Children's home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report children’s home: SC482340 1 SC482340 Registered provider: Lytham Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child between the ages of eight and 17 years.

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Information about this children’s home

There has not been a registered manager in post since 11 April 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 25 September 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC482340 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/11/2017 Full Good 17/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC482340 3

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Statutory requirement

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 14/06/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain a strong safeguarding culture in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 9.8) In particular, consistently implement safer recruitment practice.  Ensure that the child’s relevant plans form the basis of their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 11.1) In particular, obtain the child’s relevant plans, for example health assessments, updated care plans, and personal education plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are patient, caring and have a good understanding of the child’s needs and interests. A warm, nurturing staff team is enabling the child to develop positive relationships with staff whom he trusts and respects.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff members’ effective joint working with education professionals, such as the virtual headteacher, has ensured that the child’s needs are suitably assessed and provided for. As a result, the child is making significant progress in his education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that there are plenty of opportunities for the child to have fun and develop his interests and skills, for example football club and boxing. These hobbies are increasing his confidence and self-esteem, as well as keeping him occupied and diverted from unsafe activities. Inspection report children’s home: SC482340 4 Staff support the child to keep in contact with his family members, with whom they have built positive relationships. This is important to the child, and it is helping him to continue to feel part of his family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and cosy. The child takes pride in his home and he enjoys helping staff to design and decorate his home. Undoubtedly, he is meaningfully involved in making choices and decisions about his care. This is helping him to develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s placement plans are detailed and provide staff with clear objectives to support the child to progress and achieve. However, some important documents had not been obtained from the child’s placing authority, for example the updated care plan, care plan review minutes, and personal education plan. Consequently, the child’s relevant plans are not consistently influencing the basis of his care.

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

Staff comprehensively assess all potential risks. They follow clear protective strategies to prevent and reduce harm.

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

Additionally, staff have established warm, trusting relationships with the child, which means that he has trusted adults who he can confide in and learn from. As a result, his risk-taking behaviour has significantly decreased since living in this home.

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

Staff provide consistent boundaries and care. They focus on positive behaviour and the child is thriving on constant praise and rewards. Additionally, with the staff’s untiring support, the child is learning safer ways of dealing with difficult emotions and situations. This is enhancing the child’s safety and welfare.

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

Staff manage safeguarding concerns effectively and they follow child protection procedures well. Safeguarding professionals, for example the local designated officer, confirmed that there is strong partnership working with the home’s responsible individual and the staff team.

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

The home environment and local area are routinely assessed for potential risks and hazards. Regular health and safety checks and monitoring of the local community are making sure that the home remains a safe place for children to live.

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

In the main, safer recruitment practice is in place. All staff are vetted prior to them taking up their post. However, recruitment practice can be further strengthened by ensuring that any potential gaps in applicants’ employment history are rigorously explored and verified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager resigned in April 2019. A new manager has been appointed, subject to satisfactory references and checks. The child was involved in the recruitment Inspection report children’s home: SC482340 5 of the new manager. This demonstrates the company’s commitment to children’s participation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In the interim, the responsible individual is overseeing the management of the home. She is suitably qualified and experienced, and she has good knowledge of the child and his needs. Prior to her promotion to responsible individual, she was the registered manager for this service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from having access to relevant training and resources to support their professional development. For example, staff have undertaken training in self-harm, child exploitation, medication and safeguarding. As a result, a competent team responds appropriately to the child’s needs and keeps him safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work well as a team and this ensures that the child receives consistent care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Strong partnership working with the child’s social worker, independent reviewing officer and school is supporting the child to make measurable progress in all aspects of his life. The leaders and staff team have the child’s welfare at the centre of their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been satisfactorily addressed. Regular service monitoring is ensuring continued service improvements and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff’s support is variable and their view on how well they feel supported is mixed. Not all staff have received regular practice-related supervision, which means that they have not had opportunities to reflect on their practice and voice their concerns. Shortfalls in staff’s supervision and support potentially undermine the stability of the team.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC482340 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lytham Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 400 Longmoor Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 9DB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pamela Constance

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Inspector

Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482340 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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