Children's home run by Life Change Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 1 Registered provider: Life Change Care Limited

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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 private children’s home provides care for up to three children. Children living in this home may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children lived in the home 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2023 Full Good 26/09/2022 Full Good 15/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 3

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improvement to be good

Relationships between staff and most children are very positive. Staff have built strong, trusting relationships with children. Children know they can speak to staff openly about any worries or concerns.

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improvement to be good

While staff know most of the children well, the paperwork does not always reflect this. Some important information is missing or not updated, such as care and placement plans. Without access to detailed care and placement plans, it is harder to make sure that each child gets the right care and support they need.

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improvement to be good

The acting manager and staff are committed to ensuring that all children benefit from high-quality education. Staff work hard with education providers to make sure children have personalised education plans that meet their individual needs. Staff advocate for children to ensure they get the right support. As a result, this reduces delays in a child getting the education they need.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s health needs. Children are encouraged to attend health appointments. Staff took proactive steps to address a national shortage of medication for a child. This medication ensured an improvement in the child’s behaviour and overall well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to take part in activities. One child spoke enthusiastically about auditioning for a play at a local youth theatre and a holiday near the seaside. Budget constraints, however, have limited the variety of activities available for children. Additionally, there is less funding available for staff to be involved in these activities. This means that children are missing experiences that help them to learn and grow.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not always given enough information about the child’s background, needs, risks or behaviours before they arrive. Children already living in the home are not always prepared when a new child moves in. Children do not always have the chance to take part in decisions that affect their daily lives.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from this home. However, when this does happen, staff act quickly and responsibly. They follow all necessary steps to ensure that the child returns safely and gets the support they need.

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improvement to be good

Bullying between children means that one child said they did not feel safe. Safeguarding measures are failing to effectively prevent or address this concern. This has an impact on the child’s emotions and makes them feel sad and anxious. Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 4 Staff understand the risks to children and know how to respond if they are worried about a child’s safety. Risk assessments are not always updated and are not clearly recorded in children’s care plans. While some risks are noted, there is inconsistency in how they are documented and addressed. This fails to give staff clarity to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure clear routines and boundaries for children. They use incentives to encourage positive behaviour. The use of effective consequences helps children to learn and improve. For example, children enjoy gaming but there are times when staff need to restrict Wi-Fi access to limit gaming time. Children are helped to understand the importance of following rules and learn to balance fun with responsibility.

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improvement to be good

Some staff members find it hard to understand how children’s early life experiences affect their behaviour, especially when children are angry or upset. This means staff may struggle to effectively support children who are distressed.

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

There have been significant changes in the management team. The previous registered manager left in February 2024 and an acting manager was in place but did not register with Ofsted. There is now an acting manager in post, and she has submitted her application to register. The home has recently been taken over by a new provider.

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

The acting manager has clear and ambitious goals to make the home better. There are plans to address areas that need improvement, focusing on better care, tracking children’s progress and supporting staff learning. Improvements have begun, but they still need to be embedded to have lasting, positive effects on children.

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

Staff receive regular supervision to help them improve their practice and manage difficult situations.

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

Staff feel well supported by the manager and their colleagues. This has created a positive working environment. Staff feel confident that their concerns will be addressed. They are motivated and focused on providing better care to children.

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

Staff keep in regular contact with professionals and family members. They are proactive in supporting children to maintain regular contact with their loved ones. Families report that staff are approachable and keep them informed about their children’s progress. However, one parent and a professional said that they were not aware of recent conflicts between children. This impacts on the support that can be provided to children.

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

Recruitment vetting and checks are not sufficiently thorough. Gaps in employment histories weakens the recruitment process and potentially increases risks.

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

The recording of incidents is inconsistent and unclear, with important details sometimes missed or not documented properly. This makes it hard to track and address issues Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 5 effectively. The manager is working on improving the system and has identified training for staff to help them develop their skills and confidence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 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;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that children’s individual risk management plans contain relevant up-to-date information and strategies that are clear, easily understood and directive.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that there are clear processes and procedures to address bullying and that this is managed effectively to promote the safety and well-being of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that any incidents of concern are shared in a timely manner with relevant professionals and family members. 18 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 7 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 (2) 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of systems that support consistent staff responses to children’s behavioural needs.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that significant incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any learning outcomes that can be implemented within children’s risk management plans, or to support the development of staff.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that there is effective oversight in the home, specifically around the recording of significant incidents. 18 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. 18 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 8 (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that when children move into the home, staff are provided with care and placement plans that set out clear expectations of how children must be cared for in the home. These must also incorporate the actions set out in the most up-to-date local authority care plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements In paragraph (3)

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that gaps in employment are scrutinised and evidence of scrutiny is recorded. 18 December 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff are up to date with their training, specifically in relation to understanding trauma, drugs and alcohol and anti-bullying training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 9 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: 2543640 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Life Change Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pennine View, Off Trafalgar Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB11 1TQ

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Inspector

Paulette Forbes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2543640 11 (Ofsted) regulates and inspects 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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