Clare Lodge

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 1 Clare Lodge

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Registered provider: Peterborough City Council

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Clare Lodge Secure Children’s Home, 8 Lincoln Road, Glinton, Peterborough PE6 7AW

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this secure children’s home

This home is operated by a local authority and is approved by the Secretary of State to restrict children’s liberty.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The home provides care for up to 16 girls aged between 10 and 17 who are placed by local authorities, under section 25 of the Children Act 1989. At the time of this inspection, eight children were living at the home.

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Information about this secure children’s home

Admission of any child who is under 13 years old requires the approval of the Secretary of State.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The commissioning of health services at this home is the statutory responsibility of NHS England, under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Education is provided on site in dedicated facilities. Inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this secure children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since May 2013.

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Inspection date: 12 November 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 12 November 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 2

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 3

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Findings from the inspection

Since the full inspection in April 2024 and the monitoring visit in September 2024, several improvements have been made. Despite these, there are still areas that require improvement. Seven of the nine statutory requirements have been fully addressed, and one of the two recommendations has been fully addressed. The others have not been met and are restated in this report. Requirements and recommendations from the previous inspections relating to education and healthcare were not assessed and will be reviewed at the next full inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s experiences are very mixed. Children told inspectors that they feel safe and have someone they trust who they can speak to if they are worried about anything. Staff carry out regular one-to-one key-work sessions to provide children with appropriate individualised support. Inspectors observed some warm and very caring interactions between children and staff. Children have a good range of varied activities that they enjoy, such as board games and crafts.

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Findings from the inspection

The home provides a generally good standard of accommodation, except one child’s bedroom has graffiti on the walls. The child told inspectors that this was there when she moved in. Children said that some staff call their living area a ‘ward’ and the children ‘patients’, and they said that this upsets them. Staff confirmed this happens at times. Another child spoke with inspectors about her future plans and worries. The accompanying staff member supported the child’s view of what the future plans are. When inspectors reviewed the child’s plan with managers, it was clear that staff and managers are not supporting the child’s understanding of her plans for the future.

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Findings from the inspection

Children know how to raise complaints, and their complaints are taken seriously and acted on. The staff de-escalate incidents to avoid the use of physical intervention. There is increased management oversight of incidents. As a result, practice and the quality of recording have improved. There are weekly incident management review meetings that identify good practice and any learning for staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers told inspectors that there is a focus on restorative practice. There is some good restorative work that helps children to understand how they may have hurt or upset others. This work supports them to repair relationships. Children said that they pay fines when they have broken an item. The registered manager confirmed that fines are used when damage is intentional. This consequence is not being recorded with the children’s views so that there can be external scrutiny of practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have access to important information about children and demonstrate a good knowledge of children and their needs. They told inspectors that they are randomly allocated across the home when they come to work. This does not provide consistency of care for children nor help build relationships between children and staff. Managers told inspectors that they have been working on this issue for some Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 4 time and a new staff deployment model is being introduced imminently to improve the consistency of care for children.

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Findings from the inspection

All staff at the home now understand safeguarding procedures. Managers have provided further training and briefings to increase and improve staff knowledge. Safeguarding matters are managed appropriately, although there is no record of children being told the outcome of their concerns. The registered manager told inspectors that children are verbally told the outcome and said that she will ensure that records evidence this along with children’s views.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers continue to work on improving the quality of reflective supervision sessions for staff. Managers are aware that this still needs work to ensure the completion of annual staff appraisals.

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Findings from the inspection

Management monitoring has improved in the oversight of physical restraint incidents. Other aspects of monitoring are not as effective. Issues such as the quality of decoration in children’s bedrooms and unrecorded consequences are not being identified and addressed. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/07/2023 Full Good 29/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/09/2022 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(iv)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that: children’s bedrooms have no graffiti on the walls;

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Requirement Due date

all staff treat children with dignity and respect regarding the language and terminology used to describe the home and the children;

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Requirement Due date

all staff understand the content of children’s future plans so that they provide children with appropriate support and accurate information. 31 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 7 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of discipline 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

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 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 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)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 31 December

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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— 31 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 8 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;

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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

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive professional supervision which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children in their care, and that records of supervision demonstrate this. In particular, ensure that the record includes the name of the member of staff and the supervisor. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and of children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 9

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Secure children’s home details

Registered provider: Peterborough City Council

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Secure children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Peterborough PE2 8TY

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Inspectors

Shaun Common, His Majesty’s Inspector Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Gary Turney, Social Care Inspector Joanne Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC033362 10 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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