that significant incidents are notified to Ofsted. 11 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises;

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Requirement Due date

and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— 11 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 6 is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that internal locks on the communal doors are removed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child.

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that medication is administered consistently and safely to prevent children from hiding and failing to take medication. 11 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 7

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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 Paulette Forbes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035439 8 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 looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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