Children's home run by Liv Children Care LTD

Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 1 Registered provider: Liv Children Care Ltd

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

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Information about this children’s home

The post of registered manager was vacant at the time of the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, one child has remained living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to make steady progress. They understand how to support the child to develop life skills, doing so sensitively. In one example, staff used a doll to model gentle hair and body washing. This way of working has encouraged the child to develop their personal washing skills. The child is now enjoying shower time more regularly and has recently initiated their personal care routines themselves. This is a significant step and demonstrates staff commitment to supporting the child towards their independence.

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improvement to be good

Leaders have recruited a head of education lead who is working collaboratively with the child’s tutor, placing authority and virtual school to identify a structured and tailored package of learning. Staff are supporting online tutoring in the home daily and are noticing progress in the child’s motor skills, reading and writing. However, there are no clear arrangements outside of this tutoring for staff to promote the child’s continued learning in the home during school hours. This is a missed opportunity for leaders to demonstrate how staff are actively supporting educational activity throughout the child’s day.

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improvement to be good

Staff have supported the child to attend a recent optician appointment and are working with health services to prioritise a complex medication review. However, leaders have not arranged or advocated for the child to have their annual health assessment, despite this being requested in two previous statutory reviews and repeated actions set by the provider’s independent visitor. Furthermore, there is no clear plan for staff to monitor or track the child’s menstrual cycle, despite this being a known reason for upset and anguish for the child. This lack of scrutiny and oversight by managers means not all the child’s health needs are being proactively met.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not trained to support or promote the voice of children with complex communication needs and difficulties. There is little evidence of how staff are consulting with children about their day-to-day lives. This is a missed opportunity for leaders to demonstrate that the child’s voice is central to all decision-making and planning, including more complex decisions about their life. While the child had access to a guardian up until June 2024, the child does not have an independent advocate.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities well. They have safely supported the child on outings to the supermarket, clothing stores, the beach and, more recently, a trip to the bowling alley for their birthday. Staff respond quickly to the needs of the child and Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 4 suitably guide and support them to successfully manage these greater independence steps. This is significant progress from the child’s starting point.

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improvement to be good

Staff receive regular safeguarding training and, on most occasions, report safeguarding concerns immediately to managers and relevant child protection professionals. Leaders carry out good investigations and, when needed, learning outcomes are disseminated to staff and put into practice. However, on occasions, there have been delays in managers notifying the regulator and host authority. This has the potential to hinder safe working practices.

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improvement to be good

Core staff have built positive and trusting relationships with the child. This has led to a reduction in staff using physical interventions to keep the child safe. However, managers do not always communicate with the child or speak to staff following these incidents of physical intervention. Furthermore, there is a lack of positive behaviour support strategies for staff in the child’s plans. This means staff are not clear on how they should proactively help the child to manage their emotions when they feel upset or frustrated.

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improvement to be good

Leaders have recruited a clinical lead who has been instrumental in completing functional assessments for the child and reviewing their day-to-day needs. There are clear recommendations from these recently completed assessments, including a sensory integration plan and resources required for the child. This way of working means the child is provided with expert support and staff receive support to develop their practice and understanding.

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

Since the assurance visit in December 2023, there has been a change of ownership of the organisation and a subsequent change in leadership. Two managers have submitted applications to register with Ofsted which have since been withdrawn. At the time of this inspection, the home had no registered manager. The responsible individual is actively recruiting to this post and, in the interim, there is a support manager in the home. The responsible individual visits the home regularly and is heavily involved in the development, oversight and leadership planning.

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

There has been a vast improvement in how leaders safely recruit staff. As a result, the requirement from the last full inspection has been met.

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

Leaders have reviewed the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the children’s home. As part of the review, the support manager consulted with the local authority and the police regarding local crime statistics. The support manager has included national and local safeguarding procedures in the review document to further support staff knowledge of reporting procedures.

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

Leaders are unable to demonstrate effective oversight of alleged errors in the child’s medication, as detailed in the independent visitor reports. As a result, it is unclear if managers’ investigations into staff practice are safe and are likely to reduce the potential Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 5 for any further errors. This hinders safe working practices and indicates a lack of professional curiosity and oversight.

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

The system for staff to report maintenance concerns and for managers to demonstrate remedial work needs improvement. The responsible individual is in the process of implementing an electronic system where concerns can be prioritised and completion dates evidenced. Several repairs have been completed since the last full inspection.

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

Staff receive a wide range of training, which more recently has met the specific needs of the child. There are clear improvements in the quality of training being provided to staff, including in new therapeutically informed models of care. However, there are shortfalls in training for bank staff, including two staff who were supporting the child at the time of the inspection.

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

Staff say they feel well supported, despite the changes in leadership and day-to-day management of the home. However, managers were unable to demonstrate that all staff are receiving regular reflective supervision in line with the organisation’s policies. This means managers are unable to demonstrate how staff are benefiting from regular practice reviews and consistent professional development. Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 6

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who —

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each child— 1 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 7 is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives and

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans,

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities, and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(b)) 1 January 2025

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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 —

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Requirement Due date

re familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure staff report concerns immediately and managers share these concerns with safeguarding professionals without delay. 1 January 2025

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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 1 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 8 promotes their welfare.

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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

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 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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure there are effective systems for the reporting, monitoring and evaluation of medication errors and maintenance repairs.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that all staff, including bank staff, receive the required training to meet the specific needs of children.

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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 full last inspection and is restated due to no new children moving in or out of the home. 1 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 1 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1) (4)(a)(b)) 1 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 9 The registered person must ensure that 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 child about the measure,

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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 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 1 January 2025

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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 full last inspection and is restated due to no new children moving in or out of the home. 1 January 2025

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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

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 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

This requirement was made at the assurance visit and is repeated. 1 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 10

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the staff team having day-to-day care of children is made up of both women and men. When the home uses staff of one gender only, clear guidance needs to be in place and followed as to how the children’s day-to-day personal care needs are met, and how children are enabled to voice their preferences when being supported by people of a different gender. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)  The registered person should ensure staff understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies. These strategies should be recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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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 for children's home: 2715823 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Liv Children Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Louise Webling, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2715823 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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