Children's Home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2585541 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024. The manager is also registered to manage another home owned by this provider.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2585541 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2024 Full Good 09/05/2023 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2585541 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has lived at the home for a significant period. They have settled and are making good progress in most aspects of their life. The child has formed positive and trusting relationships with staff. This contributes to the child’s feelings of stability and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved to the home more recently. This child is slowly settling in and has started to share important information with staff about how they are feeling. Staff are persistent in their efforts to reassure the child and actively seek ways to forge a stronger relationship with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff strive to create a secure family environment where children are nurtured. Staff regularly praise children and reinforce how proud they are of their achievements. This helps children to feel secure, loved and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and promote children’s hobbies and interests. For example, one child attends youth clubs, football training and swimming lessons. Staff take an interest in children’s hobbies, and they enjoy participating in activities together. These shared experiences enhance children’s experience of living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with their friends. Their friends are welcome to visit the home. Staff have encouraged one child to play outside with local children and form friendships with them. There are arrangements in place to ensure the child’s safety while allowing them the freedom to play independently. This is building the child’s confidence and widening their social circle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff think of creative ways to help children learn new skills. For example, staff have taught one child how to tell the time and tie their shoelaces.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children attend school regularly. One child has additional learning needs, and their progress at school is mixed. During periods of exclusion, staff have provided structured learning activities for the child. However, staff are not consistently promoting study at home. This is a missed opportunity to help the child enhance their literacy and numeracy skills while making learning fun.

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

The children have settled in. They receive a high level of supervision and support, which helps to ensure that they are safe.

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

Staff have embedded clear boundaries and rules, which are understood and accepted by the children. When children test these boundaries, staff are consistent in their response. This helps children to understand what is acceptable and what is expected of them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2585541 4 Staff offer children incentives to encourage them to adopt positive behaviours. Children can choose incentives that are meaningful to them. For example, one child has chosen goalkeepers gloves as an incentive to work towards.

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

Staff encourage children to reflect and learn from their behaviours. This approach is successful, and one child has started to apologise to others after incidents at home and in school.

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

Children have individual behaviour support plans that outline strategies that staff should use when they are upset. Incidents that staff find challenging to manage are infrequent. Staff intervene early and defuse situations effectively. Physical intervention is a last resort, and staff have not needed to hold a child to keep them safe.

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

Staff are helping one child to manage their behaviours and emotions in a more positive way. Staff encourage the child to identify practical strategies that help them feel calmer and deal with their frustrations differently. For example, the child has learned to come home to calm down when they have arguments with friends. This is significant progress for the child, and it has helped them sustain their friendships.

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

Risks to children are well understood. The manager ensures that all children have detailed risk management plans. This helps staff to manage and mitigate known risks to children. The manager responds quickly to emerging safeguarding concerns for children. She involves the relevant professionals to help manage potential risks to the child.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. However, there are protocols in place to ensure that staff respond consistently and effectively if a child goes missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably experienced and qualified manager leads the home. She is also registered to manage another home owned by the same provider.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager spends time with children and understands the progress that they are making. She is ambitious for children to reach their full potential. The manager is a good advocate for children. She is confident in challenging other professionals when children do not receive the support they require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy their jobs, and morale is high. Staff speak highly of their managers and the support they receive from them. One member of staff said, ‘This is the best job I’ve had in my life. I love the children, and I love making a difference.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a comprehensive induction and training programme. There is a strong focus on continuous professional development. All staff who do not hold a relevant childcare qualification are supported to achieve one. Staff told the inspector that they feel valued and invested in by managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2585541 5 The manager ensures that children’s care plans reflect their needs and how they should be supported. However, children do not contribute to these plans, and the format of these records may be a barrier to children with additional needs. Consideration should be given to making records available and accessible to children with appropriate support from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by a predominantly female team. The manager has recognised the need for a more diverse staff team and is taking action to address the gender imbalance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that helps them to reflect on their practice. Discussions during supervision focus on children’s experiences, needs and plans. In addition, staff receive an annual appraisal of their performance. The appraisal could be strengthened by capturing and considering the views of professionals and children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2585541 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are supported to learn and that staff promote the value of reading and writing for enjoyment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)  The registered person should ensure that children are actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. Children’s additional needs should not be a barrier to this. In addition, staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s

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Recommendations

Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2585541 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: 400 Longmoor Lane, Liverpool L9 9DB

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Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2585541 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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