Children's home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 1 SC060750

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Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities 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

The home is owned and managed by a private company and provides care for up to three children who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or autism.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home on a shared care arrangement. Since the last inspection, one child moved to the home. However, due to health needs they moved to one of the provider’s other homes.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC060750 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2024 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good 16/06/2021 Full Good 03/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff provide robust support for children moving in and out of the home, using a well-planned, collaborative approach tailored to each child’s needs. This includes ensuring health needs are met, while maintaining continuity of care and emotional support to empower the child and promote their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make significant progress across aspects of their lives, including their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. They have consistency and stability in their lives. They enjoy warm and secure relationships with staff and sustain their positive attachments. A parent said, ‘The support has been great. My child has really settled. He is so much calmer, and more patient.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy going to school and have excellent school attendance. Staff work collaboratively with education providers to support children’s progress, achievements and positive learning experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know children’s likes and dislikes very well and carefully arrange their activities, such as visiting the beach, using public transport and going to local carnivals. These opportunities enhance children’s experiences, particularly as some of the children previously found trips of this nature challenging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children’s independence and promote their self-care skills, including eating independently. Staff celebrate children’s milestones and achievements. Staff strive to have a meaningful impact on the children’s lives. Children benefit from highly personalised and well-planned care that promotes their needs effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes are central to the running of the home. Children are given choices throughout the day. Different communication methods are used by staff to seek the views of each child. A social worker said, ‘The manager created a booklet using symbols to support [name of child] to express his views ready for his review. This confirmed his choices and preferences, from school and home to his love of fire engines.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is a safe and nurturing environment in which children thrive. The atmosphere in the home is calm and relaxed. However, one child’s bathroom has not been well maintained, and improvements have not been carried out in a timely way.

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

Staff support children and respond extremely well to any behaviours that challenge. They demonstrate a commitment to finding different and innovative ways to manage situations that children may find difficult to cope with. This approach reduces children’s anxieties and helps to minimise incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 4 Staff support children with their emotional well-being. Clear plans help to guide staff in how to care for children when they feel upset, worried or anxious. Staff are able to quickly identify when something is not right for a child.

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

Specialist help is sourced for children when needed, including consultation with child and adolescent mental health services, and occupational therapists. This promotes good health for disabled children and promotes their independence wherever possible.

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

Physical interventions take place as a last resort. Where necessary, they form part of the child’s behaviour support plan, including techniques to be used. However, the recording is not always in line with regulations. For example, it is unclear how children who may not use verbal communication share their views following incidents. Furthermore, leaders and managers have not added their oversight within the required timeframe.

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

Restrictions are in place at the children’s home, including the locking of front and back doors to prevent children from leaving and encountering potential harm. These measures are based on comprehensive assessments of each child’s unique needs and are carefully documented. They are kept under regular review to consider their continued relevance and effectiveness in ensuring the safety of the children.

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

Children have robust and detailed care plans outlining their health needs, providing clear guidance for staff to follow to ensure children’s well-being. However, in one instance, staff did not adhere to the requirement to seek managerial guidance within the set timeframe, delaying action in a way that could have impacted the child’s health.

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

Staff understand safeguarding procedures and their responsibilities in keeping children safe. Staff are trained in safeguarding. Managers discuss with staff their understanding of safeguarding as part of reflective supervision and team meetings. This promotes an effective safeguarding approach.

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

Suitable background checks are completed before any staff start work at the home. This ensures that children are not placed at risk from inappropriate adults caring for them.

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

The manager is experienced and supported by his staff team. He is motivated and enthusiastic, and advocates for the children. The manager has robust knowledge about the specific needs of the children, and he has built positive relationships with families and professionals. Staff say that they feel well supported.

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

The children are cared for by a passionate and committed team. There has been staffing instability during the last year. Leaders and managers have recognised the challenges this has brought and worked hard to train and develop a number of new staff members and establish a more stable staff team and consistent care for the children.

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

A system is in place to monitor practice improvements. The individual performance of staff is reviewed in reflective supervision sessions and group discussions take place in Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 5 team meetings. The manager addresses any performance concerns and offers staff additional support and training to improve and enhance professional development.

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

Children’s care records, plans and assessments are written in a way that vividly captures their experiences and helps staff better understand their needs and required support. The high quality of these records enhances care. However, inconsistencies in documenting daily routines and support have not been identified by the manager. These gaps make it harder to track each child’s progress toward their targets, limiting a clear understanding of their development.

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

Leaders and managers have systems in place to review and monitor children’s progress and the development of the home. However, when the manager is away on leave, these systems are ineffective. A near-miss incident occurred when a child’s health plan was not followed. While immediate safeguarding measures were taken, the shortcomings were not formally recorded, and lessons learned were not properly shared.

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

The home’s statement of purpose has been completed by the manager. However, it has not been sent to Ofsted within the expected timescale. This prevents the regulator from having oversight on staffing changes.

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

There is a range of core training and specialised training available to help staff meet children’s needs. All training is up to date. New staff receive a thorough induction that provides them with a detailed programme of training and guidance in their new role.

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

The manager shares information with other important people in the children’s lives. An education professional said, ‘Communication between home and school is very good. Strategies are shared to ensure a consistent approach is adopted, which ensures the child has the best care.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 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 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;

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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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s case records contain up-to-date information about the child and the support offered by staff.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is sufficient management oversight of the home when the manager is on leave.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all health-related incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented within children’s health plans, or to support the development of staff. 30 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 30 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 7 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation (10)(1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff are supported in understanding how to meet children’s individual health needs. This includes ensuring that children’s case records contain up- to-date information about the child and the support offered by staff, specifically in relation to children’s health needs.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the 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

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they complete their overview of incidents of physical incidents within 48 hours, in line with regulations.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when conversations take place with children following the use of physical intervention, the use of restraint is explored with the 30 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 8 child, using communication aids that support the child’s engagement.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes 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)(iv)(viii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that damage to the home is identified and rectified in a timely way. 30 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is sent to Ofsted when changes in staffing occur. 30 March 2025

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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: SC060750 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lifetime Opportunities Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shona Wands Alderson

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Inspector

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC060750 10 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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