Children's Home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Unique reference number SC454035 Inspection date 27/09/2013 Inspector Michelle Bacon Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 24/12/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

A privately-owned children home for up to 6 young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

This is a new service and the homes first inspection since registration. The overall effectiveness of the home is adequate with some good features. Staff provide a good quality of care that promotes some good outcomes for young people. Young people say that they enjoy living in the home. Staff care about young people and want them to be succeed. One young person commented ‘it's really nice here…it feels like the staff care.′ Another young person said ‘I like living here the staff are amazing.‛

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Overall effectiveness

Staff in the home demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practice. There is evidence that young people's risk-taking behaviour has reduced from their starting point of placement. Young people's placements are stable and this has increased their sense of security. Professionals report that the home is good at safeguarding young people and young people confirm that they feel safe.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and acknowledges that progress in other areas is limited. Monitoring systems are in place but do not always identify trends or areas for improvement. The staff team have a range of experiences within child care. However, those staff new to the role of residential support worker have not always been allocated time to work on their induction booklets to develop their knowledge and practice. A number of requirements and recommendations have been made as a result of this inspection to secure improvement with the service.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that the written record of any measure of control, restraint or discipline includes details of the behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location; the name of the person using the measure, and of any other person present; a description of any injury to the child concerned or any other person and any medical treatment administered(Regulation 17B(3)(b, d, e and f)) 28/10/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that full and satisfactory information in respect of employment of staff has been obtained in relation to the matters specified in Schedule 2(Regulation 26(a)) 28/10/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed to work in the children's home receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal.(Regulation 27(4)(a)) 28/10/2013

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that where any sanction, disciplinary measures or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home(NMS 3.18)  ensure that written records kept by the home when a child goes missing detail action taken by staff, the circumstances of the child's return, any reasons given by the child for running away, and any action taken in light of those reasons(NMS 5.10)  ensure that staff have up-to-date information about each child's educational progress and school attendance, including a copy of their personal education plan(NMS 8.7)  ensure that the home's development plan identifies the strengths and weaknesses and how the manager plans to develop the home(NMS 15.2)  ensure that staff rotas clearly identify the full names of staff on duty, including any agency staff used(NMS 17.2)  ensure that new staff are allocated time to undertake their induction standards

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Recommendations

and this is completed within 6 months(NMS 18.3)  ensure that staff have access to support and advice, and are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff(NMS 19.4)  ensure that any allegations against people that work with children are reported by the designated person to the LADO. This includes allegations that on the face of it may appear relatively insignificant.(NMS 20.6)  ensure that the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulations, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the homes policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends, in particular the visitors book clearly identifies the reason for a visit. Immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring.(NMS 21.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people living in the home are making good progress in terms of their education, behaviour and emotional well-being from their starting point of placement. They are developing an understanding of their backgrounds and as a result are growing in confidence and maturity. One placing social worker commented that their young person ‘ has really matured…there's a massive difference in their attitude.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are generally very healthy. They benefit from access to a range of health care professionals. Young people are provided with information on a range of health issues including: smoking, sexual health and drugs. Consequently some young people have reduced their risk taking behaviours. In addition some young people also benefit from their engagement in services that support their emotional well- being. As a result, they are building emotional resilience and developing a positive self-view.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people are engaged in education and most attend school regularly. Their educational needs are well promoted to ensure successful outcomes. For example, one young person has successfully returned to mainstream school and another achieved a formal qualifications this year despite only being in year 9. Young people have aspirations for the future and are aware of what is required for them to succeed.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people maintain strong links to their family and those significant to them. This maintains their sense of identity. In addition some young people are developing positive age-appropriate relationships with their peers within the local community. This supports young people's social development.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to learn practical skills by taking part in the running of the home such as, menu planning, food preparation and keeping their bedrooms tidy. This enables them to develop their skills in preparation for more semi- independent living.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a warm nurturing environment where they feel cared for and valued as individuals. Young people confirm that they enjoy living in the home and have developed positive and supportive relationships with the staff. They also benefit from appropriate relationships with each other. Although young people say there are occasional disagreements between them bullying is not an issue. One young person commented ‘we are all treated fairly.′

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Quality of care

Staff work effectively with partner agencies to address young people’s educational needs. However, there is one slight weakness, in that the home does not have up-to- date Personal Education Plans that help staff to know young people's learning targets. Despite this staff actively encourage and support young people to participate in education. For example, one young person has recently returned to mainstream education. They commented ‘ I'm really glad they pushed me into going to school.’

