Children's Home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Young people have been placed at the home whose needs have been difficult to meet. This has impacted on the stability of some placements.  Relationships between young people and staff are generally good. However, interactions between the young people are not always positive, which on occasions have been aggressive and challenging.  The home has been through an unsettled period in recent months and at times the staff have struggled to implement firm consistent boundaries.  All young people are engaged in some form of education but their progress and experiences are mixed.  Most young people benefit from good health. However, it is unclear from a young person’s health care plan how she is being support with her specific health needs.  One young person is of an age where they are preparing for more independent living. However, they are not yet able to take responsibility for purchasing personal items without staff support.

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because:

 Some staff files do not meet the all regulatory requirements.  There are weaknesses in the independent monitoring of the home because these do not take place every month to ensure that safeguarding and care practice in the home is rigorously maintained.

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because:

 The managers monthly monitoring does not evaluate the quality of care provided. Feedback from the young people, parents and stakeholders is not included in her monitoring.

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The children’s home strengths

 The manager and staff work well with other professionals, including the local police.  Staff fully support contact with family and friends. Family and friends are made welcome at the home.  The home is well maintained and decorated.  Young people are encouraged to contribute to the running of the home, through regular house meetings and key worker sessions.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

8: The education standard: In order to meet the education standard the registered provider must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

(iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment 24/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

9: The enjoyment and achievement standard: In order to meet the enjoy and achievement standard the registered provider must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

(1) children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. 24/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

10: The health and well-being standard: In order to meet the health and well-being standard the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1 )(a) the health and well-being needs of children are met; 24/08/2015 (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard: In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

2 (a)(i) meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

(ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

(iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. 24/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure full and satisfactory information is available in relation to individual staff in respect of each matters in Schedule 2 (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 24/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must appoint a person to visit and report on the children's home carried on by the registered person (Regulation 43(1)) 24/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children and; gain the feedback and opinions of children about the home, it's facilities and the quality of care they receive.(Regulation 45(2)(a)&(b)) 24/08/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure emergency admissions are not taken unless the homes Statement of Purpose and its capacity and support systems mean that it has the capability to care for children admitted at very short notice while continuing to offer high quality care to children already living in the home (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15 paragraph 3.6)

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Recommendations

 ensure staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement, or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home's support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care.( The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 17 paragraph 3.27)

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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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Recent inspection history

05/01/2015 CH - Interim declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

14/02/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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requires improvement

Young people’s experiences and progress are mixed. Some say this is a ‘good home′ and they are well supported. One young person said ‘I really like it here…this is the longest place I have been in.’ Although one young person expressed some negative thoughts about their care, they did say ‘it does feel like home.′

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requires improvement

Two young people have been living at the home for over twelve months and their placements have continued to be stable; however, out of seven other young people placed, four of whom were placed on an emergency basis, six have moved on. This is a relatively high number which has impacted on the stability in the home. In particular, the staff struggled with one young person’s very complex and challenging behaviours, as a result, the manager served notice on the placement. Consequently the manager has suspended taking any emergency placements to give the young people time to settle again.

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requires improvement

Regular attendance at school, college or alternative educational provision tends to fluctuate for all young people. Staff try to promote good attendance with the use of rewards, for example, one young person was able to earn a television for his bedroom for attending over a ten week period. The manager works well with educational providers to improve attendance and engagement so young people learn the importance of gaining a good education and the benefits of this on their future prospects.

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requires improvement

Young people have access to services they need to promote their physical, emotional and psychological well-being, including Barnardos and a specialist nursing advice regarding diabetes. However, the practice in relation to supporting a young person to manage their diabetes is variable; this is because some staff are less proactive than others in supervising her when she takes her blood sugar levels. The young person manages her diabetes very well; however, the diabetic specialist nurse confirmed she requires close supervision and monitoring during these times.

