Children's Home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The group dynamics have changed since the last inspection. Young people who have left the home have been enabled by staff to move on in a supported, sensitive and positive way. One young person’s placement was ended due to the intensity and frequency of their risk-taking behaviour. The decision to end their placement was not made lightly and was made in the best interests of young people. Two young people have been recently admitted to the home. They have been made to feel welcome and they make steady progress in relation to their individual starting points. One young person reported, ‘It’s all right, the kids are all right and some of the staff are all right, as well. If you’re sound, then they’re sound.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A high number of staff have left the home since the last inspection. This includes team leaders and the last registered manager. Regrettably, this has had a negative impact on the home’s ability to provide young people with stability and consistency in their lives. The home has since recruited some new staff and has employed a new manager. The manager has applied for registration with Ofsted. Young people know how to make a complaint and their complaints are addressed effectively. There has been a small number of complaints since the last inspection for which appropriate outcomes are recorded. There is evidence to show that staff listen to young people and act on their reasonable requests.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff promote and encourage the development of young people’s positive behaviour. However, appropriate house rules and boundaries are not always implemented consistently by some staff. Consequently, young people can become frustrated, and oppose and object to the home’s rules and boundaries that are designed to promote their safe and positive behaviour. Greater consistency is therefore needed to ensure that young people understand the boundaries and that staff adhere to them. The manager has completed a quality of care review which identifies specific areas of the home’s practice that could be improved. The manager is working closely with staff to secure those improvements to provide a more nurturing environment for young people. The manager is not afraid to make difficult decisions or challenge professional decisions when they believe that they are not in the best interests of young people. The new manager has high

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

expectations of staff and has a key role in reshaping the home’s ethos, approach and philosophy in caring for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no restraints since the last inspection. The use of restraint is a last resort and, if used at all, restraint is only ever to protect young people from the risk of harm, accident or injury. The frequency and intensity of young people being absent or going missing have reduced considerably. There has been only one occasion when a young person has gone missing in the past two months, which is a considerable achievement. Staff take appropriate action when young people go missing. They maintain effective partnerships with the police and all other safeguarding agencies to promote their quick and safe return.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff confirm that they feel supported, and are beginning to feel well managed and led. They reported: ‘I feel deeply supported. I haven’t any issues and if I had I would be the first to tell you. Kath and Pam have been a great help.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has met the requirement from the last inspection and addressed some, but not all, of the previous recommendations. The manager has ensured that significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to ensure that young people benefit from effective protection and support. Staff supervision is now taking place more regularly. Staff have appropriate appraisal of their practice, and the young people’s views, as well as the views of other staff, are now taken into account as part of this process to help staff to reflect on their own practice and performance. The manager has reviewed the suitability of the home’s location to ensure that risks associated with the location of the home are identified and understood to promote a safe environment for young people. While young people’s education is encouraged and promoted, not all young people attend school, training or alternative educational provision regularly to promote their educational

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

achievement. The home provides young people with a physically safe and comfortable environment, however, more could be done to improve the quality of some furnishings within the home. Doing so is an important part of showing that staff genuinely care about the young people and value their home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Food shopping could be done more frequently to ensure that there are adequate quantities and variety of foods available for young people. This would avoid any conflict about lack of food, preferences and choices, which have been an issue for some young people. More could be done to engage young people in positive activities to help them to build their relationships, and to develop their social skills and improved self-confidence. One young person reported, ‘I got told there would be lots of activities, but when I came here I’ve only been on the one activity. I wish there was a punch bag and a room where you could go when you’re angry, with music and bean bags.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The external arrangements for monitoring the activities of the home are not robust and could therefore be strengthened. The reports produced could be more evaluative of outcomes and challenging of the home’s capacity for improvement. While the reports do include the views of young people, they lack consultation with parents, social workers, schools or other professionals in developing an impartial judgement about the quality of young people’s care and the effectiveness of the home’s arrangements to safeguard them and promote their well-being.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/07/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/06/2015 Full Requires improvement 05/01/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8(2)(vii)) 30/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to: (i) meet the needs of each child. (Regulation (6)(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, in relation to replacing the stained carpets on the stairs and ensuring that there is an effective programme of redecoration and repair. 30/04/2017

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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 that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out of school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 30, paragraph 6.5)  Oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home’s staff; each child’s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child including their social worker, independent reviewing officer, teachers, clinicians and other health professionals and so on, as part of the home’s external monitoring activities. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including

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Recommendations

the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.23)  The registered person should ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. Where appropriate, children should be involved in choosing and preparing meals, and opportunities to sit together and eat should be promoted. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8) This relates specifically to ensuring that sufficient quantities of food are available.  Expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Children should be supported to develop understanding and empathy towards each other. Positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; poor behaviour should be challenged and discussed. The development of safe, stable and secure relationships with staff in the home

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Recommendations

should be central to the ethos of the home and support the development of secure attachments that, where appropriate, persist over time. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  Sufficient staff means a home having enough suitably trained staff (including someone in a management role) on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home, and that those staff are able to respond to emergency placements, where accepted. The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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