Children's Home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report children‟s home: SC454035 1 SC454035 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 five young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

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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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC454035 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/07/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children‟s home: SC454035 3

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Statutory requirements

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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and, help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 12/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 12/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on a child‟s contact with parents, relatives or friends. (Regulation 19 (1)(2)(c)(i)) 12/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 12/07/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC454035 4

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Recommendations

 The home must challenge the placing authority when they do not arrange independent return home interviews for children who have been missing from care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff receive professional supervision, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13. 2)

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improvement to be good

Although young people make steady progress from their starting points, some young people‟s progress and life experiences are significantly compromised by their risk-taking behaviour and unwillingness to accept staff‟s guidance and support.

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improvement to be good

Despite staff‟s encouragement, some young people choose not to attend or engage with their education. Furthermore, staff do not have access to each young person‟s current personal education plan to inform their own plans and practice. As a result, young people are not yet benefiting from effective education plans or consistent attendance and engagement at school.

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improvement to be good

Similarly, staff do not obtain for each young person the placing authority‟s current care plan or statutory review notes. This prevents staff from having access to the most up-to- date information about the young person‟s needs. Additionally, staff cannot be certain that they are following each young person‟s relevant plans and meeting the expectations of the placing authority.

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improvement to be good

Largely, young people enjoy and benefit from spending time with their families and friends in a planned and safe environment. However, on occasion, staff have used young people‟s meetings with family as a measure of control. For example, staff stopped a young person‟s sister from visiting the home as a consequence to negative behaviour. This highlights gaps in staff‟s knowledge and understanding of acceptable behaviour management strategies.

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improvement to be good

Young people‟s experiences and views of their home are positive. They said that they are happy and that their staff care for them well. The team‟s nurturing and consistent care is helping young people to build trusting relationships with staff and each other. As a result, the home is becoming a more settled and peaceful environment.

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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC454035 5

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improvement to be good

Although the young people feel happy, well cared for and are making progress from their starting points, some shortfalls in safeguarding practice are jeopardising the young people‟s welfare and safety.

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improvement to be good

The assessment of risk and risk management strategies is weak. Some risks, which have been identified in young people‟s referrals and placement plans, are not being rigorously assessed, for example unsafe use of social media, potential child sexual exploitation, self-harm and cannabis use. Consequently, the team is not successfully managing these risks or minimising harm.

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improvement to be good

Young people are still not benefiting from any meaningful direct work provided by staff. Consequently, young people do not understand their vulnerability and they are not learning how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Although staff follow safeguarding procedures rigorously when young people go missing from home, they do not challenge the placing authority when it fails to arrange independent return home interviews. Young people have therefore not had the opportunity to discuss the incident and any additional safeguarding concerns with a trusted adult.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not have reliable strategies in place to ensure that young people are safe when they are out in the community. For example, staff depend too heavily on keeping in touch with the young people by mobile phone. As a result, staff cannot be certain of the young people‟s whereabouts or safety when they are away from the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff undertake a range of training in safeguarding matters. In addition to attending the local authority‟s safeguarding training, staff undertake online courses on a range of topics, including health and safety. This ensures that staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding roles and duties.

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improvement to be good

Home maintenance and regular health and safety checks are carried out in the home. Additionally, the company makes sure that all staff undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks and that suitable references are obtained from staff‟s previous employers. These safer recruitment practices are ensuring that staff are suitably vetted before they start working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has not had a registered manager since May 2017. A manager was appointed in October 2018 and his application to register with Ofsted was progressing. However, he unexpectedly resigned from post a few days prior to this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

In the absence of a manager, the responsible individual will assume responsibility for managing the home. She is an experienced and suitably qualified leader who knows the service, team and the young people extremely well. Recruiting a permanent manager to Inspection report children‟s home: SC454035 6 the home is the company‟s priority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The stability of the team is a key strength of the home. Despite inconsistencies in leadership and management, admirably, several staff have remained in post, demonstrating a genuine commitment to the service and the young people. Accordingly, young people are cared for by a consistent and dedicated team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Although staff receive regular professional supervision, the quality of their supervision can be improved to ensure that they are provided with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and discuss, in-depth, each young person‟s needs. Furthermore, staff‟s supervision does not focus sufficiently on their professional development or learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is evidence of collaborative working with other professionals involved in the young people‟s care. In the main, feedback from professionals is positive, praising the team‟s commitment to young people and its members‟ ability to establish trusting relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager‟s monitoring and review systems are insufficient. For example, the shortfalls in placement plans and risk assessments are not being identified and promptly addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not taken sufficient action to address the shortfalls raised at the last inspection. This has resulted in two requirements being repeated at this inspection.

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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: SC454035 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lytham Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pamela Constance

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Inspectors

Marina Tully and Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspectors Inspection report children‟s home: SC454035 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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