Children's home run by Liv Children Care LTD

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 1 Registered provider: Liv Children Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children. The home caters for children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in March 2023. The registered manager post is currently vacant. An acting manager has been in post since September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Inspection date: 13 December 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 13 December 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Privacy film has been added to the glassed conservatory since the last inspection. This helps to maintain the child’s dignity and privacy. However, there are several areas in the home that require minor repair. This detracts from the otherwise good- quality accommodation.

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Findings from the inspection

Fire extinguishers are now present in communal areas of the home and are easily accessible in an emergency. However, fire drills have not been carried out regularly. This means some staff may not know how to safely evacuate the home in an emergency.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not ensured that relevant people were consulted when drawing up the location risk assessment. This means that the manager may not have an effective understanding of potential risks in the community, including neighbour relationships, and may not have developed strategies to manage these risks.

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Findings from the inspection

Some staff have built a positive relationship with the child. The child now seeks out staff. This is new and significant progress for this child. Staff support the child to engage with their education tutor. Staff support the child to safely enjoy time out in their local community. The work that staff have done to support the child means that they are beginning to settle in the home and now have structure to their day.

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Findings from the inspection

The staff work in partnership with the child’s local authority to improve the child’s experiences. Staff continue to work with education professionals to identify a suitable specialist educational provision for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have completed some training that is relevant to the child’s needs. This has given them a better understanding of the child’s complex needs and vulnerabilities. While there has been some improvement in record-keeping, the quality of recording continues to need improvement. Some of the child’s important records are unclear and lacking in detail.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is not consistently sufficiently staffed to meet the child’s complex needs. There were occasions when there was one staff member on shift. There should have been two to provide the level of support required by the child.

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Findings from the inspection

The child can freely access most areas of the home. However, some internal doors, such as the kitchen door, are kept locked as a safety measure. This is because the child has very limited safety awareness. Staff support the child to access the kitchen when needed. The child’s placing authority is aware of this restriction on the child’s movement. However, the arrangements to review this are not clear. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 3 Staff ensure that the child’s health needs are generally met. However, the manager has not investigated an error in the recording of the child’s medication. Consequently, the manager has not been able to ascertain the cause of the error or identify potential improvements in practice.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is yet to carry out a review of the quality of care. They have not assured themselves that the quality of care provided to children meets the expected standard. This is a missed opportunity to identify any changes or improvements needed.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and senior leaders have taken action to address some of the shortfalls identified in the home’s last inspection. However, a significant number of requirements and recommendations have not been met and have therefore been restated. Some further requirements are restated as they could not be tested during this inspection, and a new requirement is set. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 5

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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, The 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 February 2024

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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,

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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) (3)(d)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all gaps in employment history are identified and explored.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— 20 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 6 is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (c)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 February 2024

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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

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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 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)(b) (2)(a)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any significant incidents are investigated and recorded.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 February 2024

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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— 20 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 7 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"). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3))

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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)) 20 February 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children and that it is a homely, domestic environment. The home is to comply with relevant health and safety legislation, such as alarms and food hygiene. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Liv Children Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 128 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

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Inspector

Sasha Reid, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2715823 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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