Children's Home run by Lincolnshire County Council in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC042950 1 SC042950 Registered provider: Lincolnshire County Council

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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 operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to 6 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 6 children were living at the home and 4 were spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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 good

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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

Date of last inspection: 22 September 2025

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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: SC042950 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/09/2025 Full Outstanding 10/07/2024 Full Good 26/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC042950 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive highly individualised, relationship-based care that is underpinned by staff’s strong therapeutic and trauma-informed practice. They experience genuine love, nurture and unwavering commitment from a dedicated staff team. Staff have an excellent understanding of each child’s needs, enabling children to make exceptional and sustained progress across all areas of their lives. The manager is aspirational, innovative and leads by example. They foster a culture of high expectations, reflective practice, continuous learning and improvement. Through their ambitious vision for both children and staff, the manager creates an environment where children experience stability, security and a strong sense of belonging. As a result, children are supported to flourish, achieve their potential and develop the skills, confidence and resilience needed to thrive well into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the importance of providing children with caring, loving and enduring relationships. Staff consistently communicate to children that they are valued, loved and appreciated. They provide unwavering reassurance that they will remain alongside children through difficulties and challenges, helping children to develop trust in the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The quality of these relationships is evident in children’s views and experiences. One child said that they ‘love’ living in the home and do not want to live anywhere else, reflecting the deep sense of belonging and emotional safety they feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff are deeply committed to ensuring that relationships with children do not end when they move on from the home. They actively maintain meaningful and supportive connections with them when they are care-experienced adults, demonstrating a genuine and enduring commitment to their wellbeing. The manager continues to offer advice, guidance and practical support to those who have left the home, including supporting some as they navigate parenthood themselves. These enduring relationships provide children with a trusted and reliable support network that extends into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise that meaningful relationships extend beyond those developed in the home and place significant importance on supporting children to maintain and strengthen relationships with the people who matter most to them. Children are actively encouraged to welcome friends into the home, and staff create opportunities for children to spend time with their friends through shared activities and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are highly attuned to the factors that can influence the quality and stability of family relationships. They work proactively with families to overcome barriers and promote positive, meaningful contact. Staff recognised that one child’s family members would benefit from a greater understanding of the child’s individual needs and Inspection report for children’s home: SC042950 4 vulnerabilities. In response, they developed and delivered a bespoke training package for the family, equipping them with the knowledge, understanding and strategies required to care for and support the child effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are making exceptional progress and achieving outcomes that exceed expectations. Through highly individualised and consistent support, staff have helped children overcome significant barriers and make sustained improvements in key areas of their lives. One child who previously experienced considerable difficulties has made remarkable progress within a relatively short period of time. The child is now independently managing their personal care, sustaining healthy daily routines and engaging positively with a tutor. As a result of this progress, plans are now underway to support the child’s return to formal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff maintain high aspirations for children and are unwavering in their belief that children can succeed, regardless of their starting points. Their persistence, creativity and commitment enable children to make progress that may once have seemed unachievable. This is further evidenced by the success of 2 children who moved from the home into family and foster care arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of children’s individual communication needs. Staff are skilled at using a range of communication tools which include the use of pictures and symbols. A child who previously used communication aids is now able to express themselves independently through speech.

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

Staff understand the importance of promoting positive and healthy relationships between children and are skilled at recognising and responding to emerging tensions at an early stage. They work individually with children to understand their views and feelings and facilitate restorative conversations to help children resolve difficulties and rebuild relationships. Staff also create opportunities for children to spend enjoyable time together through shared activities and experiences, helping them to develop trust and positive connections. Children are learning how to manage conflict safely, develop empathy and respect for others and build the confidence and skills needed to establish and maintain healthy relationships now and in the future.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour through nurturing trusting relationships, encouragement and meaningful incentives, rather than the use of consequences. This approach reflects staff’s therapeutic approach and ethos and supports children to understand the impact of their behaviour. There have been occasions when staff have needed to use physical intervention to keep children and others safe. When this has occurred, staff have acted appropriately, proportionately and in accordance with children’s plans. There has been a significant reduction in the frequency of physical interventions. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the trusting relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042950 5 Staff understand the risks the internet can pose to children. They carry out purposeful work with children to help them understand potential risks, make informed decisions and develop safe online behaviours.

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

Staff are committed to promoting and supporting children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. When children require additional support, staff are proactive in seeking advice and intervention from specialist services to ensure that children receive timely and appropriate help. Through trusting and nurturing relationships, children feel able to talk openly about their thoughts, feelings and experiences, which helps to improve their self- esteem, emotional resilience and positive sense of identity. Staff work collaboratively with children’s families to promote a consistent approach to supporting children’s mental health. However, safety plans have not always been clearly communicated to family members, reducing their effectiveness and creating the potential for inconsistencies in safeguarding arrangements.

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

The manager and staff have developed positive and effective relationships with partner agencies, which supports a coordinated approach to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. These partnerships ensure that information is shared promptly and that agencies work together to respond to risks in a timely and proportionate manner. However, practice is not consistently strong in relation to responding to children who go missing from the home. Staff do not consistently undertake active searches for children. In addition, missing-from-home plans lack sufficient clarity and do not always provide staff with clear, specific guidance about the action they are expected to take.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example and is highly respected by colleagues and fellow managers. Their extensive knowledge, skills and unwavering commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children have enabled them to make a positive contribution beyond their own home. The manager actively supports leaders from other children’s homes to develop and strengthen their practice, sharing expertise and promoting high standards of care. For example, they are currently supporting other managers to develop their skills in the efficient and effective use of resources. This collaborative approach helps to improve practice across services and demonstrates the manager’s influence, leadership and dedication to continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is aspirational and has high expectations for the care provided to children. They have a strong understanding of staff’s strengths and areas for development and demonstrate a clear commitment to continuous improvement. For example, they developed a bespoke training package for social workers visiting the home and for wider social work teams. The training is designed to help social workers maximise the value of their visits to the home and gain a deeper understanding of children’s lived experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has maintained a strong focus on strengthening relationships in the home and ensuring that staff have access to specialist advice, consultation and support. This has enhanced staff’s understanding of children’s individual needs, experiences and vulnerabilities, enabling them to respond in increasingly therapeutic and effective ways. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042950 6 The impact of this approach is clearly evidenced by a significant reduction in the use of physical intervention, as staff have developed the skills and confidence to support children through positive relationships and proactive strategies. This has helped children to experience more stable, nurturing and responsive care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has also established a strong culture of learning, reflection and professional development. Staff are encouraged and supported to continually develop their knowledge, skills and practice through supervision, team meetings, training and regular individual discussions focused on their development and aspirations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Equally, the manager places significant importance on staff wellbeing, ensuring that staff feel valued and appreciated, through regular recognition and thoughtful gestures of thanks. This investment in staff development and welfare has resulted in a stable, motivated and committed staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042950 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are able to identify indicators that children may be at risk and consistently implement effective strategies to manage and reduce those risks. This includes ensuring that safety plans provide clear and specific guidance for staff on the actions required to safeguard children, that these plans are fully understood by all individuals responsible for children’s care, and that staff take appropriate and proactive steps to locate children when they are missing from the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.10)

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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: SC042950 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lincolnshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lincolnshire County Council, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL

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Inspectors

Laura Copus, Social Care Inspector Christie May, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC042950 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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