Children's home run by Lytham Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 1 Registered provider: Lytham Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted on 5 January 2021, and she commenced maternity leave on 4 October 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 7 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. No serious or widespread failures were found. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2020

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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: 1256658 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 3

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improvement to be good

This is the home’s first full inspection since July 2019. Ofsted carried out an assurance visit to the home in October 2020. Since the assurance visit, three children have left the home and two children have moved in. At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Not all children have experienced positive endings to their placements when moving on from the home. One child’s placement ended because the staff were unable to manage his complex behaviours. Following an escalation in his behaviour, and police involvement, the child’s placement was ended abruptly.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make complaints. However, complaint procedures are not always followed. Inspectors found that when complaints had been made by children, there was no evidence to show that the registered manager had taken effective and immediate action. This is a missed opportunity to listen to children and support them to resolve concerns.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records do not show or reflect the child’s journey in the home. Documents such as placement plans and behaviour support plans do not demonstrate a child- centred approach. As a result, children are not consistently included in decisions about the way they are cared for.

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improvement to be good

Children do not live in a pleasant environment. In the kitchen, worktops are damaged and cupboards look tired. Paintwork throughout the home requires work. The staff sleep-in room smells of tobacco, and staff are not always supporting children to keep their rooms clean and tidy.

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improvement to be good

The children living in the home have positive relationships with staff. They take part in a wide variety of activities. For example, one child is enjoying her paper round and has recently joined the local youth club, and another child is enjoying her volunteer work with people who are homeless. Additionally, one child is being supported by staff to look for a part-time job. This is helping children to build their confidence and develop their sense of belonging. Children’s health is good and they have up-to-date health assessments. Both children are registered with the local doctor, dentist and optician. Children’s health needs are being met. There are suitable arrangements in place for the safe storage and administration of medication.

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improvement to be good

There is good-quality direct work with the children, which is meaningful and purposeful. The staff help children to reflect, understand and learn. For example, the staff were able to support one child to understand the importance of staying safe online. As a result, the child now has use of a mobile phone and uses this safely. Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 4 Incentives are in place in the home and are working well. Staff are using these to support children with their personal hygiene and to work towards getting a bicycle. Staff ensure that children have opportunities to celebrate their achievements and birthdays.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage and promote the importance of education and children have excellent attendance at school and college. Children have made friendships in school and staff actively promote these positive relationships. One child said that she was enjoying her college course and is hoping to become a paramedic in the future. She had recently attended an interview for a part-time job. Staff encourage children to think about their futures and to achieve their goals.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend quality time with their families. This is a key strength of the home. The staff understand the importance of helping children maintain these significant relationships and they encourage family members to take part in fun activities, including a recent holiday to a caravan park.

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improvement to be good

Not all risk assessments contain children’s known risks, such as substance misuse and self-harm. Furthermore, some information in the assessments is inaccurate and plans are not signed by all staff. As a result, staff have not got the necessary information to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices for new staff working at the home are not sufficiently robust. The registered manager has not demonstrated that all appropriate checks have been completed prior to staff working at the home. For example, the reasons why an individual had left their previous employment are not always verified and some application forms are incomplete. This was highlighted in the workforce development plan, where the registered manager had allowed an individual to start work despite stating that they were awaiting safer recruitment checks to be completed. This does not ensure that the integrity of all staff has been thoroughly checked to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour support has not been consistently promoted within the home. For example, there has been police intervention to manage a child’s behaviour when they have become distressed. There was no rationale or evidence to support the reasons behind this. Additionally, there have been some incidents of bullying in the home and there are no details recorded to show how the registered manager and staff deal with bullying effectively. This has left children feeling unsupported and vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

Sanctions are poorly recorded. Although there is reported to be a culture of restorative practice promoted within the home, this is sporadic and inconsistent. As a result, children are not given clear guidance to help them manage their emotions. Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 5 Fire procedures in the home are not sufficiently robust. Fire evacuation records show that children do not always take part. The registered manager does not demonstrate what follow-up work has been completed with children to help them to understand the home’s fire procedures and how they will keep themselves safe in the event of a fire. Additionally, new staff have not taken part in fire evacuations as part of their induction to the home.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice when children are missing from care is not effective. Due to the impact of COVID-19, one member of staff was left alone to support both children. Consequently, when a child went missing from the home, the staff member was unable to go and search for them. This means that children are not always kept safe when they are in the community.

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good

The registered manager started her maternity leave on 4 October 2021. There is currently an interim manager, who will be submitting an application to be registered with Ofsted. She is supported in her role by two competent deputies. They all have aspirations for the children and are aware of the areas for improvement in the home.

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good

The interim manager had identified some of the shortfalls in care practices and recording prior to the inspection and is working on an action plan to drive improvements moving forward. This action plan was seen during the inspection.

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good

Internal and external monitoring requires improvement. Although an independent visitor completes external monitoring of the home, their reports lack key information about the safety of children and do not include consultation with parents and stakeholders. Following the last inspection, the registered manager provided Ofsted with a summary of actions taken to meet the previous requirements. However, the requirements are repeated as action has not been taken to meet the breaches in regulations.

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good

The registered manager has failed to provide Ofsted with a recent quality of care review. When a previous review was submitted, it was of poor quality, lacked evaluation and did not identify any actions. This does not help to improve and drive the quality of care provided to children.

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good

The registered manager’s monitoring and review systems are ineffective. Documents within the home do not contain management oversight. For example, children’s risk assessments, sanctions and behaviour management plans lack relevant information or were found to be inaccurate. Inspectors also found the safer area report does not contain consultation with relevant people within the community. This does not ensure that children are supported by staff with the correct knowledge to keep them safe. Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 6 Staff report that they enjoy their roles. They demonstrate that they are passionate in their aspirations for children, and warm relationships were observed. However, some staff say that there are inconsistencies within the team with regards to working within the boundaries in place for each child. This gives children mixed messages and does not provide them with consistent support. One child said, ‘Staff

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good

could improve how they handle situations.’

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good

There are gaps in staff training. Not all staff have had training around child sexual exploitation, physical intervention and substance misuse, despite these being identified as risks for children. Furthermore, some staff have not had training around autism spectrum disorder, despite caring for a child with these identified needs.

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good

Inspectors found that new staff do not always receive a thorough induction to help them to understand their roles and responsibilities and the needs of the children in their care. This is against the provider’s own policies and procedures and does not promote good practice.

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good

Staff (particularly new staff) have not been receiving supervision of their practice as frequently as set out in the home’s policy. Furthermore, the quality of supervision records is variable. For example, some records are of poor quality and lack detail. This limits opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and development and for managers to assess staff performance. The interim manager has already introduced a supervision schedule to ensure that all staff receive regular supervision. Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 7

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (a)(i)(iii)(iv)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is repeated. 3 December 2021

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 3 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is repeated.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and,

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. ( Regulation 25 (1)(c)(d)) 3 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 3 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 9 if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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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 (1)(a)(b) (4)(b)) 3 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the child; 3 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 10 details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is repeated.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records unless the child and 3 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 11 the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. Regulation 44 (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and 3 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 12 make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 3 December 2021

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1256658 13

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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, Fazakerly, Liverpool L9 9DB

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Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: 1256658 14 to 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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