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Quality of care

Young people’s views and opinions are encouraged and respected in the home. This is done through young people's house meetings and one-to-one sessions. Some young people were recently involved in the recruitment of new staff. This ensures that they have a significant influence in the running of the home and feel valued.

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Quality of care

Staff encourage young people to behave appropriately. Individual behaviour management plans identify triggers for negative behaviour and the strategies for managing these behaviours. Methods such as monetary reward systems, and regular key worker sessions enable young people to manage their own behaviour more effectively. However, young people do not consistently have their views recorded in the sanctions or restraint book to assist in the monitoring of the overall effectiveness.

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Quality of care

Staff promote the health needs of young people very well. For example, they work closely with other health professionals such as the looked after children's nurse to ensure individual health needs are addressed. One Independent Reviewing Officer(IRO) commented that they are ‘reassured′ by the ‘bespoke package ‛ the staff have implemented for their young person. This ensures that young people's needs are met in line with their care plans.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a spacious, well-maintained home. There is good access to the local shops and amenities.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is adequate at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that they feel safe and are kept safe. They feel confident in discussing any issues or concerns they may have with staff. The manager and staff are very proactive in recognising a young person's particular risks and vulnerabilities. An IRO commented they were ‘impressed’ how quickly the staff had recognised their young person's risks and ‘immediately challenged this along with building relationships.′

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have developed effective relationships with the local police to reduce the potential risks to individual young people and address unsafe behaviour. When young people are absent or missing, steps are taken to ensure that they return safely. However, the missing from home records do not make it clear what action was taken by staff to locate or contact a young person. Despite this young people’s episodes of being absent have significantly reduced since their admission to the home. This is because high staffing levels and close supervision assist in reducing incidents occurring. A range of professionals involved with the home consider that young people's safety and welfare is well promoted.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are trained in behaviour management, including the use of physical intervention. The numbers of physical intervention is low. However, the records of physical intervention are not well maintained. For example, the date and time is not always clear; what injuries if any were sustained; the behaviour leading to a restraint and who has completed the record. This does not provide a clear audit trail should a young person wish to review their files now or in the future.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are trained in safeguarding, however, a shortfall has been identified during this inspection. Although prompt action was taken to report a recent safeguarding concern to the placing authority, the concern was not referred directly to the local area designated officer for their consideration. Whilst this did not have a direct impact on the welfare and safety of young people, potentially there was a delay in implementing suitable arrangements to safeguard young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected, as far as is possible, by safe recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that they are only cared for by suitable people. However, some records maintained in the home do not contain all of the information to comply with the requirements.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home promotes young people’s health and safety by undertaking regular fire drills and annual service tests to assist in maintaining a safe environment for young people to live in.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are adequate .

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Leadership and management

The home is managed by a competent and experienced manager. Young people are cared for in line with the aims and objectives of the Statement of Purpose. The Statement of Purpose gives a clear overview of what placing social workers, parents and young people can expect from the service.

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Leadership and management

There have been some complaints from neighbours in relation to the home. However, these have been promptly responded to by the manager and resolved. The manager has produced a development plan for the home. However, the plan does not clearly identify the homes weaknesses and how these will be addressed to improve the quality of the service. The home can demonstrate the positive difference it has had on improving outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

Monthly monitoring is undertaken by the manager and the responsible individual. However, this monitoring failed to address the recording shortfalls in the sanctions, restraints and missing from home records. Although the manager said she is aware of the issues and plans to address the shortfalls in the team meetings.

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Leadership and management

Staff report that they are well supported by the manager. However, they do not consistently sign their supervision records to confirm the accuracy of these records and a copy is not retained on their files in the home. Furthermore, it is not clear how often the Registered Manager receives supervision as her supervision file is kept at the organisations office. There are sufficient numbers of staff on duty at all times to care for young people. Some staff have a suitable childcare qualification and the newer members of the team are currently completing the organisation's induction programme. However, they have not always had time allocated to work on this due to spending more time engaging with young people. The manager has a training matrix in place to highlight staff training needs. However, not all staff have received appropriate training; although there are plans in place for this to be completed soon.

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Leadership and management

Young people's records are stored securely to ensure confidentiality. However, records such as the visitors book do not always record the purpose of a particular visit. This means staff do not have an accurate record of visitors to the home. Furthermore, the staff rotas do not clearly identify the full names of the staff on duty or the shift patterns to provide an accurate and up-to-date record of staff working in the home.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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