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requires improvement

Some young people are engaging in positive activities of their choice in the local community, such as playing football for a local team. One young person said they would like to go ice-skating more often. Staff encourage them to use public transport but because they prefer to go in the car, they are only choosing to go when there is a designated driver on duty. There is a music room with a full drum kit and key board, however, young people’s access is limited due to recent destructive behaviour.

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requires improvement

A key strength of the home is its engagement with families. Consequently, this has improved family relationships and contact and supports them to retain a strong sense of identity. Young people also benefit from having their friends to visit, which gives them a feeling of belonging.

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requires improvement

Staff encourage and support the young people to play some part in the running of the home. This includes keeping their bedrooms tidy and helping at mealtimes. One young person has yet to benefit from the implementation of her pathway plan to prepare her for independent living. For example, she is unable to buy personal items because the staff buy these with her. This is not helping her to build confidence in her ability to live independently of the home.

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requires improvement

Young people say they feel safe in the home most of the time. However, not all risks for one young person were identified at the start of his placement. The manager said this is because the placing authority did not give a clear picture of his risks when originally placed. This is being addressed with the placing authority to ensure all available information is shared so that a more considered assessment as to the suitability of future placements can be made.

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requires improvement

Staff have been challenged recently by young people’s behaviour. They have struggled to implement firm boundaries, which has resulted in young people smoking in the home, staying up all night and causing damage. On occasions the staff have requested the support of the police to help manage young people’s behaviour. Young people say they get on with each other most of the time, but there are incidents of conflict between them. Observations confirm that some staff are more competent than others at dealing with these situations. Bullying has also been an issue in the home and a young person was subjected to a serious assault by another young person. A placing social worker said,‘ it is evident when there are more young people the number of incidents increase and there is evidence this reduces when the numbers reduce.’ Young people say they can talk to a particular staff member if they are worried or concerned.

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requires improvement

Since the last inspection there has been a significant reduction in the instances of young people being missing or absent from the home. Clear risk assessments advise staff of what action to take to manage associated risks. The manager has built effective relationships with the police and attends multi-agency safeguarding meetings. This has helped improve the homes capacity to help to keep young people safe.

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requires improvement

Some shortfalls were identified in two staff recruitment files. For example, it is not clear if the manager has verified the references. Furthermore, she has not requested additional documentation to verify a change in name. This approach lacks rigour and does not sufficiently ensure they are safe to work with young people.

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requires improvement

The home benefits from a suitably experienced and qualified manager. She is also registered to manage a solo home with the organisation, which means she is not in full-time day-to-day charge of the home. The manager acknowledges the demands and in line with the organisations development plan as the company grows a new manager has been recruited to take over. She is currently undergoing a three month induction before applying to be the Registered Manager. Going forward this will to allow the current manager to take a more strategic role.

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requires improvement

The manager recognises the strengths and weaknesses, and acknowledges that it has been a difficult few months. There have been a number of neighbour complaints recently in relation to anti-social behaviour, which she is working to address. She has met with them and the police in an attempt to resolve their concerns and build some bridges. Lessons are being learnt in relation to the suitability of some recent placements.

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requires improvement

At the last inspection there were seven breeches of regulation and three recommendations made. These have largely been met. The instances of young people going missing from the home have reduced; therefore a review of any care plan has not been necessary. However, independent visits to the home have not taken place every month to ensure care practice is rigorously maintained. Furthermore, the manager’s monthly monitoring is very formulaic and does not fully evaluate the quality of care. The views and opinions of young people and parents are not included in her monitoring to ensure they are satisfied with the care provided. All significant events are notified to the relevant authorities to ensure the welfare and safety of young people.

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requires improvement

Staff have access to regular supervision, team meetings and training opportunities that contribute to their care of young people. However, staff have yet to complete the full programme of training provided by the diabetic nurse specialist to ensure they are fully equipped to meet the needs of all young people.

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requires improvement

The Statement of Purpose meets the aims and objectives of the home. This provides young people, placing social workers and families with a clear picture of the services provided.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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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