Children's Home run by My3 Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1246331 1 Registered provider: My3 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

The home is operated by a private organisation. It offers care for up to four children who may have social, emotional and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. Three children spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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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: 12 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1246331 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 22/03/2022 Full Good 04/12/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1246331 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in the home. They are happy, safe and settled. One child said the home is good and another that the staff are helpful. Staff are child centred and provide a high standard of care to the children. Staff support children to make progress in all areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children a variety of activities and support children to explore their interests. Children enjoy spending time with staff inside and outside of the home. Children are encouraged to try new things and to visit new places. One child who had not been on holiday before enjoyed two short breaks away with staff this summer. Two children keep small pet animals and are supported to care for them. This helps children to develop a sense of responsibility.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers advocate for children to make sure all their needs are met. When children need additional support, staff challenge other professionals to make sure it is provided. The manager advocated tirelessly to ensure that a child who needed a specialist assessment received one.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children with their education and are ambitious for children to do well. Alternatives are in place when children cannot go to school. Staff advocate for children to receive the educational support that they need. Staff celebrate children’s progress and achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff teach children how to take care of their health and hygiene. Children are encouraged to be active and to eat healthy meals. Staff routinely praise children when they make positive choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a large home that is comfortable. There is a choice of communal areas which allow children to relax or play either together or apart. Children’s bedrooms are spacious, well furnished and personalised. Photos of the children enjoying activities are displayed on the walls. This enables children to develop a sense of belonging in the home.

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

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are known and understood. Their risk plans are individualised and provide staff with clear direction about how to reduce and manage any risks to keep children safe.

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

Relationships between staff and children are positive. However, during the inspection a staff member was heard using inappropriate language to describe a child’s behaviour. This is something that the manager took swift action to address. Inspection report for children’s home: 1246331 4 When children go missing from the home, staff act quickly to locate them. Staff follow individual plans for each child and communicate effectively with other professionals to share information. This helps to reduce the risks to children.

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

Staff are trained in a therapeutic model that helps them to better understand and manage children’s experiences and behaviours. Staff are supported by specialist therapists who meet with them regularly to reflect and advise on practice. Staff use this learning to provide regular opportunities to explore and talk to the children about relevant issues.

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

The home is generally well maintained, and staff help children to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. However, during the inspection, debris from an incident the night before was seen on the floor of a child’s bedroom. This posed a hazard to the child.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place to ensure that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and suitably experienced. She is dedicated to the role and promotes a positive culture in the home. The manager has high expectations for herself, the staff and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home and work well together as a team. They say that they feel valued and supported by the manager. Staff described the manager as supportive and knowledgeable. The children benefit from a staff team that is stable and consistent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervision sessions are regular and effective. They focus on the children’s well-being and progress and provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively and effectively with other agencies and professionals. One social care professional said that the home is ‘amazing’ and that the manager is ‘really helpful’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff are up to date with training and development. Staff attend training, which equips them with the right skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager regularly monitors the quality of care provided to the children. Her tracking systems allow her to identify any shortfalls as they arise so she can take swift action to address them. Inspection report for children’s home: 1246331 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, 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—

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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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person is to ensure that any items damaged within the property are cleared away in a timely manner. 12 December 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills to respond to each child’s individual behaviour. Where necessary, they should manage conflict, maintain constructive dialogues and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14)

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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: 1246331 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 300 St. Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1246331 7 and inspects 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 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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