Children's Home run by Lancashire Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 1 Registered provider: Lancashire Care Group Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 28 October 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable

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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: 2797361 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

In response to concerns raised with Ofsted by the police, an inspection was undertaken at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

One child has lived at the home since it was registered. The child left the home after one week due to staff not being able to meet the child’s needs or keep the child safe. No children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers failed to consider all the child’s known risks and vulnerabilities before a decision was made for the child to move into the home. This resulted in the child’s experiences and progress being hindered by ineffective care planning. The child had recently been subject to a deprivation of liberty order. However, it was not clear if this had been reviewed and updated to reflect the child’s move into the home. As a result, clear strategies were not in place to promote the child’s safety and well-being.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff lacked experience and skill to manage the child’s complex needs. Although staff completed some training, they were not equipped and skilled enough to support the child and manage behaviours that challenged them effectively. As a result, they did not always intervene to prevent situations from escalating. On these occasions, staff contacted the police to help them. This resulted in the child being placed in police custody on two occasions, and on another occasion, the child was detained in handcuffs in a police vehicle outside the home. These incidents were not helpful to the child and increased the risk of them being criminalised.

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Findings from the inspection

When the child left the home without permission, staff followed the child and tried to encourage them to return home. When the child was missing from home, they contacted the police without delay. On one occasion, the child was at risk of significant harm trying to run into the road. Staff did what they could to redirect traffic, while waiting for police assistance. However, leaders and staff did not learn promptly from incidents to try and mitigate the risk of the child leaving the home, which increased the risk to their safety and welfare.

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Findings from the inspection

On one occasion, a concern was raised about a member of staff’s practice. Information about this was not shared by the provider with relevant people, including the local authority designated officer, until it was raised during the inspection. This does not give confidence that managers and staff know what to do when concerns are raised. Information about the concern was subsequently shared by the provider with the designated officer and advice was sought about the next steps. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 3 Some aspects of leadership and management are poor. The responsible individual has not been available as needed, and they have not provided appropriate support to the manager and staff. The director has stepped in to provide some support at times of need.

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Findings from the inspection

The staffing levels during the time the child was living at the home were not always sufficient to support their complex needs. Agency staff, provided by the child’s placing authority, were used to fill some of the gaps in staffing. However, leaders and managers did not consider the suitability of the agency staff before they worked at the home. For example, agency staff who worked at the home were unable to physically intervene should this be necessary to safeguard the child, which limited their effectiveness at times.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s records are not completed in a timely manner by staff. For example, some records of serious incidents that occurred at least 10 days before the inspection, including those which required staff to restrain the child, were being completed during the inspection. This was because leaders had given the staff time off after the child left the home and they had only just returned to work. This had some benefit for staff, given that it had been a difficult time for all concerned. However, this meant that records were completed out of the timescales set out in regulation. In addition, the delay limits the manager’s ability to review incidents quickly and identify potential learning to improve the quality of care and staff practice.

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Findings from the inspection

There are some shortfalls in safer recruitment practices, and suitability checks are not sufficiently robust. For example, gaps in employment history are not always explored and details of training completed are not considered. This compromises leaders and managers’ oversight of staff’s strengths, areas for development and suitability.

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Findings from the inspection

Communication between staff and the child’s parent was positive. The child’s parent visited the home on the day the child moved in, and they prepared a meal together. The approach was designed to help the child settle. The child’s parent said that staff were receptive to their ideas about how to try and support the child. Consequently, during the day, the child participated in some different activities, for example helping in the garden and yoga. This provided the child with some positive experiences during their short time at the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 4

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 3 January 2025

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 3 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 5 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 3 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 3 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 6 understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(ix))

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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

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 effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(iv)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 3 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all safer recruitment checks are completed to assure themselves of the suitability of staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lancashire Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Richmond Avenue, Wrea Green, Preston, England PR4 2NJ

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Inspectors

Lisa Mulcahy, Social Care Inspector James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2797361 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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