Blue Lily Lodge

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 1 Blue Lily Lodge 166 Barton Road, Barton Seagrave, Kettering NN15 6RY

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This family centre is privately owned and is registered to provide accommodation for up to four families.

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Information about this residential family centre

There were three families living at the centre at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this residential family centre

There has been no registered manager in post since 20 September 2024.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit was undertaken in response to Ofsted receiving concerns about the service. The inspector found significant and widespread failings which impact on the safety and protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff fail to recognise and safely respond to risk. This puts children at risk of harm and has a negative impact on the vulnerable families using the service.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always seek advice or refer vital safeguarding information to relevant professionals. This places children at an increased risk of experiencing significant harm.

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This monitoring visit

When serious incidents occur, leaders and managers do not critically evaluate what has happened. Similarly, they do not take steps to ensure that the health and well- being of children are paramount. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 2 Leaders and managers do not demonstrate the necessary professional curiosity and insight into child protection issues or signs of abuse. Notifications are not always submitted to Ofsted without delay and, at times, are not submitted when they should be. This limits Ofsted’s ability to evaluate how the service responds to safeguarding concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not ensure careful planning is undertaken when considering moving a new family into the centre. They do not consider the needs of the families already living in the centre. They do not consider whether staff have the skills and experience to ensure good support is provided to parents and their children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not hold the necessary qualifications and have not been enrolled on the required courses. They do not demonstrate sufficient skills and experience to meet the needs of children and families.

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This monitoring visit

Staff recording of the care provided is poor and sometimes misrepresentative. Incident reports lack detail and are not always reflected in daily records. This is important to ensure the assessing social worker can make recommendations which are evidence based.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last full inspection in July 2024, only one of the requirements set has been met. The remaining requirements set at the full inspection are restated and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this monitoring visit, three compliance notices have been issued by Ofsted, under regulations 8, 12 and 15. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 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 Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must in particular provide for—

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Requirement Due date

liaison and co-operation with any local authority which is making child protection enquiries in relation to any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated, of any allegations of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

notification (in accordance with regulation 26) of the instigation and outcome of any child protection enquiries involving any child accommodated in the residential family centre, to the [Chief Inspector] and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

consideration to be given in each case to the measures which may be necessary to protect children in the residential family centre following an allegation of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

a requirement for persons working at the residential family centre to report any concerns about the welfare or safety of 13 December 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 4 any child accommodated in the residential family centre to one of the following. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when serious incidents occur, appropriate action is taken. This includes seeking any required medical attention and ensuring wider safeguarding agencies are informed. The registered person must also ensure that staff recognise and adequately respond when there are concerns about the care of children by their parents while living in the centre.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall ensure that there is, having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose of the residential family centre, its size and the numbers and needs of its residents; and

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of residents,

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Requirement Due date

a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre. (Regulation 15 (a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure staff are suitably qualified, experienced and competent. The registered person must ensure staff record accurate and detailed information consistently, to ensure assessments of parents are accurate and evaluative. 13 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

*The registered provider and the registered manager shall, having regard to the size of the residential family centre, the statement of purpose, and the number and needs of the residents, carry on or manage the centre (as the case may be) with sufficient care, competence and skill.

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Requirement Due date

an organisation, it shall ensure that the responsible individual undertakes;

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Requirement Due date

a partnership, it shall ensure that one of the partners undertakes, 13 December 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 5 from time to time such training as is appropriate to ensure that he has the skills necessary for carrying on the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager shall undertake from time to time such training as is appropriate to ensure that he has the skills necessary for managing the residential family centre. (Regulation 8 (1) (2) (a)(b)(c) (3))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure clear management oversight of incidents and patterns of concerns. Senior managers must respond to indicators that children are suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm.

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Requirement Due date

If, in relation to a residential family centre, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall without delay notify the parent accommodated in the residential family centre with a child of any significant incident affecting the child’s welfare unless to do so is not reasonably practicable or would place the child’s welfare at risk.

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Requirement Due date

Any notification made in accordance with this regulation which is given orally shall be confirmed in writing.

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Requirement Due date

References in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 to a centre shall be construed as references to a residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

References in column 2 of the table to a local authority shall be construed as references to the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated. (Regulation 26 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)) 13 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall, before providing a family with accommodation in the residential family centre, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as soon as possible thereafter, draw up in consultation with the placing authority a written plan (in these Regulations referred to as "the placement plan") setting out, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

an assessment of the risks, if any, which a resident at the residential family centre may present to their own health, 13 December 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 6 safety and welfare or that of other residents or staff at the centre].

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall keep under review and revise the placement plan as necessary. (Regulation 13 (1)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure they have robust oversight of the parenting assessments at all stages of the assessment.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that conclusions or recommendations are made as a result of the assessment or monitoring and that—

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Requirement Due date

such conclusions or recommendations are objective and based on verifiable evidence; and

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Requirement Due date

the evidence on which they are based is capable of being presented in a manner that is clear, accessible and appropriate to the persons who will need to consider them. (Regulation 13A (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure they have robust oversight of the parenting assessments at all stages of the assessment.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last inspection and is restated. 13 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall make suitable arrangements to ensure that the residential family centre is conducted—

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Requirement Due date

in a manner which respects the privacy and dignity of residents; and

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Requirement Due date

with due regard to the sex, religious persuasion, racial origin, and cultural and linguistic background and any disability of residents. (Regulation 10 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the individual needs of parents and their children are considered at all times. This 13 December 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 7 includes ensuring methods of communication are effective and take into account parents’ health diagnoses.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure careful planning is carried out in relation to new families moving in. This must include consideration of the needs of the families already living in the centre and that staff have the skills and experience to provide the required support.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as "the statement of purpose") which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep under review and where appropriate revise the statement of purpose and resident’s guide; and

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Requirement Due date

notify the [Chief Inspector] within 28 days of any such revision. (Regulation 4 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff’s experience and qualifications are reflected in the statement of purpose. The registered person must also ensure an updated statement of purpose is submitted to Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last inspection and is restated. 13 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which—

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Requirement Due date

includes the information, documents and other records specified in Schedule 3 relating to the members of the family;

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Requirement Due date

is kept up to date. (Regulation (19)(a)(b)) 13 December 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 8 The registered person must ensure that all records are detailed and kept up to date. The registered person must also ensure that incidents are reflected in daily logs. This is to ensure the assessing social worker has access to accurate and detailed records. The registered person must ensure final recommendations of parenting assessments are verifiable and evidence based.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 17 (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure all staff receive regular and purposeful professional supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last inspection and is restated. 13 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

employ a person to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at a residential family centre; or

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Requirement Due date

allow a person to whom paragraph (2) applies, to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at a residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work at a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

any offer of employment to a person is subject to paragraph (3)(d) being complied with in relation to that person; and

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Requirement Due date

unless paragraph (5) applies, no person starts work at a residential family centre until such time as paragraph (3)(d) has been complied with in relation to him. 13 December 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 9 Regulation 16 (1)(a)(b) (3)(d) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure staff are safely recruited.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to 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 residential family centre 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 residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 10

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Bluefront Care, Corby Enterprise Centre, London Road, Corby NN17 5EU

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Inspector

Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Blue Lily Lodge 11 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 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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