Children's Home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires Improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Sustained Effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are settled and happy in the home. They form good relationships with staff and each other and make suitable relationships within the community. The new Registered Manager has made good progress in addressing the issues raised at the last inspection in June 2015.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Educational attendance is improved. Staff have developed stronger links with external educational providers and this means that all young people have suitable educational placements. On the whole attendance is also improved. The majority of young people are motivated to attend school and records highlight the consistent progress they make. Where young people struggle to re-engage, staff are more proactive and ensure alternative bridging solutions are in place to support and encourage the re-engagement process.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Active lifestyles are now suitably promoted. Young people take part in a range of activities including, dance, football, cadets, Judo, ice skating and cinema. Additionally, young people make friends within the community. This enables young people to develop essential social skills that are required to make and sustain appropriate relationships. As a result, young people are beginning to develop ownership of their home and community.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Health care planning is further developed. Positive links with internal and external agencies such as, a psychologist; looked after children’s nurse; sexual health clinic and drug and alcohol counsellors, mean that there is effective collaborative work which informs appropriate health care plans. Keywork sessions actively support these individual plans, and young people engage well within these sessions and actively review the progress they make.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management plans are further developed in partnership with external agencies. Behaviours are clearly identified and supported with suggestions for positive de-escalation and re-direction. However, young people are not consistently involved in the development of these plans or the agreed strategies for managing their behaviour. Therefore, young people are not aware of their behaviour goals in order to work towards change or to review and comment on the progress they make. As a result one recommendation is made to address this matter.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Missing from home plans identify the action staff are to take in the event of a young person becoming absent or missing. Staff are proactive in conducting a search of the local area and making contact with family and friends in order to secure a young person’s safe return. However, plans do not reflect the individual needs and risks of young people which may warrant an early report to the police. Consequently, the current protocol results in all young people not being formally reported as missing until after their curfew. This means that a young person may not have been physically seen for a substantial amount of time prior to a missing report being filed. As a result, a recommendation is made to address this matter.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is spacious and suitably furnished. However, a tour of the home highlighted that two rooms are locked on a daily basis. This includes the living room and kitchen. The manager stated that the rooms are locked at bedtime because otherwise young people would not go to bed. However, there was no evidence to suggest that young people struggled to settle at bedtime. Restricting young people’s access to communal areas of the home serves to promote institutional values rather than a welcoming and homely environment. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is a large detached listed building set in its own grounds. The general décor is of a good standard. However, the large glass vestibule area is not suitably fitted with safety glass. This is a safety hazard in the event that the glass becomes broken. Likewise, there are excess wires hanging from the ceiling and light fitting in the hallway. While these are not directly accessible by young people it is not clear if the wires are live or not. Finally, carpets are fitted to all the stairways within the home. These carpets are deeply stained and in need of a deep clean or replacement. A recommendation is made to address these matters.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to five young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recommendations:

ensure all young people are able to access all shared areas of the home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet the young person’s needs. Limits on access may only be put in place to safeguard each young person in the home. Any decision to limit the young person’s access to any area of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the young people’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by rigorous assessment of the individual young people’s needs, be properly recorded and kept under regular review (Guide to the Quality Standards 3.10 page 15)

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Recommendations:

ensure that where there is a possibility that a young person will run away or go missing from the children’s home, their placement plan must include an individual strategy to minimise the risk and the steps to be taken to locate the young person. Specifically, in relation to individual need and risk and details of when to report a child as missing (Guide to the Quality Standards 9.24 page 45)

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Recommendations:

ensure young people are involved, wherever practical, in the behaviour management process; which supports each young person to make appropriate choices (Guide to the Quality Standards 9.35 page 46)

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Recommendations:

ensure the home is well maintained, homely and meets with relevant health and safety requirements. Specifically, vestibule glass replaced with toughened glass, excess wires removed and stair carpets cleaned or replaced (Guide to the Quality Standards 3.9 page 15)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This 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 Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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