Children's home run by Pelican Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2592781 1 Registered provider: Pelican Care Group Limited

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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 owned and managed by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Children may also have been diagnosed with learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2592781 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2023 Full Good 29/11/2022 Full Good 21/09/2021 Full Good 02/06/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2592781 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the same two children have been living in the home until recently. One child who had reached adulthood received support to move out of the home and live independently. At the time, the child did not feel emotionally prepared to leave the home. However, the staff continued to support them throughout this transition period and have remained a consistent part of their life. This demonstrates the positive and continued relationships that staff build with the children in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children made significant progress from their starting points. The child who remains living in the home continues to develop their health, education, and emotional, social and psychological well-being. The child receives positive care and support from a stable, consistent staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a warm, welcoming environment for children to live in. There are photos of the children displayed on the walls throughout the home. The child’s bedroom is personalised to their taste with items that reflect their interests. The child said that they feel ‘relaxed’ in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to attend education and has made significant progress. Their attendance has significantly increased, and they are engaging positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff’s relationships with children are a strength. Staff spoke with warmth, care and pride about the children they have been responsible for. Staff have positive interactions with the child, who appeared happy in the company of staff. This supports the child to feel valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has fun with staff. They go to the gym, play football and go for long walks at weekends. Peer relationships are encouraged, and the child has made friends who visit them in the home. The child has good relationships with staff, and their life is enriched with fun and positive activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to maintain family contact. They keep in touch with family members and take the child whenever they want to see their family. This helps the child maintain important family links.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals and family members say that staff communicate well with them. Staff tell them important information about the progress the children are making. Family members feel involved in the care of the children. This means that the children have a strong network of support around them. Inspection report for children's home: 2592781 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home has a clear and consistent approach to risk management. There are clear and individualised risk assessments in place for the child. The registered manager regularly reviews risk assessments, and staff are knowledgeable about the strategies in them. The child living in the home is kept safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Leaders, managers and staff implement a restorative model of behaviour management. Staff manage the child’s behaviour through distraction and rewards for positive behaviour. When there have been issues of negative behaviour, staff usually use restorative methods. This is effective and teaches the child how they can repair situations.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

All the health and safety measures in the home are kept up to date. There is an effective risk assessment of the home’s location which is written in conjunction with partner agencies. This assessment is kept up to date and staff are aware of the content, which helps them to support the child’s safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no significant incidents in the home. The child has not gone missing from this home. However, there is a clear missing-from-home protocol in place, and staff know what to do if the child goes missing.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no incidents of physical intervention. The staff are trained in using de- escalation techniques and these work well for the child. Staff actively support the child’s development and well-being, creating an environment where they feel cared for and understood.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When new staff are recruited, safer recruitment policies are followed. This ensures that staff are thoroughly vetted before they work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as a supportive and approachable leader. She is organised and has positive relationships with staff and the child. The child said, ‘I like [name of manager], she gets things done.’ The staff group is stable, which contributes to a feeling of security for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is regular and of a good quality. It provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on their work with children. It is also used as a space to revisit training and staff’s knowledge. As a result, staff feel supported, and leaders have good oversight of staff’s strengths and areas for improvement. Staff also have an annual appraisal of their performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend regular team meetings which enable them to discuss their plans and ambitions for the children. There is also a thorough handover of information when staff change shift. This ensures that care practice is consistent and that boundaries are clear. This ensures that children are safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2592781 5 Staff have access to a range of training, including training that is specific to the child’s individual needs. Additional bespoke training needs are identified and there are plans in place to further develop staff skills. This training includes the importance of language used in children’s care records. On occasions, staff use institutional language, which can make children feel different from their peers. The training planned will improve this area of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring of the home is thorough. There is a regular audit of the work that staff do with the child. This helps to support the manager in her critical evaluation of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2592781 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information about the children in a way that will be helpful to the children. Staff should be aware of using language that differentiates the children from others. Language used should be inclusive and encourage the children to feel at home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that children who are preparing to move on to adult services have an up-to-date plan in place from an early stage. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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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: 2592781 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pelican Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o Holden Associates, V12 Suite, Merlin Park, Ringtail Road, Burscough, Lancashire L40 8JY

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2592781 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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