Children's Home run by Lonsdale Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 1274089 1 Registered provider: Lonsdale 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

A private provider operates this home. The home is registered to care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in May 2018, and the manager registered in December 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1274089 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2024 Full Outstanding 08/03/2023 Full Outstanding 24/02/2022 Full Outstanding 07/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: 1274089 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since the last inspection, staff have supported one young person as they reached 18 years of age to secure a tenancy of their own. They also ensured that the most appropriate support was in place to meet the child’s needs and enable them to progress on their unique individual journey. Staff supported the child’s career progression, which contributed to the child receiving a national award for their work and being put forward to represent the UK in the international awards in the United States.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children attend school, college or alternative provision and are making substantial progress in their education. The staff create learning opportunities in the home for children and have high aspirations for them to achieve their academic potential. This support helps children to develop the skills they need to achieve their ambitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children live in a homely and loving environment. The home is full of photos of the children and staff and of children’s achievements and memorable times. This provides the children with a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make significant progress from their starting points. For example, for one child, the staff ensure that any barriers as a result of their additional needs are overcome. The manager is a strong and assertive advocate for the child, which has resulted in a plan of permanence being made for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager meticulously plans each child’s transition into and out of the home, gathering all necessary information to inform thorough assessments and effectively evaluate risks. Careful consideration is given to supporting the children already living in the home through any planned changes, helping to ease any anxieties about new arrivals. Before moving in, children are encouraged to visit the home, meet the staff and interact with the children already living at the home. This provides children with reassurance and support. One child said, ‘It was the safest I’ve ever felt and the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.’

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

A strong safeguarding culture underpins practice in the home. Consequently, children say that they feel safe. Children have very detailed safe care plans that are regularly reviewed and updated. These set out the known behaviours of the children and provide staff with clear guidance to enable them to effectively support the children.

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

Staff proactively support children to take age-appropriate risks. Children are helped to understand their behaviours, and direct-work sessions instil clear boundaries and opportunities for children to explore their feelings safely. Children complete online training to support them to understand the risks they may face, how their actions may Inspection report for children's home: 1274089 4 impact on others and any consequences they may need to consider. This builds children’s ability to manage their own behaviour effectively and keep themselves safe.

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

Safer recruitment checks are completed for all new employees. This ensures that the staff working at the home are safe to work with children.

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

Children’s health needs are met remarkably well. Children are registered with relevant healthcare services and are supported to attend routine and specialist health appointments. This promotes children’s emotional health and well-being.

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

Staff adopt a restorative approach to managing children’s behaviour. Physical intervention to protect children from harm is rarely used. However, when this has been necessary, incidents are well recorded and evaluated. The registered manager sensitively consults with children and staff after incidents. He carefully considers everyone’s views about the intervention and makes changes to care practices if necessary. This demonstrates a learning environment for staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a caring, enthusiastic, committed and inspirational leader. He is fully involved in the children’s lives and is a highly effective and strong advocate for them. The manager is held in high regard by children, their family members, the staff and other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals to help them to continue to deliver excellent care. There are regular team meetings, which focus on the children’s well-being and provide excellent opportunities for staff to reflect on practice and their ongoing development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent oversight of the home. Monitoring systems are incredibly thorough. This helps to ensure that children receive outstanding care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager sets high expectations for home practice and provides support to staff to help them meet these standards. The manager has thorough oversight of incidents and focuses on practice improvement. The manager encourages team discussions to ensure that solutions and strategies are formulated to best support children using staff’s knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know the strengths and areas for development of the home. The manager’s review of quality of care is evaluative, focuses on key issues and provides direction for the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children receive care from a consistent, skilled and child-centred staff team. Staff receive training that is specific to the needs of the children in their care. However, this could benefit from additional refresher training when new children move into the home. Inspection report for children's home: 1274089 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff access appropriate training to enable them to provide the most up-to-date and specific training when children are placed in their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, 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 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: 1274089 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lonsdale Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 20 Brookhouse Road, Caton, Lancaster LA2 9QT

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Inspector

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1274089 7 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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